duck
dr. dolittle | July 15, 2016Ducklings are rather well-known for their ability to imprint on someone (usually their mother) or something shortly after hatching. Researchers at the University of Oxford were interested in understanding more about learning and memory in ducklings. Specifically, they wanted to know if a duckling simply remembered what they saw or if they were capable of more complex cognition involving determining whether objects had the same or different qualities.
After hatching, they placed ducklings in an enclosed space that contained either identical or different red shapes attached to a string that…
dr. dolittle | July 29, 2014The cause of "angel wing", a deformity found in waterfowl such as ducks, geese and swans has been uncovered. Sadly, it is often caused by well-intended people feeding birds foods that are too high in proteins or carbohydrates (bread, crackers and popcorn anyone?). Not surprisingly, this condition mainly impacts birds that live in public areas. Because the deformed birds are unable to fly, thousands succumb every year to predators or inclement weather.
Conservationists suggest instead feeding the birds waterfowl feed, duck pellets, sliced seedless grapes, shredded swiss chard and romaine…
FDA is looking for your help to determine source of illnesses and deaths related to dog jerky treats
dr. dolittle | October 22, 2013 Image from Vin News Service (http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=22697)
The FDA is calling for help to determine the source of roughly 580 deaths and over 3600 illnesses (gastrointestinal and kidney) related to jerky treats that were made in China. The mystery dates back to 2007 when illnesses were first being reported by pet owners. Most of the victims have been dogs, although 10 cats have become sick from eating these treats as well.The FDA has tested treats for contaminants including chemical, microbiological/bacterial, antibiotics, metals, and pesticides in addition to DNA and…
edyong | December 22, 2009Patricia Brennan from Yale University is trying to encourage male Muscovy ducks to launch their ballistic penises into test tubes.
Normally, the duck keeps its penis inside-out within a sac in its body. When the time for mating arrives, the penis explodes outwards to a fully-erect 20cm, around a quarter of the animal's total body length. The whole process takes just a third of a second and Brennan captures it all on high-speed camera. This isn't just bizarre voyeurism. Duck penises are a wonderful example of the strange things that happen when sexual conflict shapes the evolution of animal…
edyong | October 19, 2009
From a young age, children learn about the sounds that animals make. But even without teaching aides like Old Macdonald's farm, it turns out that very young babies have an intuitive understanding of the noises that humans, and even monkeys, ought to make. Athena Vouloumanos from New York University found that at just five months of age, infants match human speech to human faces and monkey calls to monkey faces. Amazingly, this wasn't a question of experience - the same infants failed to match quacks to duck faces, even though they had more experience with ducks than monkeys.
Voloumanos…
zooillogix | March 14, 2008Zooillogix is sad to report the not-entirely-unexpected passing of a local celebrity from rural New Mexico. Bentley was born on Pat King's bird ranch in the summer of 2007 and quickly charmed her way into the hearts of all seven of Zooillogix's readers at the time. As the pictures show, Bentley was born with a twisted neck that basically had her looking at right angles for most of her life. It took her a few weeks before she had mastered the art of walking in a different direction from the one her head was facing, but master it she did. Eventually, her indominitable spirit was proven once and…
grrlscientist | October 13, 2007tags: turtle yoga, duck, reptiles, interspecies communication, Image of the Day
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [Wallpaper size]
The photographer writes: This second image (the first appeared yesterday) provides photographic proof of an instance in which a Red-eared Slider and a Mallard participated in the same Yoga session in our very own Central Park. Experienced Yoga practitioners will no doubt immediately recognize the classic Mountain Pose when they see it. Of course the turtle's interpretation is a bit freeform but you have to give credit to a quadruped for trying.
So…
zooillogix | July 12, 2007And yet more troubling bird imagery from the same friends who brought us Deviled Ostrich Egg and Baby Cockatiel:
Bentley's Bio courtesy of friend Pat Deering from New Mexico
Bentley is a deformed duckling. His neck is bent down and around to his left side. If he is ,Aeufacing,Aeu forward, his head is looking at about 8 o,Aeoclock, behind him. It was easy for him to see where things are but hard to go ,Aeuforward,Aeu in order to get there because his feet go one way while he,Aeos looking another. He is able to get around and has no problem drinking and eating. He was doing fine until a near-…