With humans sending probes to explore Mars and the sun, one might think we’ve already explored the full extent of our own planet. But scientists say we’ve only begun to find and describe the riches here on Earth. “I think most people believe that we know most species on Earth … but in the best-case […]
Mongabay seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics,and finance on conservation and development.
Scientists rediscover chameleon in Madagascar last seen 100 years ago
Isabella O Malley
jeudi, 5 novembre 2020 à 07:00 - A conservation program that began in 2017 is cited as the reason for the rediscovery of the Voeltzkow s chameleon in Madagascar.
Scientists have rediscovered an elusive chameleon in Madagascar that was last seen over a century ago. The Voeltzkow s chameleon is a unique species that have a lifespan of just a few months during the rainy season in northwestern Madagascar. Until the spring of 2018, this species had not been spotted since 1913.
The female chameleon had never been documented before and the study notes that their colouration is “highly variable and can be extremely colourful.” The researchers say that when stressed, the dark green stripes on the females change to black, a violet stripe appears and runs from their cheek to the basis of the tail, and white and black speckles appear on parts of their tail and head. Alternatively, the males largely
2 hours ago
Praying mantises with their angular features, huge eyes and centaur posture often seem a bit alien. But researchers have recently found one mantis species that takes this otherworldly quality to the next level: Females of this species have an inflatable pheromone gland that protrudes from the back of the abdomen like a green, Y-shaped balloon.
This odd organ is unlike anything seen in mantises before, researchers report online April 21 in the
Journal of Orthoptera Research.
In October 2017, herpetologist Frank Glaw was moving through the nighttime rainforest in Amazonian Peru at the Panguana research station, searching for amphibians and reptiles. His flashlight passed over a brown, leaf-mimicking mantis (