Science has never given a definitive answer to this question, although various theories have been proposed in the past. Some suggested that insects see the light as an escape from danger, while others propose that some insects, like moths, use the moon for navigation and simply mistake the source of light for moonlight.

Now, a team of scientists from Imperial College London have proposed a new theory. According to a study published in Nature Journal, the answer to insects’ attraction to light lies in their evolution.

Scientists observed the behavior of insects around light and discovered that they are not flying directly towards it. Instead, they are turning their backs to the source of light.

Their conclusion is that nocturnal insects evolved to turn their back to the brightest spot. For millions of years, the brightest spot was the sky, which allowed insects to correctly position their bodies while flying. However, with the introduction of artificial light, the brightest spots started appearing all around them.

“If the light’s above them, they might start orbiting it, but if it’s behind them, they start tilting backward, and that can cause them to climb up and up until they stall,” said Sam Fabian, an entomologist and one of the researchers on the study. “More dramatic is when they fly directly over a light. They flip themselves upside down, and that can lead to crashes.”

The post Scientists Propose a New Theory on Why Insects Are Attracted to Light appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

A team of scientists recently observed an infestation of big-headed ants in East Africa. They learned that in areas with a large spread of these ants, lions are three times less likely to attack and kill zebras. And the reason is quite unusual.

When hunting zebras, lions use whistling-thorn trees for cover. The trees offer them protection from the sun while preventing zebras from seeing them until it’s too late. But the number of those trees is dwindling.

Elephants love snacking on whistling-thorn trees, but these trees usually have acacia ants protecting them. This species of ants bite and bothers elephants, who quickly give up and move on. However, big-headed ants are now taking over the territory of acacia ants but are not even remotely interested in protecting the trees, causing the elephants to tear them down.

“Because lions need cover to successfully stalk and ambush their prey, they are more exposed when there are fewer trees to hunker down behind, which seems to make it harder for them to successfully take down the zebra,” said Professor Todd Palmer of the University of Florida, who worked on the study.

Palmer adds that the spread of big-headed ants could have more consequences in the future. The whistling-thorn trees are also a source of food for other species, and their loss could significantly change the ecology of the area.

The post Ants Are Causing Lions to Hunt Zebras Less According to a Recent Study appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

The scientists have tracked De Winton’s golden mole since 2021 and confirmed the existence of four specimens. They shared their research in a study published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation back in November.

According to the Smithsonian magazine, De Winton’s golden mole was last seen in 1936.

“Though many people doubted that De Winton’s golden mole was still out there, I had good faith that the species had not yet gone extinct,” said Cobus Theron, senior conservation manager for the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in South Africa and one of the scientists who took part in the project.

De Winton’s golden mole is blind but has remarkable hearing that gives it the ability to locate its prey. They also cover their tracks well, with their tunnels being untraceable, which is one of the reasons why they are so hard to find.

The team that was trying to track down De Winton’s golden mole used various methods to locate the animal. They surveyed local communities while also turning to a border collie named Jessie to assist them in their search.

The post “Presumably Extinct” Mole Species Spotted for the First Time in 87 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

“This is certainly the most important birth of the year here at the zoo. Indian rhinos are a vulnerable species,” Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill told Local 10.

The baby girl rhino was born on April 23 to a mom that carried her for 15 months in a unique pregnancy. “It’s the first time ever in the world that a birth is the result of induced ovulation combined with artificial insemination, so this is huge because it says a lot about our potential,” said Magill.

The post Baby Rhino Makes Public Debut at Zoo Miami appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

Science has never given a definitive answer to this question, although various theories have been proposed in the past. Some suggested that insects see the light as an escape from danger, while others propose that some insects, like moths, use the moon for navigation and simply mistake the source of light for moonlight.

Now, a team of scientists from Imperial College London have proposed a new theory. According to a study published in Nature Journal, the answer to insects’ attraction to light lies in their evolution.

Scientists observed the behavior of insects around light and discovered that they are not flying directly towards it. Instead, they are turning their backs to the source of light.

Their conclusion is that nocturnal insects evolved to turn their back to the brightest spot. For millions of years, the brightest spot was the sky, which allowed insects to correctly position their bodies while flying. However, with the introduction of artificial light, the brightest spots started appearing all around them.

“If the light’s above them, they might start orbiting it, but if it’s behind them, they start tilting backward, and that can cause them to climb up and up until they stall,” said Sam Fabian, an entomologist and one of the researchers on the study. “More dramatic is when they fly directly over a light. They flip themselves upside down, and that can lead to crashes.”

The post Scientists Propose a New Theory on Why Insects Are Attracted to Light appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

A team of scientists recently observed an infestation of big-headed ants in East Africa. They learned that in areas with a large spread of these ants, lions are three times less likely to attack and kill zebras. And the reason is quite unusual.

When hunting zebras, lions use whistling-thorn trees for cover. The trees offer them protection from the sun while preventing zebras from seeing them until it’s too late. But the number of those trees is dwindling.

Elephants love snacking on whistling-thorn trees, but these trees usually have acacia ants protecting them. This species of ants bite and bothers elephants, who quickly give up and move on. However, big-headed ants are now taking over the territory of acacia ants but are not even remotely interested in protecting the trees, causing the elephants to tear them down.

“Because lions need cover to successfully stalk and ambush their prey, they are more exposed when there are fewer trees to hunker down behind, which seems to make it harder for them to successfully take down the zebra,” said Professor Todd Palmer of the University of Florida, who worked on the study.

Palmer adds that the spread of big-headed ants could have more consequences in the future. The whistling-thorn trees are also a source of food for other species, and their loss could significantly change the ecology of the area.

The post Ants Are Causing Lions to Hunt Zebras Less According to a Recent Study appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

The scientists have tracked De Winton’s golden mole since 2021 and confirmed the existence of four specimens. They shared their research in a study published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation back in November.

According to the Smithsonian magazine, De Winton’s golden mole was last seen in 1936.

“Though many people doubted that De Winton’s golden mole was still out there, I had good faith that the species had not yet gone extinct,” said Cobus Theron, senior conservation manager for the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in South Africa and one of the scientists who took part in the project.

De Winton’s golden mole is blind but has remarkable hearing that gives it the ability to locate its prey. They also cover their tracks well, with their tunnels being untraceable, which is one of the reasons why they are so hard to find.

The team that was trying to track down De Winton’s golden mole used various methods to locate the animal. They surveyed local communities while also turning to a border collie named Jessie to assist them in their search.

The post “Presumably Extinct” Mole Species Spotted for the First Time in 87 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.

“This is certainly the most important birth of the year here at the zoo. Indian rhinos are a vulnerable species,” Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill told Local 10.

The baby girl rhino was born on April 23 to a mom that carried her for 15 months in a unique pregnancy. “It’s the first time ever in the world that a birth is the result of induced ovulation combined with artificial insemination, so this is huge because it says a lot about our potential,” said Magill.

The post Baby Rhino Makes Public Debut at Zoo Miami appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.