The Sciences
Lizard Picks Best Color--to Stand against
Aegean wall lizards are the first wild animals to be observed explicitly choosing the best background for their particular coloration to disappear into.
Conservation1223 articles archived since 1845
Environment
U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Obama's Clean Power Plan
An unusual 5–4 decision halts the federal effort to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants while the court battle continues
Environment
Every Member of This Rare Bird Species Is About to Get its Genome Sequenced
A crowdfunding effort hopes to reveal hidden secrets about the last 125 kakapo parrots
The Sciences
Giant Bird Driven Extinct by Egg-Eating Humans
About 47,000 years ago, newcomer humans to Australia helped to wipe out an enormous flightless bird by collecting and cooking its eggs.
Environment
Climate Change Most Affects Nations That Didn't Produce It
Developed nations that drive climate change incur relatively few of the costs whereas countries that produce few greenhouse gas emissions will be hard-hit, like nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke...
Environment
Poachers Steal 7 Million South African Abalones a Year
Abalone poaching has soared to near-record levels and is now worth $440 million a year
The Sciences
A Flower and a Way of Life in Peril
Prized—and increasingly rare—bouquets of an enchanting flower from Brazil’s mountainous heartland pit collectors against conservationists
The Sciences
Seed-Scattering Birds May Help Trees Cope with Climate Change
A new review paper emphasizes the crucial role birds play in helping trees colonize new habitats—especially in the face of a changing climate. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Environment
Higher Temperatures May Doom Many Trees
Warmer air causes trees to use food faster, starving while drought also dries them out
Environment
When Marijuana Kills: Rat Bait at Illegal Pot Farms Is Needlessly Poisoning Larger Animals
New studies reveal the pesticides are especially harming already-endangered Pacific fishers
Environment
Plastic Pollution Perturbs Oyster Offspring
Laboratory tests suggest that when the shellfish suck in tiny plastic particles, their reproductive success suffers. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Heavy: Caspian Turtles Are Polluted by Toxic Lead, Mercury and Cadmium
The heavy metals could cause low sperm counts, infertile eggs and other health problems
The Sciences
Slaughter of the Song Birds
Songbirds are a culinary delicacy in Cyprus—but catching and eating them is illegal. Even so, the practice is on the rise and could be threatening rare species
The Sciences
Sweet Song Gives Away New Bird Species
The newly discovered Himalayan forest thrush looks a great deal like the alpine thrush, but its far silkier song stylings gave it away as a potential new species.
The Sciences
Mali's Desert Elephants Face Extinction in 3 Years
Sixteen animals have been killed so far this month, adding to more than 80 slaughtered in 2015
Sleeping Sickness Parasite Susceptible to Extinction Because It Hasn't Had Sex in 10,000 Years
Evolution is a good thing, even for parasites.
The Sciences
How a Supreme Court Decision Affects Your Electricity Bill
A 6-2 ruling upholds a regulation that requires utilities to pay more to customers who conserve power during times of peak demand
Think Manatees are Recovered? Look Farther South
Manatees in Belize face increasing threats from development—and potentially from the U.S.
Environment
The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle Just Got 25 Percent Closer to Extinction
With the death of Vietnam’s beloved Cu Rua, only three of these turtles remain on the planet
The Sciences
Sharks Head Straight Home by Smell
Sharks that could smell headed straight back home when taken a few miles away whereas some that had their senses of smell blocked took slower, more erratic paths to their old haunts...
