The Mortlock Islands flying fox, a large, breadfruit-eating bat native to a few remote and tiny Pacific islands, has long been regarded as one of […]

The post Scientists shine light on world’s least-studied bat: Mortlock Islands flying fox appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Turtles have long been the subject of one the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology: where do they fit among vertebrates in the evolutionary tree […]

The post Turtle lineage solved in new study appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

An international team of researchers from the United States and Germany have discovered a key missing link in the evolutionary history of turtles. The new […]

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According to a new study, eating sea turtle eggs increases the health risk of heavy metal exposure in local communities in Panama and may provide […]

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To fully know a species and develop sound conservation efforts, its full life cycle must be understood. But tracking small migratory birds for thousands of […]

The post Keeping Track of Kirtland’s Warbler All Year Long―A Scientific First appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

People often use the words turtle and tortoise interchangeably, but these reptiles have distinct differences: Turtle shells are typically more flattened and not as deeply […]

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Each year from summer into fall, ornamental crape myrtle trees in the southern and central U.S. lay out a visual feast of vibrant flowers in […]

The post Crape myrtle trees aren’t native to the US, but hungry native birds still find them tasty appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Every year many marine animals including seabirds, sea turtles and sharks are unintentionally caught as bycatch in commercial fishing gear. Recent research has demonstrated that illuminating fishing nets with ultraviolet (UV) lights can reduce sea turtle bycatch without significantly affecting the number of fish caught or their market value.

Nine areas in the Atlantic where leatherback turtles are at higher risk of bycatch have been identified in a recent study. To help protect this important species less damaging fishing practices could be used in these areas, the study concludes, and some could be candidates for marine protected status.

Farmland birds like skylarks are attracted to nest in agricultural grassland, but repeated harvesting for silage causes most nests to fail. This study showed that skylark breeding success in silage was too low to sustain local populations. The researchers say that grass silage is a hostile environment for breeding skylarks and conservation efforts should focus on making other parts of the landscape more attractive and productive for nesting birds.

A St Albans-based artist has seen her work shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2019.

An author from St Albans has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s prestigious 2020 Romantic Novel Awards.

Diesel trucks and other municipal vehicles in Portland, Oregon, will soon start filling up at a wastewater treatment plant.

Portland authorities faced a tough decision this week: Drain a reservoir or provide residents with tap water that a teen peed into?

By keeping things compact, Matt Kirkpatrick and Katherine Bovee were able to splurge and have some fun when designing their boxy, prefab abode.

Turtles use their shells as shields today, but these devices evolved for a completely different reason, paleontologists learn.

The Oregon city suspended the use of any insecticide containing neonicotinoids, but not everyone is happy.

New study reveals animals in ocean trenches are digesting plastic.

Five years after the 2010 BP oil spill, the endangered reptiles are one of several species still suffering from enigmatic declines.

How much do you know about these ancient shelled reptiles?

A giant sinkhole, the length of two football fields and six stories deep, opened up in a New Zealand farm in Rotorua.

Endangered loggerhead sea turtles are making a comeback in the Southeast thanks to protections put in place decades ago.

Holst Architecture's Bud Clark Commons project joins an eclectic assortment of notable green buildings on the 2014 AIA COTE annual top 10 list.

University of Cincinnati students score big in the 2015 perFORM Building Design Competition.

This biophilic home owned by Gennaro Brooks-Church, founder of Eco Brooklyn Living Walls, is so green it boasts a turtle sanctuary.

The Mary River turtle, recognized for its algae-induced punk rock appearance and ability to breathe through its rear is endangered.

Rare endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles hatch on New York City beach, but they normally nest in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rescuers in Cape Cod are racing to save wave after wave of "cold-stunned" sea turtles.

2019 has been a record year for the threatened species, even after Hurricane Dorian destroyed sea turtle nests in the state.

Wasted food accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than any country except China and the United States, according to a new report.

The Bortle Light Pollution Scale is a good model for understanding how tainted our night skies are by light pollution.

Researchers are trying to better understand how light pollution affects the endangered animals.

Bloomberg Rankings has released a list of bike-to-work rates in 25 major U.S. cities and Portland, Ore., came out on top. In 2010, nearly 16,000 workers biked t

Before you start (begrudgingly) scouring, scrubbing, shampooing and sprucing up, consider adding these eco-friendly spring cleaning tools.

Six in 10 turtle species are threatened or already extinct, according to a new study.

Our planet has lost 60 percent of its vertebrate animals since 1970, but there still may be time to save the rest.

World Rhino Day has us thinking about how amazing this animal really is, and how close we are to losing it forever.

Get out your walking shoes and check out this city by the sea.

Newman’s Own gives all of its profits to charity, like the one that helps Kadin Hoven and his family escape the difficulties of chronic illness.

The turtle survived, but a video of the ordeal demonstrates why recycling can be a matter of life and death.

Research out of Venice finds Irish dancing more helpful than physiotherapy for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Watch as a WWE observer releases beautiful olive ridley sea turtle from entrapment.

Hoping to better protect loggerheads, scientists get creative in finding a way to track the years that baby turtles spend in the ocean.

LEDs can stop sea turtles from dying in fishing nets, a new study finds, and without limiting how many fish are caught.

Scientists aren't sure yet just how widespread these beautiful, glowing hawksbill turtles are.

Boston Dynamics releases video of new robot dog that can open doors.

With 70 miles of hiking trails, you've got options at Portland's Forest Park. Why not catch a glimpse of Mount St. Helens or Mount Rainier?

The density of turtles is so high that you could almost imagine crossing the sea by hopping from shell to shell.

A turtle's shell is a lot more fragile than it looks, which is we need to stop looking at it as a suit of armor.

Conservationists are reporting improved nesting conditions because conditions are right and there's less pressure from tourism.