breeding

Burmese python males undergo a dramatic seasonal hormone shift before breeding; scientists tracked testosterone and corticosterone in Florida snakes

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Burmese python males undergo a dramatic seasonal hormone shift before breeding; scientists tracked testosterone and corticosterone in Florida snakes

Burmese python coiled in the grass in the Everglades. Image Credit: Wikipedia Burmese python males in South Florida undergo a marked seasonal change in testosterone as the breeding period approaches, while another hormone linked to stress and energy use follows a less predictable pattern. A study published in General and Comparative Endocrinology tracked testosterone and … Read more

In 1999, just 15 island foxes remained on each of two California islands; captive breeding and ecosystem restoration pulled the species back from extinction

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In 1999, just 15 island foxes remained on each of two California islands; captive breeding and ecosystem restoration pulled the species back from extinction

In 1999, conservation biologists monitoring California’s northern Channel Islands faced a serious crisis. Only 15 island foxes remained on San Miguel Island and another 15 on nearby Santa Rosa Island, leaving the small native species close to extinction. An emergency recovery program launched by Channel Islands National Park and partner organisations helped save the animals. … Read more

In 2013, St Agnes and Gugh began removing invasive rats brought by 18th-century shipwrecks; 12 years later, Manx shearwater breeding sites rose from 22 to a record 225

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In 2013, St Agnes and Gugh began removing invasive rats brought by 18th-century shipwrecks; 12 years later, Manx shearwater breeding sites rose from 22 to a record 225

In the latest 2025 monitoring data, St Agnes and Gugh recorded 225 apparently occupied breeding sites (AOBs) for Manx shearwaters In 2013, a major conservation effort began on St Agnes and Gugh in the Isles of Scilly to remove brown rats that had been harming nesting seabirds. According to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, … Read more

Colorado had more than 80,000 lesser prairie-chickens in 1975 but counted only 89 breeding males in 2024; a land trust has now spent nearly $2 million on a 2,100-acre ranch to help bring them back

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Colorado had more than 80,000 lesser prairie-chickens in 1975 but counted only 89 breeding males in 2024; a land trust has now spent nearly $2 million on a 2,100-acre ranch to help bring them back

The birds live in the Sand Sagebrush Ecoregion, which stretches across southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas and a small part of western Oklahoma. (American Bird Conservancy photo) Colorado’s lesser prairie-chicken population has fallen from more than 80,000 birds in 1975 to just 89 breeding males, according to a 2024 data. To restore the population of the … Read more

In 2016, NSW began fencing feral cats and foxes out of three reserves; 10 years later, 13 locally extinct species had returned, some after 100+ years, and were breeding again

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In 2016, NSW began fencing feral cats and foxes out of three reserves; 10 years later, 13 locally extinct species had returned, some after 100+ years, and were breeding again

Thirteen native animal species that had become locally extinct in New South Wales have returned and started breeding again across three major conservation reserves. The recovery comes a decade after state authorities built large predator-proof fences to keep out feral cats and foxes. The results come from a 10-year conservation partnership involving the NSW National … Read more

Australia’s endangered eastern quolls have welcomed new joeys; after vanishing from the mainland for 60 years, the species is now breeding again in a rare conservation comeback

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Australia’s endangered eastern quolls have welcomed new joeys; after vanishing from the mainland for 60 years, the species is now breeding again in a rare conservation comeback

A study released 20 captive-bred eastern quolls at Tasmania’s 6,500-hectare Silver Plains conservation property. (Photo: Booderee NP) The eastern quoll, a small nocturnal marsupial once common across eastern Australia, is showing signs of recovery after years of decline. Captive-bred eastern quolls released in Tasmania have successfully reproduced, with one female carrying six joeys in her … Read more

From 1915 to 1972, Mount Rainier stocked more than 9 million fish into naturally fishless waters; today 35 mountain lakes still hold breeding non-native populations that displace amphibians and alter ecosystems

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From 1915 to 1972, Mount Rainier stocked more than 9 million fish into naturally fishless waters; today 35 mountain lakes still hold breeding non-native populations that displace amphibians and alter ecosystems

View of the Ohanapecosh River and predated Northwestern Salamanders (Ambrystoma gracile) eaten by introduced trout. Mount Rainier’s glaciers and snowfields feed a magnificent system of icy streams and mountain lakes. On the surface, these waters look pristine, scattered pools in one of America’s most iconic landscapes. But beneath the surface, scientists are looking at a … Read more

In the 1800s, red foxes were brought to California for hunting. Decades later, the light-footed Ridgway’s rail declined to just 5 breeding pairs

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In the 1800s, red foxes were brought to California for hunting. Decades later, the light-footed Ridgway’s rail declined to just 5 breeding pairs

A red fox introduced to California more than a century ago might seem far removed from the fate of a small marsh bird. Yet the two became linked in the coastal wetlands of Southern California, where the light-footed Ridgway’s rail has struggled to survive. The bird spends much of its time concealed among cordgrass and … Read more

In 2022, bird flu caused an entire Sandwich tern colony in England to be abandoned; four breeding seasons later, the birds have returned in record numbers, creating one of the country’s largest colonies

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In 2022, bird flu caused an entire Sandwich tern colony in England to be abandoned; four breeding seasons later, the birds have returned in record numbers, creating one of the country’s largest colonies

Four breeding seasons after a deadly bird flu outbreak forced a colony of Sandwich Terns to leave their nesting ground, the seabirds have returned in record numbers, creating one of England’s largest breeding sites. Monitoring reports published by Rare Bird Alert confirm that Sandwich Terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) nested at RSPB Pagham Harbour in West Sussex … Read more