Male Fringe-Lipped bats smear a sticky, odorous substance on their forearms. When this was discovered, researchers guessed that it might play a role in mating. Post-doctoral fellow Mariana Muñoz-Romo has confirmed that the presence and size of the forearm "crust" is, indeed correlated with other reproductive traits.
The strong relationship formed between two female adult vampire bats may have motivated one of the bats to adopt the other’s baby.
Annette Aiello has a natural history radar system that most of us lack. An observation of an insect exoskeleton on a potted plant may lead to the identification of a new insect species.
Animals in captivity may have trouble breeding, so to keep amphibian species from dying out, researchers are discovering new ways to help them reproduce.
A literature review revealed that odor-producing glands and tissues in bats may play a prominent role in mating behavior
Just as humans with their babies, adult female bats change their vocalizations when interacting with “babbling” pups, which could be interpreted as positive feedback to their offspring during vocal practice
Temperatures affect ant behavior and colony function
Frogs lay eggs both in the water and in jelly-like masses on plants. Could their flexible behavior help explain how vertebrates moved from life in ocean to life on land?
A new study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) shows that red-eyed treefrog embryos hatch early when exposed to high ammonia levels — an environmental cue that it’s too hot and dry for the eggs to survive.
A rocky intertidal zone and sandy beach
at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.
