Answer: A really cool hybrid (above). In 2021, someone brought a “dog” to a rehabilitation center in Vacaria, Brazil that had been injured by a car. However, upon further examination, they discovered she wasn’t a dog. She also preferred to eat rats over boring dog food. Disruptions of natural habitats in South America have led to increasing interactions between wild canids and domestic dogs. In this case, scientists discovered the […]
Bats are known for their strong immune systems and impressive longevity. In fact, some species live 20 years or more in the wild. Unlike many long-lived species, however, cancer is a rare occurrence in bats. A new study published in Genome Biology and Evolution examined the link between immune function and cancer resistance in bats. The team characterized the genome of Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis) and Mesoamerican mustached bats […]
Cope’s gray treefrogs, Dryophytes chrysoscelis, are remarkable animals that can actually survive being frozen…multiple times each year. In fact, these animals live in an environment in which temperatures commonly dip below freezing. When temperatures drop, up to 65% of their body water literally freezes. In anticipation of freezing temperatures, they begin to accumulate cryoprotectant chemicals during the fall to help protect their organs. Until now, the effects of repeated cycles […]
Someone must have seen a resemblance to monkeys when naming these animals. Adult monkeyface pricklebacks, Cebidichthys violaceus, weigh around 6 pounds and can grow up to 2.5 feet long. They can live up to about 18 years of age. Despite their appearance, they are not eels, although their eel-like shape allows them to hide in crevices. They are native to the California coast and their home range is only a […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 