Vets must adapt to clients’ wishes to feed their pet a raw diet, rather than arguing against them, the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society (RFVS) president has warned. Amaya Espindola also called for the dietary approach to be treated fairly, amid recent academic criticism over the perceived risks of spreading harmful resistant bacteria. Speaking on the … Read more
Tiger sharks are notoriously fierce. The huge animals, which can grow to more than 16ft, are ruthless predators and scared of absolutely nothing – recent research found that while other shark species fled coastal waters during strong storms, tiger sharks “didn’t even flinch”. But recently they have a new role that could help burnish their … Read more
Ttucked between motorways in the west of the city, the drab brick building belonging to Madrid’s Complutense University stretches the length of a football pitch. Inside, a series of sterile laboratories – capable of handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens – can be found along a brightly lit hallway. This is the frontline of the … Read more
Goldfish may spend most of their time swimming up and down a glass tank but researchers have found they have a sophisticated navigation system that allows them to estimate distance. While researchers have previously shown a wide array of fish can navigate efficiently, questions remain about the mechanisms involved. Understanding those, scientists say, could help … Read more
Scientists at the Australian Antarctic Division have recorded a severe decline in a population of Adélie penguins off the east Antarctic coast. Long-term monitoring has revealed a 43% drop over a decade in the number of birds that breed across 52 islands near the Mawson research station. The scientists say the decline is a stark … Read more
Serbian scientists have named a new species of beetle after the tennis player Novak Djokovic, Serbian media has reported. The insect, which belongs to the Duvalius genus of ground beetles that are present in Europe, was discovered several years ago in an underground pit in western Serbia. It is named Duvalius djoković, the Tanjug news … Read more
Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. The enzymes are the first reported to break down polyethylene within hours at room temperature and could lead to cost-effective ways of recycling the plastic. The discovery came after one scientist, an … Read more
The mystery of a bizarre creature dubbed the “alien goldfish”, which has baffled fossil experts for decades, may have been solved, according to scientists who say the animal appears to have been some sort of mollusc. Typhloesus wellsi lived about 330m years ago and was discovered in the Bear Gulch Limestone fossil site in Montana … Read more
A mid-air cartwheel, the judicious use of sticky silk and a quick rappel down a tree, all in the blink of an eye: researchers have identified how the Australian ant-slayer spider captures prey twice its size. The acrobatic behavior of the Australian ant-slayer spider, Euryopis umbilicataas it hunts and eats banded sugar ants has been … Read more
Scientists say owners can be reassured by new research suggesting the risk of death for dogs that undergo sedation or anesthesia procedures is around one in every 700 cases. Academics from the RVC and the University of Manchester worked together on the latest VetCompass study, which examined data from more than 150,000 dogs over a … Read more