Da wittle birdie’s down feathers grew out of contwol because it’s a MUTANT! This genetic mutation happens from time to time, and some people kill I mean euthanize them because they are special birdies that need extra attention.
Some bats have been getting nailed by wind turbines, but not in the typical bloody mass way birds get canned. Folks at the University o Calgary collected 188 bats in Alberta… 90% of them had internal trauma without damage to their outsides. They’re lungs busted. It seems the turbines’ drop in pressure directly by them makes the batty lungs pop, similar to a diver coming to the surface too quickly after a deep dive. The bats are dying from the bends, and they don’t “see” it coming. The turbines are screwing with their echolocation.
This part of the article in NewScientist that got my attention most:
Bats eat nocturnal insects including agricultural pests, so if wind turbines affected their population levels, this could affect the rest of the local ecosystems. And the effects could even be international. “The species being killed are migrants,” says Baerwald. “If bats are killed in Canada that could have consequences for ecosystems as far away as Mexico.”
Well. Crap. One solution to the banged-up bat debacle would be to increase the minimum speed requirement to get the turbines turning.
spotted on wtf_nature.
The piglet was born in the Fengzhang village of Xiping township. The family of the mother sow flipped their shit when they saw it, but their son likes it and has been feeding it. Aside from the obvious cranial deformities, its hind legs are longer than its front, leading the baby hopping rather than walking to get around. The neighbors are curious to see what it will look like as it ages. I hope it can last!
from wtf nature!
This owl is a Southern White Faced Scops (Ptilopsis granti). Originally from South Africa, the little dude reacts to threats on a scale level. If it appears it can take on the enemy, he poofs up his plumage and puts on a badass face. If he doesn’t, he shrivels up and looks as little as he can. These little dudes are from a big family of 45 genus or so and are closely related to the American Screech Owl compared to, say, the Great Horned Owl.
The Japanese commentary is awesome.
check out this article on popgadget for a picture of an egg being excreted by an ovary. has even more info and pictures. The doctors stumbled upon this during a hysterectomy. You’d think they would have considered this gal’s time of the month.
spotted from wtf_nature
This clip is taken from National Geographic’s Animals in the Womb, a series about looking at babies of all types before they are born. This particular section shows human kiddos — twins, triplets, and quadruplets. They’re calling it 4-D because it’s in real time.
Found while wandering in an entry on womb animals in wtf nature on livejournal. That community may not be safe for work. Take care when clicking links to pictures.