We’re celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in a big way, with one of the largest known deer: the Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus)! It was originally discovered in bog deposits in Ireland. This megafauna could weigh up to 1,500 pounds (680 kg) and its antlers could reach an incredible 13-ft- (4-m-) spread. Once ranging from western Europe to China, this animal died out some 10,000 years ago. However, at least one population, living in Russia’s Ural Mountains, managed to survive until about 7,770 years ago, long after the end of the Pleistocene.
See the Irish Elk up close in the Museum’s Hall of Advanced Mammals! We’re open daily from 10 am-5:30 pm. Plan your visit.
How many frogs have you discovered? Was it just the minis or was there more?
I've contributed to the description of 90 frog species and 32 reptiles so far; you can find a full list, regularly updated, here: http://www.markscherz.com/species
As for how many of these I discovered (defined as me having collected the first or only specimens known to science), that is a more difficult question. I think there are only five described so far: Gephyromantis saturnini, Gephyromantis tohatra, Rhombophryne ellae, Stumpffia bishopi, Lygodactylus tantsaha. Rhombophryne ellae is a bit of a grey zone, because we found out later that another specimen has been collected about a decade earlier, but not realised to be a distinct species. There are also some cases, like Calumma ratnasariae and Gephyromantis angano and G. lomorina, where one or two specimens were known beforehand, and already thought to constitute a new species, but I collected some of the key specimens that made it possible to describe the species. But I guess from the purist perspective, those five are it for now.
More are coming, though! There is for instance this very charming Rhombophryne that I discovered in 2016 that I hope to be able to describe this year.
The government of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI), which operates as a British overseas territory, recently announced that it had established new no-fishing zones over 166,000 km² (64,100 mi²) of its existing marine protected area, and prohibited krill fishing in an additional 17,000 km² (6,600 mi²) of the MPA.
These new no-fishing zones were established to protect krill-dependent marine wildlife, including baleen whales and penguins, while also considering the fisheries operating in the area, which target krill and other species.
While conservationists initially pushed for further protections, they ultimately accepted the decision, with one calling it a “positive and good outcome.”
However, Argentina, which claims the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands as part of its Tierra del Fuego province, has expressed its dissatisfaction with the SGSSI government’s decision.
"bug" is one of my favorite words because it not only has zero scientific basis, but even its colloquial meaning is poorly defined. Are bugs insects? No because spiders are bugs. Do bugs crawl? No because worms are bugs. Is a crayfish a bug? who tf knows
It's clear that the only consistent trait of a bug is that it is smol
Jellyfish are notoriously hard to care for. They require a *specific* kind of aquarium with no corners and continuous air flow. The slightest change in temperature csn just straight up fucking kill them. If you get a pet jellyfish, you need to be on that shit.
The greater sage grouse, which once numbered in the thousands in Western Canada, is coming perilously close to vanishing from the Prairies, new government research shows.
Known for its unusual mating dance, the species — found in areas where sagebrush grows — has been endangered for decades.
The round-bodied bird is among the species most at risk in Canada. The latest data from government conservationists provides little hope for their future.