In the process of looking for nectar, mosquitoes pollinate many of the flowers they visit Daniel A.H. Peach, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia Mosquitoes. Hordes of them, buzzing in your ear and biting incessantly, a maddening nuisance without equal. And not to mention the devastating health impacts caused by malaria, Zika […]

  Richard Elton Walton, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Biology, Newcastle University When you settle down for bed, after the birds and bees have hushed, moths are just starting their work. You might only see them bobbing around street lights at night, but they actually spend most of their time visiting flowers, pollinating them in the […]

The Pin-tailed Whydah, Vidua macroura, is a small resident songbird that lives in most of Africa south of the Sahara. The adult male has a black upper plumage and crown and a long black tail. The head (except for the crown) and plumage below are white, and his wings are dark brown with white patches. The female […]

In Cape Town a peak of over 300 great white shark sightings were documented across eight beaches in 2011, but with no recorded sightings since 2019, declines have sparked concerns about the overall conservation status of the species. Alison Kock, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Alison Towner, Rhodes University; Heather Bowlby, Fisheries and Oceans […]

ASPCA Whining is one of many forms of canine vocal communication. Dogs most commonly whine when they’re seeking attention, when they’re excited, when they’re anxious or when they’re trying to appease you. Appeasement Behaviour Some dogs whine excessively when interacting with people and other dogs, usually while adopting a submissive posture (e.g., tail tucked, body […]

Ruth Appeltant, Assistant research professor, University of Antwerp and Rita L. Sousa, PhD Candidate, University of Antwerp –13 August 2023 There are several parallel projects running across the world to save the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), one of Africa’s captivating and iconic wildlife species. With the death of last male in 2018 and […]

by Martin (aka Joe) Frylinck Once upon a time (some 12 years ago) wandering along the path between Lewis Gay and Kleinplaas Dams above Simon’s Town, I came upon my first sighting of the Atlantic. I sat down on the side of the path to survey yonder hills and dale when I was accosted by […]

Lauren Finka, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Nottingham Trent University Many have experienced that super friendly cat who seems to love being stroked one minute, only to bite or swipe at us the next. It might be easy at this point to blame it on the cat, but what’s likely happening here is that we’re just not […]

“We were able to attribute the large tracks to Equus capensis, and the small tracks to the quagga, the plains zebra subspecies that became extinct in the 19th century.” Charles Helm, Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University -March 2023 Tens of thousands of years ago, a huge horse species walked, trotted […]

The Cape Robin-Chat, Cossypha caffra, is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) A song-filled, perky, shy, yet curious bird that bears an orange throat and a striking white speculum, which separates the blackish lores and ear coverts from the crown and has adapted well […]