Scientists breed one of America’s rarest rattlesnakes for the first time; six New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake babies could help restore wild populations

Scientists breed one of America’s rarest rattlesnakes for the first time; six New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake babies could help restore wild populations

The Los Angeles Zoo has announced the first litters born under Project Obscurus, an international recovery programme for the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake. According to the Los Angeles Zoo’s press release on 1 September 2026, a litter of five was born on 18 August and a single neonate on 28 August, making six neonates. The … Read more

She started raising butterflies at 7; by 16, this Florida girl had tracked birds and found populations rose by up to 159% after habitat restoration, she’s now headed to a national magazine

She started raising butterflies at 7; by 16, this Florida girl had tracked birds and found populations rose by up to 159% after habitat restoration, she's now headed to a national magazine

A 16-year-old student from Sarasota, Florida, Sophia Haakman began growing butterflies at just 7. Over the years, her love for nature and its beings has evolved into a serious conservation effort. Haakman sought to find out if the hundreds of hours she spent rehabilitating local ecosystems were truly beneficial to wildlife. So she created 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

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

Sea Otters were successfully reintroduced in Canada after their extinction due to fur trade, protecting the kelp populations; but now they are threatening a ‘local delicacy’

Sea Otters were successfully reintroduced in Canada after their extinction due to fur trade, protecting the kelp populations; but now they are threatening a 'local delicacy'

The reintroduction and success of sea otters in British Columbia was a story that initially satisfied everyone including conservationists and the natives. The adorable creatures once occupied much of Canada’s Pacific coast, before the fur trade for their exceptionally dense coats turned into a mass death sentence. But now, their population is threatening the availability … Read more

Scientists searched for threatened Australian rainforest frogs without seeing or hearing them; DNA in creek water collected up to 22 km downstream revealed populations in places where the frogs had disappeared

Scientists searched for threatened Australian rainforest frogs without seeing or hearing them; DNA in creek water collected up to 22 km downstream revealed populations in places where the frogs had disappeared

​Photos of a study species: the Australian Lace-lid (L. dayi)Photo credit: Conrad J Hoskin. In the cool, wet upland streams of Queensland’s Wet Tropics, several species of rainforest frog were pushed to the brink in the 1980s and 1990s by chytrid fungus, an aquatic pathogen that attacks frog skin and has driven extinctions worldwide. For … Read more

In 1867, New Zealand introduced brown trout for sport fishing; more than 60 million were released by 1921, and the invader later caused local extinctions and fragmented native fish populations

In 1867, New Zealand introduced brown trout for sport fishing; more than 60 million were released by 1921, and the invader later caused local extinctions and fragmented native fish populations

New Zealand introduced brown trout for sport fishing When British settlers packed thousands of brown trout ova onto ships bound for the Antipodes in 1867, they hoped to recreate the sport fishing they knew from Europe. Over the next five decades, acclimatisation societies bred and released more than 60 million brown trout into waterways across … Read more

Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island more than two centuries after they arrived in a shipwreck; within two years some native bird populations had increased 200% or more and missing seabirds began returning

Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island more than two centuries after they arrived in a shipwreck; within two years some native bird populations had increased 200% or more and missing seabirds began returning

Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island More than two centuries after a shipwreck brought non-native rats to a remote Alaskan island, removing the invasive rodents has led to a rapid recovery of wildlife across the 6,869-acre island in the Aleutian archipelago. According to monitoring reports and press releases from the United States Fish … Read more