animals

Inside The Brains Of Animals

Rachel Solomon — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Some animals display very human behaviors: chimps grieve, rats love to be tickled, and moths remember living as caterpillars.

Science journalist Virginia Morell explores the complex minds of animals in her new book, "Animal Wise." From field sites to laboratories, Morell shows how animal cognition research has evolved, and how animals possess traits many feel are unique to humans.

She spoke at the Elliott Bay Book Company on April 8, 2013.

Four-Legged Warriors Show Signs Of PTSD

Ryan Loyd — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:51:00 +0000

For years, PTSD — or post-traumatic stress disorder — has been an issue for military members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

But humans aren't the only ones with problems. Military dogs returning from war zones are also showing signs of PTSD. And there's evidence that these canines need some extra tender loving care after their tours of duty.

Every morning, veterinarian technicians check playful and intelligent Belgian Malinois pups at the Holland Military Working Dog Hospital at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Honey, It's Electric: Bees Sense Charge On Flowers

editor — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:27:00 +0000

Flowers are nature's ad men. They'll do anything to attract the attention of the pollinators that help them reproduce. That means spending precious energy on bright pigments, enticing fragrances and dazzling patterns.

Now, scientists have found another element that contributes to flowers' brand: their distinct electric field.

Anne Leonard, who studies bees at the University of Nevada, says our understanding of pollinator-flower communication has been expanding for decades.

"Flowers do a lot of things you might not expect," Leonard says.

Dog-Sharing Co-Op Offers Free Dog Sitting

Ross Reynolds — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:32:00 +0000

People in the Northwest are among the most likely in the nation to have pets. That's according to a new survey by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Washington, Oregon and Idaho rank in the top 10 for pet-owning households — with Oregon at No. 4, Washington at No. 6 and Idaho at No. 9. Maybe you’re one of the Northwest’s many pet people. If you are, you know that owning a dog can be e lot of work. But what if you had help? Free help. Sound too good to be true? According to Eric Husk it isn’t. He is the founder of City Dog Share, which he describes as a dog-sitting co-op. Ross Reynolds gets the details.

Feds To Review Endangered Status Of Northwest's Reindeer

Jessica Robinson — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:48:28 +0000

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho - The protected status of a small population of reindeer in the Northwest is getting a second look. Snowmobilers and an Idaho county that depends on winter snow sports petitioned the government to delist the animal.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to do a status review on woodland caribou in the Selkirk Mountains of Idaho and Washington.

Why Don't We Eat Our Dogs?

David Hyde — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:29:35 +0000

Why do most people love animals they consider cute, like puppies or panda bears, but they don’t have a lot of love for animals they consider ugly, like naked mole rats? Western Carolina University Psychology professor Hal Herzog explores the paradoxical relationship people have with animals in a new book, "Some we love, some we hate, some we eat: Why it’s so hard to think straight about animals."