Black-footed ferret in the wild
© Kerry Hargrove, Shutterstock

Have you ever wanted to clone yourself? Maybe you thought, “While I play video games, my clone can do all my chores!” Well, if you are a black-footed ferret, it’s your lucky day. (But, we’re pretty sure black-footed ferrets don’t play video games.)

In December 2020, the weasel world welcomed a cloned black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann. She became the first of any endangered native North American species to be cloned. In a few years, Elizabeth Ann might have siblings. The successful cloning is promising, because it offers hope that cloned animals could help save species from extinction. Extinction occurs when every member of a species of a living thing has died.

In the past, black-footed ferrets lived throughout much of the Great Plains. They depended on hunting prairie dogs for food and lived in the prairie dogs’ underground burrows. Since the late 1800′s, however, ranchers have eliminated prairie dogs from much of the Great Plains because they consider the animals to be pests. The black-footed ferret has become rare as a result of the decline in prairie dogs. Disease and the loss of rangeland to agriculture have also reduced the ferret’s numbers. Scientists once thought black-footed ferrets were extinct.

In 1981, ranchers in Wyoming discovered a population of more than 125 black-footed ferrets. Over the next several years, many of these animals died of a disease called distemper. To keep them from dying out completely, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured the remaining animals. Scientists have successfully bred the ferrets in captivity. In 1991, they began releasing captive-bred ferrets into western grasslands that were home to prairie dog populations. The ferrets began reproducing again in the wild.

The black-footed ferret is not the first animal to be cloned. Scientists used a technique called nuclear transfer to clone such amphibians as frogs and salamanders as early as the 1950′s. In 1996, a group led by the British scientist Ian Wilmut used the procedure to clone a sheep. The sheep was the first mammal cloned from a donor cell from an adult mammal. They named the clone “Dolly.” Since the cloning of Dolly, scientists from many countries have used a similar technique to produce clones of mice, cattle, cats, and other mammals.

Common wombat
Credit: © Martin Pelanek, Shutterstock

The common wombat, a humble, thick-bodied digging mammal of Australia, is not the kind of animal that often attracts the attention of scientists. Common wombats, also known as bare-nosed wombats, live in the coastal forests of Australia and feed mostly on grass, small bushes, and roots. They have thick brown fur and a stocky build. But, common wombats are number one in a category all their own among mammals, and it has to do with their number two!

Animal scientists have long observed that wombats produce cube-shaped feces (solid bodily wastes), something that has never been observed in any other mammal. Exactly how wombats make these cubic poos has been a mystery. That is, until a team of scientists in Australia examined the remains of several wombats that had been killed in road accidents. Through careful examination of the wombat’s digestive system, the researchers were able to crack the case of the squared nuggets.

The scientists found that the distinctive wombat deuces are made as the digestive system processes undigested waste just before it leaves the body. In the large intestine and colon, water is absorbed from the undigested waste as it passes. Muscular contractions that help to move the manure through the colon also squeeze the scat into a uniform lump. The scientists found that wombats have regions of varying thickness and stiffness in the lower portion of the colon. Contractions along this final passage squeeze the dry mass into a series of squishy cubes—of equal size with soft corners—ready for deposit.

Of course, it’s one thing to know how the wombat’s distinctive cube-shaped poop is produced. But the big question is why do wombats make such square-shaped make? Scientists think communication may be the answer. Wombats usually spend the hot days in underground burrows, only coming out at night to feed. The animals have a highly developed sense of smell. To communicate with one another, they usually leave their scat in select locations, appropriately enough called latrines. An adult wombat can dump about 100 smelly cube-shaped “calling cards” each day! Other wombats passing these piles can figure out who shares their neighborhood with a sniff or two of the cuboid poo.

Square scat won’t roll—even on uneven surfaces!
Credit: © Pixelheld, Shutterstock

But why a cube? Scientists have several ideas. One thought is that square-shaped poop is less likely to roll away from where it’s deposited. This may be helpful for marking territorial boundaries in a crowded wombat community, especially on uneven ground. Another idea is that with six flat sides, a cube-shaped deuce has more surface area available to waft odors into the air. This configuration may be more effective at sending signals airborne, compared with a more rounded load.

Brace yourself for six more weeks of winter.

Today, February 2, is Groundhog Day, a United States tradition that supposedly predicts when spring will arrive. According to legend, the groundhog, also called the woodchuck, awakens from winter sleep on February 2 and emerges from its burrow. Winter sleep is a state of reduced activity similar to hibernation. If the sun is shining that day and the groundhog sees its shadow, it will be scared back into its den, and there will be six more weeks of winter.  But if it is cloudy and the groundhog does not see its shadow, it will come out, and spring will arrive soon. The groundhog belongs to a group of rodents, or gnawing mammals, known as marmots. Groundhogs live in parts of Canada and the United States.

This morning, when the groundhog was awakened, it saw its shadow. It then scampered into its den and began preparing for a several more weeks of cold. Maybe it made a cup of hot cocoa!

The groundhog, also called a woodchuck, is a burrowing rodent with a chunky body. Credit: © Leonard Lee Rue III, Tom Stack & Assoc.

For hundreds of years, European farmers had similar traditions that involved bears, badgers, and other animals. Germans who settled in Pennsylvania brought the custom to America. The groundhog, which is plentiful in the eastern and Midwestern United States, became linked with the custom. Today, Groundhog Day is treated largely as a joke. But the custom is partly based on ancient and traditional weather signs. People have long looked to the awakening of hibernating animals as one of the first signs of spring.

In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a groundhog named Phil has been the nation’s official spring prognosticator (predictor) since 1887. The celebration has become a media event, and it draws a crowd of thousands. (This year, the celebration will be a virtual affair—part of ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.) According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil’s full name is “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.” Except for Groundhog Day and other special occasions, Phil lives in a climate-controlled habitat at the Punxsutawney Library. Phil starred alongside Bill Murray in the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day.

“I’m, um… just getting ready for my camping trip!”
Credit: © Anna Hoychuk, Shutterstock

Think of your favorite food. Imagine the cheesy or chocolaty or crispy delight. You might want to eat that food forever and ever. You might want to roll around in that food and change your name to that food. (Okay, maybe that’s a little too far.) But cats feel that strongly about a particular treat. They might not want to roll around in pizza or chocolate cake. But, they may want to roll around in their favorite herb: catnip. Catnip is a strong-smelling plant that many cats love to sniff. When exposed to catnip, a cat might rub its head and body on the herb, roll around in it, chew it, meow, and generally act crazier than usual. In addition, new research from Japan suggests that all that rolling around in catnip actually has health benefits for cats. Chemical compounds in catnip may help our feline friends ward off mosquitoes, pesky insects whose bites can transmit heartworm infections in cats.

The way in which scientists came to this conclusion may surprise you. No, researchers did not invite a dozen or so cats to a camping weekend. They did not give the cats supplies for feline-friendly s’mores—made with catnip and tuna sandwiched between kibble crackers. Researchers did not then examine whether mosquitos munched on cats while they told ghost stories around a campfire. No, none of this happened.

Instead, researchers gave some cats scraps of paper soaked with iridoid, a chemical in catnip that affects pleasure areas in the cat’s brain. The cats then rolled around in these slips of paper, reveling in the scientific process. Some cats did not receive these slips of paper. The researchers then placed the cats—both iridoid-perfumed and not—within reach of many mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bit the faces of the cats who had not received the iridoid-soaked paper. However, the mosquitoes did not bite the faces of the cats who had received the iridoid-soaked paper.

We know what you’re thinking: “Wait, if I rub some catnip on my body, will mosquitoes stay away from me?” And, unfortunately, the researchers don’t recommend that humans use catnip as a natural repellent (although it may help you attract the neighborhood kitties). In fact, researchers don’t even recommend that cats should use catnip as a natural repellent, until there is more evidence.

But, you can use catnip in other ways. Catnip has been cultivated for centuries and used for medicinal purposes. A tonic made from the plant is said to be a good remedy for colds. Catnip is also used as an herbal tea and provides a seasoning for cooking. So, if you can get your hands on some traditional human foods seasoned with catnip, enjoy! You will not have to share with mosquitoes. But, as for your cat, that might be a different story . . .

Seen any llamas lately?
Credit:© Copula, Shutterstock

Diana Heimann had a prob-llama—her 7-year-old llama Gizmo was missing. This past December, after moving the long distance from the state of Indiana to Westchester County, New York, Gizmo jumped the fence of his new home. Along with his llama friend Sandman, Gizmo wanted to look around the new town. And, while Sandman was soon lassoed and returned to the farm, Gizmo took off. Gizmo’s escape prompted a weeks-long search that enlisted the help of many people, animals, and electronic devices throughout the region.

Heimann employed several trusted pet-finding techniques. For instance, she called Gizmo’s name. But, Gizmo did not respond. She posted on social media websites. She called for llama search parties. She made signs that featured photos of Gizmo’s face and backside (in case anyone spotted Gizmo running away). She then moved on to some experimental techniques. For example, she called the owners of a drone photography business. A drone is an aircraft that operates without a pilot on board. Drones were sent high into the sky, in the hopes of using heat-sensing technology to locate Gizmo. Two Tibetan spaniels went in search—or should we say in sniff—of Gizmo, but the dogs barked more than sniffed. The search went on for more than two weeks, but Gizmo was nowhere to be found . . .

A llama has thick hair and a long neck and looks somewhat like a small camel. But unlike camels, llamas have no hump.
Credit: © Thinkstock

You might be wondering how Gizmo survived for so long without going home for food and other necessities. But, have no fear, the llama is a hardy animal. It eats grasses and low shrubs. The llama does not need to drink much water, either. It can get much of the moisture it needs from plants. There was no evidence that Gizmo planned his escape. He did not pack blankets or books, for instance. But, he could have carried many blankets and books if he wanted. Llamas can carry about 130 pounds (60 kilograms). They can travel from 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) a day with a full load.

However, Gizmo was not found many miles (or kilometers) away from his home. Seventeen days after he escaped, Gizmo was found wandering only 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away. Gizmo was reunited with Heimann and with Sandman. At last, he was home.

A koala mother and her joey (young) rest in a eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus leaves and shoots make up the main part of a koala’s diet.
© Shutterstock

It’s summer in Australia, so you know what that means—time for a koala count! The Australian government has funded a project to count the population of the beloved teddy-bearlike mammals, as well as record where the marsupials (pouched mammals) live. The government commissioned this project because, in recent years, estimates of the koala population have varied greatly. In 2016, for instance, there were an estimated 300,000 koalas in Australia. Three years later, that number was down to 80,000, with some scientists saying the number was as low as 43,000.

In previous counts, people merely counted how many koalas they saw. But, koalas spend almost all their time in eucalyptus trees, making it difficult for people to spot them among the leaves. For the new count, humans will still venture into the forests to search for koalas. But, to ensure a koala-ty count, the government has also introduced some new methods. It will employ heat-seeking drones. A drone is an aircraft designed to operate without a pilot on board. The drones will detect the body heat that a koala gives off. The government will also use dropping-detection dogs—that is, dogs that identify koala droppings. The droppings serve as evidence that koalas live in the area. In addition to detecting droppings, these dogs can sniff out koalas themselves.

In recent years, the koala population has declined. People have cut down eucalyptus forests for housing developments, resorts, and farmland. In addition to spending most of their time in the forks of eucalyptus trees, koalas eat mainly the leaves and young shoots of eucalyptuses. They even get most of the water they need from eucalyptus leaves. Koalas are also vulnerable to natural disasters. Tens of thousands of koalas were killed when bushfires devastated large areas of Australia in late 2019 and early 2020. In fact, a study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimated that more than 60,000 koalas had been either killed, injured, or displaced by the fires. This staggering number led some scientists to say that the animal was “functionally extinct.”

There are efforts to increase the koala population in Australia. For instance, the WWF hopes to use drones to drop eucalyptus-tree seeds in forests. The WWF will also create a fund to sponsor koala sanctuaries (safe spaces).

A rural official in Japan shows off a mechanical Monster Wolf, invented to frighten away wildlife.
Credit: © Toru Yamanaka, Getty Images

The Japanese motion picture Gojira (1954) introduced one of the most recognizable monsters in popular culture, often called by its American name, Godzilla. In the film, the giant, dinosaurlike monster goes on a destructive rampage through Tokyo. Now, Japan has a new monster—but, unlike Godzilla, this monster protects the country’s people.

This fall, officials in the city of Takikawa—on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido—installed two mechanical wolves near a residential neighborhood in which bears had injured or killed people in recent months. Wild bears in search of food had been entering areas on the edge of Takikawa, walking through yards and rummaging through trash. Rural areas often serve as barriers between the wilderness and urban areas. But, as rural populations shrink, so too does the barrier between wilderness and populated areas.

Each Monster Wolf, as the machines are called, looks a lot like a normal wolf, if you ignore the metal legs and flashing red eyes. A Monster Wolf is 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and just under 3 feet (0.9 meter) tall. Along with its fake fur and bared fangs, the Monster Wolf shares perhaps the wolf’s most distinctive feature, an eerie howl. The Monster Wolf’s head has motion detectors that are triggered when intruders approach. The wolf then produces howling, screeching sounds. Other frightening noises the robot can imitate include a dog’s bark, a hunter’s voice, and gunshots.

The mechanical wolves in Takikawa are not the country’s first. Since the Monster Wolf was created in 2016, more than 70 of them have been installed in communities across Japan. The creations have previously scared off such animals as deer and monkeys, which have been filmed leaping away from the mechanical nightmares. Since the wolves showed up in Takikawa, there have been no bear sightings.

In October 2020, archaeologists carrying out maintenance work discovered this giant geoglyph (ground etching) of a cat at the site of the famous Nazca Lines in Peru.
Credit: Jhony Islas, Peru’s Ministry of Culture

This month, archaeologists discovered a catlike figure carved into a hillside in Nazca, Peru. Archaeologists are people who study the remains of past human cultures. The cat is the latest geoglyph (ground etching) to be found in a region famous for its giant designs. The Nazca people marked into the ground these designs, also called the Nazca lines. The Nazca were a Native American culture that lived as early as 100 B.C. to A.D. 800 in the coastal desert of what is now southern Peru. Drawn centuries before such other famous cats as Garfield and the Chesire Cat, this catlike geoglyph illustrates the timeless appeal of our feline friends.

The catlike image in Nazca has pointy ears, round eyes, and a striped tail. It is also engaged in a favorite cat pastime—lounging. Its long body stretches 40 yards (37 meters) on the hillside. The geoglyph is said to date from 200 B.C. to 100 B.C.—making it a lot of cat years old. The cat is believed to be older than the other geoglyphs that have been discovered at Nazca over the years. Archaeologists came across the etching while they were remodeling a section of the hill.

The Nazca made the geoglyphs by removing surface stones and piling them along the edges of the designs. Removing the dark rocks exposed the bright sand beneath. The designs have lasted for centuries in the desert environment, with little rain or wind to wear them away. The geoglyphs can only be seen in full from the air.

Many of the geoglyphs form the outlines of gigantic animals and plants. They include figures of a killer whale, a lizard, a monkey, and a spider. More common are geometric forms, including spirals, straight lines, trapezoids, and triangles. Some of the lines appear to spread outward from small hills, like the spokes of a wheel. The lines stretch for miles or kilometers across the desert. Platforms lie near the bases of many of the trapezoids.

In 1994, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Nazca lines a World Heritage Site. UNESCO gives this designation to areas of unique natural or cultural importance.

Scholars believe that the Nazca lines had several functions. Investigations by scientists indicate that people gathered and walked on the lines. Scholars think that people placed offerings on platforms around the shapes to encourage the nature spirits to provide rain for their crops. The animal designs symbolized the essence of the nature spirits, whereas some of the geometric lines led pilgrims to ritual centers.

The land mine-detecting rat Magawa has been awarded the veterinary charity PDSA’s Gold Medal for his life-saving bravery and devotion to duty.
Credit: © PDSA

The Rat King in the ballet “The Nutcracker” wore a bejeweled crown. The rat Remy in Pixar’s animated movie Ratatouille wore a chef’s hat. And Magawa, a 5-year-old rat who works to detect land mines and explosives in Cambodia, now wears a tiny gold medal. This summer, the British charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals recognized Magawa’s bravery and heroism. Over the past four years, Magawa has discovered more than 30 land mines and helped clear more than 1 million square feet (90,000 square meters) of land. In doing so, he has saved countless men, women, and children—and probably some fellow rodent friends!

Magawa is part of a program called “Hero Rat.” Sponsored by the Belgian organization APOPO, “Hero Rat” uses rats in Southeast Asia and Africa to detect land mines. (APOPO is an abbreviation for Dutch words meaning antipersonnel land mine removal product development.) Land mines are planted in the ground. They may be laid out in planned patterns called minefields. Mines may be planted by soldiers or fired into an area by artillery. They also may be dropped by helicopters. Mines are often set to be triggered by the weight of people walking or driving over them. Even after an armed conflict ends, huge fields of active mines may be left behind or even forgotten.

Every year, thousands of people are killed or injured by antipersonnel land mines. The vast majority are civilians who come into contact with mines planted years ago and left behind long after the fighting stopped. Rats are not the only animals that can detect land mines. Dogs are also excellent mine detectors.

Magawa was trained specifically to detect TNT, a powerful explosive. His strong sniff enables him to find TNT faster than humans. When he finds a mine, Magawa scratches the earth above the explosive. It is not just Magawa’s amazing nose that makes him an excellent mine hunter. As a rat, Magawa is light enough not to trigger mines as he walks over them.

Magawa is an African giant pouched rat. This species is known for its intelligence and strong sense of smell. In addition to land mines, the rats can be trained to detect tuberculosis, an infectious disease that affects the lungs.

Magawa’s work with “Hero Rat” will soon come to an end—the rats usually work either four or five years. In retirement, Magawa will continue to test his sense of smell while searching for his favorite foods: peanuts and bananas.

The giant panda Mei Xiang snuggles her newborn cub, born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park on Aug. 21, 2020.
Credit: Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

This summer, a giant panda named Mei Xiang gave birth at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. At 22 years of age, she is the oldest giant panda in the United States to give birth.

The female giant panda gives birth every two or three years to one or two cubs. Panda cubs are extremely tiny, weighing only about 5 ounces (140 grams) at birth. In fact, panda cubs are about the size of a stick of butter! The mother, who normally spends about 12 hours a day eating, stays with the newborn cub for up to 10 days without feeding. Cubs normally nurse for about a year and may remain with the mother for more than two years.

The new cub has siblings. Mei Xiang has given birth to three surviving cubs. Tai Shan was born in 2005. Bao Bao was born in 2013. And, Bei Bei was born in 2015. All three pandas live in China.

The giant panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.
Credit: Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

Pandas are in danger of dying out completely. Widespread cutting of forests for wood and farmland in China has destroyed a large part of the habitat of giant pandas. China’s government has tried to protect these pandas by establishing reserves of bamboo-rich public land for them. They are protected by national and international laws.

Other efforts to ensure the survival of giant pandas have focused on breeding them in zoos, as happened with Mei Xiang. Giant pandas initially proved extremely difficult to breed in captivity. After years of failed attempts, scientists have made great progress in breeding the animals. Zoos now hold more than 300 giant pandas. This number is considered the minimum needed to preserve the animal. Scientists are researching methods for introducing pandas that were born in captivity into the wild.

Many people considered the birth a miracle, due to Mei Xiang’s advanced age. The birth also presented a much-needed cause for celebration during the ongoing pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19.