zoology

Researchers discovered that combinations of toxin-blocking proteins naturally found in rattlesnake blood can powerfully neutralize venom from several dangerous snake species. In lab tests, the mixtures were about 10 times more potent than a current commercial antivenom, pointing toward a new generation of nature-inspired snakebite treatments.

The new species, Pristimantis milpe, is one of the most widely distributed Pristimantis frogs in the Ecuadorian Chocó, and the reason it stayed nameless is an error in how a name was matched to a population rather than any difficulty in finding the animal.

The extinct “American cheetah” was not really a cheetah at all, but a puma relative with an unexpectedly flexible lifestyle. Fossils from the Yukon suggest northern populations survived partly by eating fish, possibly including salmon, while southern cats hunted on land.

BackgroundSkin wounds are common in horses due to species-specific behavioral responses. Equine skin morphology, vascularization, and inflammatory responses to wounds are comparable to those in humans, supporting the translational relevance of equine wound-healing studies. Investigating biomaterials such as tilapia and frog skin may improve wound management. This study demonstrated that sterilize…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-67946-4 Adaptive allometry of wing outline in Tachinidae flies

A critically endangered roloway monkey has given birth just months after surgeons performed an unusual operation that saved her foot from amputation. Her new daughter, Lagertha, is an important addition to a species believed to number fewer than 2,000 in the wild.

Winter is difficult for small mammals. They have to maintain their body temperature despite the cold and scarcity of food. One response that helps many species is seasonal shrinking, with their skull and other body parts becoming about 20% smaller and then regrowing in spring. But the full story is more complicated.

For reasons I don’t understand, Miss Duck left Botany Pond three days ago and has not returned. There are no signs of a predator attack, and my best guess is that she just felt it was time for her to leave. Unfortunately, she leaves behind the brood of four, who seem quite discombobulated without their … Continue reading Miss Duck has left the pond

A simple wardrobe change revealed a blind spot in predators: birds evolved to spot danger, but mammals didn't.

Static posturography is widely used to assess postural stability in dogs. Considerable methodological variation exists regarding whether center of pressure (COP) parameters are derived from whole-body, forelimb-, or hindlimb-based measurements and whether values are expressed as absolute or base of support (BOS)-normalised parameters. The aims were to examine the associations between whole-body, …

A common frog found across Ecuador and Colombia has finally been recognized as its own species after more than a century of mistaken identity. Museum specimens from the 1800s helped scientists reveal that Pristimantis milpe had been hiding in plain sight all along.

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77599-6 There is still limited data reported on virus diversity in South American bats. In this study, the authors report a divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats, expanding knowledge of coronavirus diversity and features linked to zoonotic potential.