Do you have a stressed out cat? If so, try playing cat music, that’s right…music designed for cats. Researchers at Louisiana State University observed that music made specifically for felines can help them calm down during a visit to the vet. The special recordings (below) include cat vocalizations as well as sounds that are close to the vocal frequency of cats. The team found that cats who were exposed to […]
Have you ever experienced seagulls seemingly begging for food from you? It is not your imagination. A new study finds that seagulls really do prefer foods that have been handled by humans. The study conducted Madeleine Goumas (University of Exeter, UK) examined whether seagulls picked up on cues from humans or were simply looking for food. While standing about 8 meters away from herring gulls, the team placed two plastic-wrapped […]
I just read an interesting article on the physiology of long-lived species that was published in Physiology. Some animals seem to have discovered the secret to the fountain of youth. Take the long-lived naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) for example. These animals are able to maintain juvenile traits across their lifespan by growing slowly, having low levels of hormones responsible for development and delaying the onset of sexual maturity. Dwarf […]
Animals that develop within an egg, must rely on the egg yolk for nutrition for healthy development. While we have known that proteins and fats in the egg are important for development, the role of carbohydrates in the development of molluscs is a bit vague. A new study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology examined the role of carbohydrates in the development of Pacific […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 