Why do giraffes have such long legs? Animal simulations reveal a surprising answer

If you’ve ever wondered why the giraffe has such a long neck, the answer seems clear: it lets them reach succulent leaves atop tall acacia trees in Africa.

Only giraffes have direct access to those leaves, while smaller mammals must compete with one another near the ground. This exclusive food source appears to allow the giraffe to breed throughout the year and to survive droughts better than shorter species.

But the long neck comes at a high cost. The giraffe’s heart must produce enough pressure to pump its blood a couple of metres up to its head. The blood pressure of an adult giraffe is typically over 200mm Hg – more than twice that of most mammals.

As a result, the heart of a resting giraffe uses more energy than the entire body of a resting human, and indeed more energy than the heart of any other mammal of comparable size. However, as we show in a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the giraffe’s heart has some unrecognised helpers in its battle against gravity: the animal’s long, long legs.

Meet the ‘elaffe’

In our new study, we quantified the energy cost of pumping blood for a typical adult giraffe and compared it to what it would be in an imaginary animal with short legs but a longer neck to reach the same treetop height.

This beast was a Frankenstein-style combination of the body of a common African eland and the neck of a giraffe. We called it an “elaffe”.

We found the animal would spend a whopping 21% of its total energy budget on powering its heart, compared with 16% in the giraffe and 6.7% in humans.

By raising its heart closer to its head by means of long legs, the giraffe “saves” a net 5% of the energy it takes in from food. Over the course of a year, this energy saving would add up to more than 1.5 tonnes of food – which could make the difference between life and death on the African savannah.

How giraffes work

In his book How Giraffes Work, zoologist Graham Mitchell reveals that the ancestors of giraffes had long legs before they evolved long necks.

This makes sense from an energy point of view. Long legs make the heart’s job easier, while long necks make it work harder.

However, the evolution of long legs came with a price of its own. Giraffes are forced to splay their forelegs while drinking, which makes them slow and awkward to rise and escape if a predator should appear.

Statistics show giraffes are the most likely of all prey mammals to leave a water hole without getting a drink.

How long can a neck be?

 
In life, the Giraffatitan dinosaur would most likely have been unable to lift its head this high. Shadowgate / Wikimedia, CC BY

The energy cost of the heart increases in direct proportion to the height of the neck, so there must be a limit. A sauropod dinosaur, the Giraffatitan, towers 13 metres above the floor of the Berlin Natural History Museum.

Its neck is 8.5m high, which would require a blood pressure of about 770mm Hg if it were to get blood to its head – almost eight times what we see in the average mammal. This is implausible because the heart’s energy cost to pump that blood would have exceeded the energy cost of the entire rest of the body.

Sauropod dinosaurs could not lift their heads that high without passing out. In fact, it is unlikely that any land animal in history could exceed the height of an adult male giraffe.The Conversation

Roger S. Seymour, Professor Emeritus of Physiology, University of Adelaide and Edward Snelling, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Polar Bear Gleefully Eating a 1,400-Pound Pumpkin Donated for His Dinner iS a Sight to Behold

Polar bear eating pumpkin – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

It’s not every day that Henry the polar bear sees something that weighs more than he does.

At 1,200-pounds, the polar bear is the world’s largest land predator, but here was something substantially heavier, and it was just sitting there in his enclosure.

Henry the polar bear eating pumpkin – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

Defensive at first, Henry eventually dug into the sweet crunchy flesh of a giant, 1,400 lbs. pumpkin that was donated to the nonprofit that looks after him. The photos will steal a chuckle out of anyone.

Reported first by CTV News, the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat received the pumpkin as a total coincidence, and the organization’s manager Amy Baxendell-Young told the outlet how it happened.

“One of my staff was driving up from down south and ended up directly behind this pumpkin as it was on the highway,” she said.

Her staff member gave her a call, and said that the truck carrying the massive gourd had a logo on the side: Aidie Creek Gardens. Baxendell-Young decided to call them up.

“And pretty quickly they got back to me and said, if we don’t take it, it’s just going in the compost. Henry actually came out and didn’t know what it was—and got actually quite defensive … because I think he was just quite shocked at this new thing in his enclosure.”

Evolved to eat mostly baby seals which are all fat, a polar bear can zoom through a pumpkin without putting on any weight at all. Unlike for humans, for whom a pumpkin or squash is a complex carb with polyphenols and fiber, for a bear it’s all empty calories

.Henry having eaten his fill – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

The Cochrane Habitat in Ontario is the world’s only nonprofit organization that provides sanctuary to polar bears in need of human care and who can’t live in the wild anymore. They often receive presents for their bears around Polar Bear Awareness Week.

Photos released by the habitat show Henry in something of a food coma after smashing around a third of the pumpkin in one sitting. Polar Bear Gleefully Eating a 1,400-Pound Pumpkin Donated for His Dinner iS a Sight to Behold
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Miracle Recovery for World’s Rarest and Strangest Deer – Just 39 Became 8,200

Pere David’s deer at the Jiangsu Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve – credit, Jiangsu Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve

Tramping through coastal marshlands in eastern China, a strange looking deer roams freely in herds of hundreds; a remarkable recovery from where they had been just a few decades ago.

Described in ancient China as a beast with the antlers of a deer, hooves of an ox, face of a horse, and tail of a donkey, Père David’s deer was at one time the rarest of its kind on Earth.

Hunted to extinction in the wild 125 years ago, captive animals clung to life in a far away land, until in 1985, their descendants could return to a wiser China where a more eco-conscious population welcomed them home to the quiet marshlands.

In the early 20th century, the British nobleman and politician Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford, acquired a few Père David’s deer from the Berlin Zoo and built up a large herd on his estate at Woburn Abbey.

In 1985 the duke’s great-grandson Robin Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford, donated 39 Père David’s deer to the Chinese government for a reintroduction program. They were placed in a park/reserve that once belonged exclusively for canned hunts conducted by the emperors in Beijing—the killing field had become a sanctuary.

A second re-introduction into China was conducted in 1986 where 36 Père David’s deer were chosen from five UK zoological gardens. From less than 100, these original animals have multiplied into 8,200 and seem—as if by a miracle—not be be suffering from low genetic diversity. They enjoy a 17% annual growth rate in the population.

Today, all of the deer that roam China are descended from Russel’s herd, and across China’s many elk sanctuaries like Tianezhou and Dafeng, dozens of square miles of pristine habitat are protected for this incredible animal. Plans are underway to reintroduce the deer to much more wild areas, where they will have to learn to avoid predators and battle the elements once again.

A Chinese-language moniker for the Père David’s deer translates to “the four dislikes” referring to the component appearance mentioned above. As is so often the case in Chinese society, this strangeness is paired with a legend.

The following was taken from Wikipedia,

According to Chinese legend, when the tyrant King Zhou of Shang ruled the land more than 3,000 years ago, a horse, a donkey, an ox and a deer went into a cave in the forest to meditate and on the day the King executed his minister Bigan, the animals awoke from their meditation and turned into humans.

They entered society, learned of the King’s heinous acts and wanted to take recourse against the King, who was powerful. So they transformed themselves into one creature that combined the speed of the horse, the strength of the ox, the donkey’s keen sense of direction and the nimble agility of the deer.

This new animal then galloped to the Kunlun Mountains to seek the advice of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. The Lord was astonished at the sight of a creature that had antlers of a deer, hooves of an ox, face of a horse and tail of a donkey.“It’s unlike any of four creatures!” he exclaimed. Upon learning of the animal’s quest, Lord gave his blessing and dispatched the creature to his disciple the sage Jiang Ziya, who was battling the King. Jiang Ziya rode the creature to victory over the King and helped found the Zhou dynasty. Miracle Recovery for World’s Rarest and Strangest Deer – Just 39 Became 8,200
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Birth of UK's Only Bonobo Baby Gives Fresh Hope for World's Most Endangered Ape

credit – Adam Kay, Twycross Zoo / SWNS

Conservationists and zookeepers are celebrating our closest living relative giving birth to a healthy baby.

Heart-tugging photos show the bonobo mother Yuli cradling her tiny newborn after it was born at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire last Thursday.

Experts have hailed the birth as a ‘globally significant’ moment which could help save one of the world’s rarest apes and humanity’s cousin.


Twycross Zoo is the only UK zoo to care for the species, and says the new arrival has the distinguished status as the only baby bonobo in the whole country.

The infant’s mother Yuli arrived at Twycross Zoo from Vallée Des Singes in France as part of the European-led conservation program in 2023.

“Bonobos are human’s closest living relatives, yet they remain one of the most endangered and least understood apes on Earth,” said Dr. Rebecca Biddle, chief conservation officer at Twycross Zoo. “Every birth is a true milestone and a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when zoos work together.

“As the only UK zoo caring for bonobos, here at Twycross Zoo, we are immensely proud and feel a great responsibility to play our part in protecting this incredible species,” she added.

credit – Adam Kay, Twycross Zoo / SWNS

Bonobos, which are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are indeed as Biddle says—Homo sapiens’ closest living relatives, sharing more than 98% of our DNA.

In the wild, their population is said to be decreasing due to many human-caused threats such as poaching and deforestation.

Found only in the wilds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the bonobo is a highly unique ape due to their matriarchal society. Typically, primate troops are led by a dominant male, but bonobos are one of few primate species, and the only great ape, to live in female-led societies.

The conservation program looks after 10% of all the bonobos in Europe, and is a key part of a collaborative effort between EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) member zoos.At the moment, neither mother nor newborn will be visible to the public as they enjoy a critical period of bonding and nurturing. Birth of UK's Only Bonobo Baby Gives Fresh Hope for World's Most Endangered Ape
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Rarest Monkeys Now Number Close to 2,000 Thanks to One Man's Jane Goodall-like Passion

A golden snub-nosed monkey in Tanjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province – credit, David Blank CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

From the BBC comes the story of an intrepid and dedicated scientist who has spent decades working in China’s mountain forests in an effort to protect and understand one of the nation’s most amazing animals.

The golden sub-nosed monkey is revered alongside the giant panda as “national treasures” of Chinese wildlife, yet this couldn’t protect them from logging and hunting that followed in the wake of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

Members of this sub-species located in the UNESCO-listed Shennongjia mountains of Hubei Province, were the subject of intense study by Professor Yang Jingyuan, a research ecologist who arrived in these mountains in 1991.

For Yang, the golden sub-nosed monkey was Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees. By the time Yang arrived in Shennongjia, the population had collapsed to just 500 or so individuals across 6 family groups. Years of illegal logging as a form of subsistence living had reduced forest coverage in the mountains to 63%.

But before Yang could protect the animals, he had to first learn to understand them. With his research colleagues, he began striking out into the newly-created Shennongjia Forest Reserve to study these incredible animals.

The monkeys were at first so wary of humans that Yang and his team had to stay half a mile away to be able just to observe the monkeys in their habitat. Eventually though, with repeated encounters, half a mile became and quarter mile, and a quarter mile became 200 yards, 100 yards, 20 yards—until Yang and whoever he brought with him were accepted by the troupes.

The BBC’s China Correspondent, Stephen McDonell, experienced this treatment as baby monkeys and curious juveniles climbed all over him on a visit to special, 100 square kilometer monkey zones hat are off-limits to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to enjoy a mountain ecosystem that is without exaggeration unique in the world.

“Even after logging was banned there were still people illegally felling timber. If they didn’t cut down trees, how would they have money?” Professor Yang, director of the Shennongjia National Park Scientific Research Institute, told McDonell.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys in Tanjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province – credit, David Blank CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Shennongjia virgin forest – credit, Evilbish CC BY-SA 3.0

“There were also people secretly hunting here to survive. It was only after a long period of building awareness that the consciousness of local farmers changed.”

In the 1990s, with a shifting focus from forestry to forest conservation, local residents eking out this subsistence living were offered government money to relocate so that the forests could regrow. Many accepted the offer, and now benefit from the tourism boom the mountains are experiencing.

There is no place on Earth that has greater biodiversity of deciduous woody plants than Shennongjia, and a dizzying 3,400 higher-order plant species, and over 600 invertebrates have been recorded there. The golden snub-nosed monkey is very much a fuzzy golden cherry on top of a biodiverse cake ten layers-high.

“I’m very optimistic,” said Prof Yang. “Their home is now very well protected. They have food and drink, no worries about life’s necessities and, most of all, their numbers are growing.”

Golden snub-nosed monkeys captured via camera trap – credit, eMammal CC 2.0. via Flickr

Indeed, an archived report from Xinhua claimed that those 500 remnant individuals became 1,200 by 2013. This represents major progress since females give birth to only one baby at a time.

At the time McDonell visited, their numbers had jumped again to 1,600, and forest cover along the hills and valleys had increased to around 96% of the reserve’s total area.

Professor Yang can live freely among them like some character of fable. He speaks to them in their calls, having learned the meanings of each vocalization during his many years of observing them.

Like Goodall, his research has yielded incredible insights into their lives. For example, each monkey has an egg timer-like understanding of its lifespan, and when it’s time to pass away, they silently leave their families behind and visit special, secluded areas to die alone in the forest.

According to Yang, there hasn’t been a single successful attempt to find these sites, either by researchers or rangers.Yang’s institute estimates that the monkeys will come to number 2,000 individuals in Shennongjia sometime over the next 10 years, a testament to the magnificent outcomes conservation can provide, providing there’s someone in the right place at the right time to make the effort to make a difference. Rarest Monkeys Now Number Close to 2,000 Thanks to One Man's Jane Goodall-like Passion
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Six Baby Cheetahs Born in the Richmond Zoo's Prolific Breeding Program – 167 Cats Since 2013 (WATCH)

Six cheetah cubs with their mother –Courtesy of Metro Richmond Zoo

At a zoo in Richmond, a raucous litter of cheetah cubs is delighting onlookers having spent the summer months growing in secret.

One of the largest litters born at the zoo, the three-month-old cubs are hitting milestones and progressing well towards adolescence.

Named after African capitals, such as Lusaka, Kampala, and Cairo, the cubs were born in April but were kept hidden away to develop in peace through their most sensitive period with mother Zuri.


Sprinting, jumping on each other, and investigating every object in their enclosure, they seem well on their way to becoming the world’s fastest land animal.

“Some are shy; one is bold and brave — that’s Lusaka,” said Kristina Coonley, a lead zookeeper at the Metro Richmond Zoo, Virginia. “[Cairo] is always the last one out and the last one to come in.”

Though just the 99th most populated city in America, the Richmond Zoo nevertheless boasts one of the country’s most prolific and successful cheetah breeding program for purposes of conservation. Zuri’s litter of 6 takes the total number of captive-born cubs in the program’s history to 167 since 2013.

Coonley told the Washington Post that the Cheetah Conservation Center looks carefully and genetics and disposition when deciding which of their cats are suitable for breeding. Zuri is 5 years old, and has already mothered one litter. Her partner was Ramses, a 13-year-old sire of 25 other cubs.

Though losing out on conservation column inches to the likes of the lion and tiger, cheetah are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN. With around 6,500 individuals across the whole of Africa, a relic populations in Iran, and a diminishing introduced population in India, they are the most at-risk of the African big cats because of their need for space befitting the world’s greatest sprinters.It’s no bad thing then that the Metro Richmond Zoo has seen even bigger litters than these 6, with a resident female last year bringing 9 little mohawked babies into the world. Six Baby Cheetahs Born in the Richmond Zoo's Prolific Breeding Program – 167 Cats Since 2013 (WATCH)
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Researchers Test Use of Nuclear Technology to Curb Rhino Poaching in South Africa



In South Africa, biologists and scientists have developed a novel way of disincentivizing poaching that will allow rhinos to keep hold of their horns.

Previously it was widespread practice to capture and de-horn rhinos to disincentivize poachers from killing them, but the lack of a horn deeply interfered with the animals’ social structures.


Instead, rhinos at a nursery in the northern province of Limpopo have had radioactive isotopes embedded into their horns. The idea is that the radiation given off by these isotopes will mark out anyone at any border crossing as having handled a rhino horn.

It’s a superior form of tracking because even if the tracker is removed the radiation remains on the horn, as well as anything that touches it.


Nuclear researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit in South Africa injected 20 live rhinos with these isotopes.

“We are doing this because it makes it significantly easier to intercept these horns as they are being trafficked over international borders because there is a global network of radiation monitors that have been designed to prevent nuclear terrorism,” Professor James Larkin who heads the project told Africa News. “And we’re piggybacking on the back of that.”

Larkin adds that innovation in poaching prevention is urgently needed, as all existing methods have limitations, and South Africa still loses tens of rhinos every year.


Professor Nithaya Chetty, dean of the science faculty at Witwatersrand, said the dosage of the radioactivity is very low and its potential negative impact on the animal was tested extensively.While poaching elephants for their ivory yields a unique material for sculpture and craft, rhino horn is trafficked to criminal groups in Asia who sell it for the incorrect belief that it contains therapeutic properties. Researchers Test Use of Nuclear Technology to Curb Rhino Poaching in South Africa
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Researchers Blown Away After Finding Jaguar Population up 30% Across Mexico

A jaguar on the Piquiri river – credit, Charles J. Sharp from Sharp Photography CC 4.0. BY-SA via Wikimedia

Imagine sitting in southern Texas and knowing that in less than a day you could drive to se the world’s third largest cat.

That is absolutely the reality in Mexico today, following a second national jaguar population census which found this charismatic cat is actually increasing in numbers across the country, reaching around 5,300 animals.

Gerardo Ceballos and colleagues conducted the first census in 2010, hoping to grasp more or less the gravity of the risk of extinction faced by the jaguar. They were estimating they’d find around 1,000 in the whole of Mexico.

But rather than the risk of extinction, their results conveyed a different narrative. They found four-times as many cats as they expected.

“It was a great surprise, terrific news,” Ceballos said. “Obviously 4,000 means the species is still in danger of extinction, but 4,000 is a lot better than 1,000.”

Then in 2025, Ceballos completed a second survey, employing over 50 national and local research institutions and community leaders, who together set up 920 motion-activated camera traps.

Staggered again, the count showed that in 15 years, jaguar numbers had increased 30%. It turns out that even though the twenty-teens saw hundreds of thousands of acres of forest cleared, there were almost as many jaguars in Mexico as there are cheetahs on the entire African continent.

“The fact that the country has managed to maintain and increase its population over the last 14 years is extraordinary,” Ceballos told the Guardian. “For me it’s great news for the country. Mexico and the world need good news.”

The populations came in as follows: the Yucatán peninsula region had the most (1,699), followed by the south Pacific area (1,541), north-east and central Mexico (813), the north Pacific (733) and the central Pacific coast (540).

The jaguar is a compact, muscular predator, with exceptionally strong jaws that allow it to pierce the shells of turtles and the hides of crocodilians. They’re good tree climbers, avid swimmers, and will even hunt in the water. Like tigers, it employs a stalk and ambush hunting strategy, and is considered peerless in terms of its catch rate.

In short, and by comparison, the jaguar is maybe the most versatile and adaptable of any of the big cats.

This gives the animal an advantage in the gradually shrinking forests of Mexico.Ceballos told the Guardian that the spotted hunter would face multiple threats, including from the continued construction of new highways across Mexico, as well as habitat loss and zoonic diseases being passed to them via livestock which they occasional poach. Researchers Blown Away After Finding Jaguar Population up 30% Across Mexico
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Scientists Find Answer to Sea Star Population Devastated by Pathogen Along the California Coast

A sunflower sea star – credit, Ed Bierman CC 2.0.

For years, a wasting disease has been turning sea stars to goo off the California coast. Scientists now finally know the cause, and are beginning to fight back.

Whether it has over 20 arms like the sunflower sea star, or just 5, billions of Pacific sea stars were being wiped out by an unknown assailant.

After four years of experiments from a huge collaborative effort led by the Hakai Institute, biologists finally identified the culprit: a kind of bacteria called Vibrio.


Devastating to coral, shellfish, and human beings, this strain of Vibrio has been labeled FHCF-3. The scientists determined it was the cause of the epidemic by examining what might be called the sea star’s blood. It doesn’t have blood as we would recognize it, but a circulatory fluid called coelomic fluid.

As to what is causing the spread of FHCF-3, ranging from Washington state down to the Baja Peninsula, the scientists point to warming waters.

“We have evidence that there is a link between increasing ocean temperatures and this sea star wasting disease epidemic,” said Melanie Prentice, one of the co-authors of the paper published on the discovery in Nature, to CBS News.

Sunflower sea stars, one of the species that’s been most affected, are voracious eaters of sea urchins. This slow motion game of lion and gazelle plays out on the seafloor and on reefs, and is a major cog in the overall machine of marine ecosystem stability.

Themselves voracious eaters of kelp, the urchins were unleashed following the sea star’s decline, and like the bacteria that decimated the sea stars, the urchins devastated the kelp.

With the cause identified, a large collaboration involving Prentice’s Hakai Institute, as well as the universities of British Columbia and Washington, the Nature Conservancy, Tula Foundation, US Geological Survey, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, are beginning to plan strategies for the sea stars’ recovery.

A breeding program for sunflower stars was set up between the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Birch Aquarium, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Sunflower Star Laboratory. Hundreds have already been raised, and biologists can now screen for the pathogen routinely.

Some of the juveniles are living in these aquariums, where members of the public can learn about the sea stars’ struggle to survive, and the critical role they play in the ecosystem.


WATCH the story below from CBS News’ ‘Project Earth’ segment…

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World’s Smallest Snake Rediscovered in Barbados After 20 Years

The Barbados threadsnake (Photo by Connor Blades)

The world’s smallest snake was rediscovered under a rock in central Barbados during an ecological survey in March.

The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) had been lost to science for nearly 20 years—meaning it had not had a sighting verified and documented by a scientist—and was on a global list of 4,800 plant, animal, and fungi species lost to science compiled by Re:wild’s Search for Lost Species.

At the limit of how small a snake can be, the species measures only about 3 to 4 inches long (9 to 10 centimeters) when fully grown. Each confirmed sighting of the species has had several decades between them, leading scientists to believe that the snake has possibly always been rare and difficult to find in the wild.

The Barbados Ministry of the Environment and Beautification had been searching for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of the Conserving Barbados’ Endemic Reptiles (CBER) project.

“Barbados threadsnakes are blind snakes, so they’re very cryptic,” said Connor Blades, a project officer with the ministry, who helped rediscover the animal and photograph it.

“They’re quite rare also, it seems. There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since 1889, so there are not many people who have ever seen it, unfortunately.”

The threadsnake closely resembles the Brahminy blind snake, or flowerpot snake, a small invasive snake species that was inadvertently introduced to Barbados in recent decades.

“I began to look over the snake and it was clear to me that I really needed to take it to a microscope to get a proper look at it,” said Blades. “The morphological differences between the threadsnake and blind snake are really difficult to tell by eye, particularly because it was the first threadsnake we had seen, so we weren’t familiar with the species yet.”

Justin Springer, Caribbean program officer for Re:wild, supported Blades’ search effort. They began by looking under rocks, one of which caught their attention.

“I was making a joke and in my head I said, ‘I smell a threadsnake,’” said Springer. “I just had a feeling, but I couldn’t be sure because we turned over a lot of rocks before that and we saw nothing.”

Blades loosened the rock from under the tree root and pulled it up. Underneath the rock was an earthworm and a tiny snake. Springer quickly picked up the snake to take a closer look.

“When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” said Springer. “You can’t believe it. That’s how I felt. You don’t want to get your hopes up too high.”

Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies and examined it under a microscope before returning the reptile back to the forest in central Barbados. It had all the characteristics of a threadsnake—pale orange dorsal lines running from its head to tail, eyes located on the side of its head, a rostral scale on its nose, and no gland lines on its head.

Forests, like the one in which the threadsnake was rediscovered, only cover a small area of Barbados. They are mostly confined to the undeveloped Scotland District and the network of gullies that radiate through the island.

“It’s an important reservoir for biodiversity on the island,” said Blades. “If the threadsnake population isn’t very dense, I’m worried about their ability to find mates—particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”“The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.” World’s Smallest Snake Rediscovered in Barbados After 20 Years
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Elusive Sailback Shark Rediscovered After 50 Years

Sagumai et al. / Journal of Fish Biology, 2025

Every so often the animal kingdom just throws out a curveball that we’re not prepared for—like in 1970 when fishermen reeled in a freakish-looking shark and then it was never seen again.

Well 50 years later, that shark—so unique that it was declared a new genus—has finally been found again, confirming that the fishermen’s encounter wasn’t just a well-remembered dream.

Meet the sailback houndshark, believed to be endemic to the water’s of Papua New Guinea, and perhaps even to a single stretch of ocean called Astrolabe Bay. A group of fisherfolk reported that 5 of the sharks had been caught while a team of scientists were on the island conducting research for the country’s National Plan of Action on Sharks and Rays.

They had been caught incidentally at the mouth of a river that drains into the Astrolabe Bay, but had been sold as secondary catch since the meat is not prized by locals. Two years later, another was caught that turned out to be the first male sailfin houndshark ever seen.

A male and a female of the species were recently featured in a paper published in the Journal of Fish Biology. A curious predator, they have a large head but small mouth, and true to their name sport an elongated fin reminiscent of a sail on a yacht. Luckily for the shark, it is considered inferior on the market for Asian shark fin.

“Much remains unknown about its biology, ecology and population dynamics,” study corresponding author Jack Sagumai from the WWF Pacific division told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Support is still needed to better understand the life history and ecology of this species.”

Papua New Guinea has several shark species known to inhabit nowhere else in the world’s oceans, so it’s possible the sailfin is one more of these so-called “microendemic” populations. Susceptible to even small changes in ecosystem, it’s likely the shark will require protection, but the first step to knowing how is to know the species, and the first scientific description will go a long way toward achieving that.

The authors write that the animal embodies “a unique evolutionary lineage of triakid sharks” (or houndsharks, containing about 40 species across nine genera) and that uniqueness could make it an important marine biodiversity “icon” for Papua New Guinea.“Monitoring and management options are currently being initiated as a precautionary approach to conserve this unique and rare species of shark,” the authors conclude. Elusive Sailback Shark Rediscovered After 50 Years
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Local Communities Protecting Millions of Acres of Orangutan Habitat Beyond Nat. Park Boundaries

Orangutans by Getty Images for Unsplash+

On the island of Borneo, forest-dwelling communities have become key to ensuring that orangutans have enough intact forest to survive and thrive down the centuries.

Documented by the Nature Conservancy, which is assisting in establishing and equipping these forest communities for conservation, these communities maintain millions of acres of forests for sustainable economic use and conservation.

This includes logging, but research has shown that when legitimate, transparent logging operations cease, their former land concessions become akin to a no man’s land, and are taken over by illegal logging circuits, poaching, and agriculture.

Instead, by logging small numbers of mature trees one small area at a time over a 30-year time horizon, the forest doesn’t shrink, and the communities can use profits from the hardwoods to sustain their families, and ensure that areas of intact forest remain poacher free.

Areas like the vast Kutai National Park suffer from similar problems as the logging concessions, the Nature Conservancy writes. Their remoteness acts as a curtain to hide illegal activities.

But 80% of orangutans live beyond the borders of protected areas, often very near forest villages. Because of this, an estimated 1.3 million acres of forest habitat is now protected by local forest guardians for the benefit of ecotourism, honey production, scientific research and of course, conservation.

Support from the Indonesian government, which controls the majority of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, helps the guardians manage their land concessions, while interest from the international community has also led to large-scale donations from companies like Arhaus, a furniture maker.

Matt Miller, the Nature Conservancy’s director of science communications, visited these community concessions, and saw first hand how they view their future as guardians of the forests.“The communities are the leaders here. They are the key to the conservation of Borneo’s forests and biodiversity,” a local program director told Miller. “We are here to support them. We can provide science and help them shape what they want their future to be. But this is the reflection of their dream.” Local Communities Protecting Millions of Acres of Orangutan Habitat Beyond Nat. Park Boundaries
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Why Do Animals Play? Because They Need To Play – Just Like Children Do

Photo by Tambako The Jaguar, CC license

As much as it’s a time for growing and learning, childhood is also a time for unabashed joy. Pastimes like careening down a snowy hillside on your sled, flying off a rope swing into a cool lake on a hot summer day, or even just a game of catch are part and parcel of growing up.

But the joys of playtime aren’t just reserved for human kids—animal offspring are just as likely to get into the act as well, and some of their activities are startlingly similar to our own.

Young ravens hold body-surfing “competitions” down the slopes of wintery rooftops; juvenile elephants create impromptu waterslides along muddy riverbanks; herring gulls engage in their own version of airborne hacky sack substituting seashells for bean-filled projectiles.

Scientists believe that for certain animal species, some fun and games is strictly that—play for the sake of play—but as with humans, other forms of diversion are preparing youngsters for the rigors of adulthood.

“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth,” wrote Kenneth R. Ginsburg in the American Journal of Pediatrics. “Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children.”

Those same tenets, it seems, hold true in the animal kingdom as well.

“Horses…are known to engage in play almost as soon as they are born. Once they can walk, they immediately start to gallop, frolic and buck, again, honing the motor skills they may need when they’re mature,” notes BBC Earth.
Play with purpose

But along with social and motor skills, play also teaches animals essential hunting and survival skills.

Inge Wallmrod

While the antics of cute cavorting kittens is the stuff that’s spawned a myriad of viral videos, whether it’s an opportunity to take down an errant mouse or to avoid harm in the face of unexpected danger, their ninja-like antics may in fact be helping kittens learn to be ready when life hands them a surprise.

Even natural-born predators, such as kestrels, use play to hone their hunting skills by practicing with targets that look like real prey when they’re young.

In the oceans, dolphins chase underwater air rings to fine-tune their sonar skills.

And while it’s unclear why bear cubs are so quintessentially playful, zoologists believe at least some of their shenanigans have a more serious purpose that aids in their survival as adults.

One of the most important teaching aspects of play is socialization. These days, for human kids, that usually means the basics like learning to share, teamwork, and knowing boundaries.

For animals, especially those that live in packs, flocks, or herds, play (often in the form of play fighting) imparts an understanding of where each animal fits into the community hierarchy.

In ways that are remarkably similar to the training children of traditional tribal cultures receive, it is through the rules of play that lion cubs, kangaroo joeys, and wolf pups discover and establish the roles they’ll be expected to perform as adults.

But for animals, not all socializing play is about fighting or establishing dominance. Some of it’s about learning to be better parents—and that involves playing with dolls. While they might lack a perambulator and a fancy wardrobe, female chimpanzees are known to lavish their doll babies with love and emulate their own mothers’ attentive care.

So whether it’s frolicking in the pasture, hanging from a tree, or rollicking in the surf, it seems that play will always be an intrinsic—and fun—part of both human and animal development.And we’re pretty sure when those ninja-kitten TikTok stars stop climbing that curtain, they’ll be thrilled to hear about it. Why Do Animals Play? Because They Need To Play – Just Like Children Do:
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Conservationist Hail Recovery of 150 Struggling Species Thanks to Projects by Natural England

A pearl-bordered fritillary – credit, Devon Wildlife Trust

Two years ago, the UK government gave roughly $15 million to its own conservation organ called Natural England for the purpose of preventing species decline.

Now, its report card has arrived, and its A+ work has seen the recovery of 150 struggling or declining species.

Natural England used the money to fund 63 projects involving 78 different partners across the country.

For the nature lover, the list of wild beneficiaries of the work will gladden the heart. Standout achievements include a breakthrough for the iconic lady’s slipper orchid, with the first known case of natural propagation in the wild after over 30 years of dedicated work to collect seeds.

686 acres of vital nesting islands were created or enhanced for seabirds such as common tern, little tern and Sandwich tern. 56,000 plugs of food plants were laid for butterflies, such as marsh violet for the small pearl-bordered fritillary, and devil’s bit scabious for marsh fritillary, at the new sites.

A grant-funded breeding and supervised release program saw the first wild hatching of a red-billed chough in Kent for the first time in over 200 years. 633 new breeding areas (nest boxes and similar structures) were created through the program for otter, dormouse, bats, willow tits, and other birds.

Wetland habitat creation to benefit water vole – credit, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

A huge focus as well fell on habitat creation or restoration, including over 642 acres of flower-rich grassland meadows, 1,000 acres of floodplain grasslands, 874 acres of broadleaf woodland, and 240 acres of marsh.

215 ponds and streams were dug or restored which became the new haunts of water voles and the rare Eurasian bittern.

Volunteers were a huge part of these various grant-funded projects. 100,000 hours of volunteer work were donated by members of the public during the 2 years of operations, a component which Natural England said would form a vital backbone if these achievements are to be sustained and built upon.

Volunteers planting marsh violet – credit, Neil Harris, National Trust images

“This and a feeling of real engagement with an amazing natural environment has been a huge psychological boost for me,” said Steve, a volunteer with the ‘White Cliffs and White Chalk’ National Trust project.

“This has been, and continues to be, a great way to gain a better understanding of local ecology and to improve my understanding of the protected areas and species at risk.”Natural England will shortly be making an announcement about future plans. Conservationist Hail Recovery of 150 Struggling Species Thanks to Projects by Natural England
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Giant stick insect species discovered in Australia


A large and previously unknown stick insect has been discovered in the misty forests of Far North Queensland — and it might just be Australia's heaviest insect.

The giant stick insect has been named Acrophylla alta, a nod to its high-altitude habitat in the Atherton Tablelands, ABC reported.

James Cook University Adjunct Professor Angus Emmott and south-east Queensland scientist Ross Coupland searched for the stick insect after they received a photograph of what they believed was an unknown species.

Despite its elusive nature, they managed to find a large female at an elevation above 900 metres between Millaa Millaa and Mount Hypipamee in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

"We looked at its eggs after it laid some eggs and we were absolutely certain it was a new species," Mr Emmott said.

Two females have since been found, including one that a friend of Mr Emmott's found in a garden.

"They let it go afterwards, but they weighed it and photographed the weighing of it, and it was 44 grams," he said.

"I'm not sure exactly how to go about [verifying] that. I know the large burrowing cockroach was considered the heaviest insect, but it only gets into the mid-30 grams."Their findings have been published in the journal Zootaxa., Source: Article

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Hero Service Dog Senses Owner’s Irregular Heartbeat–Saving the Veteran From a Catastrophic Stroke

Hank Ford with Tommy – Photo Credit: Dogs Inc

The Labrador usually lets Hank sleep late—but not on this particular day. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The service dog named Tommy had been with Hank Ford since he was a pup, and he knew his owner was at risk. He started nudging Hank with his nose, then pawing at him, and jumping on his body.

Get up. Get up. Get up.

Hank figured the dog needed to go outside a little earlier than normal. But when Hank stood up, he was light-headed and woozy, starting to sense that something was wrong too. He opened the door to let the dog outside, but Tommy didn’t budge.

54-year-old Hank kept feeling worse. He decided to check his vital signs with a blood pressure cuff and was startled by the results.

His pulse was a staggering 171 beats per minute.

The military veteran who had served for more than 20 years, called his local veterans hospital, but they thought his vital readings were obviously wrong, that he simply misused the machine.

Hank and Tommy both knew better, so the resident of Fort Lufton, Colorado, drove himself to the hospital, and the diagnosis arrived a few minutes later.

“They were freaking out about it,” Hank recalled, when doctors confirmed his vital signs. “It was good that Tommy woke me up.

“Something about the way he woke me up: He hasn’t done it before and he hasn’t done it since,” Hank told GNN. “Doctors said, more than likely, it would have been a stroke and it would have been a (big) one.”

What he was experiencing is AFib—an irregular heartbeat characterized by a rapid rhythm. The upper chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the lower chambers, and the condition can lead to reduced blood flow and cause strokes—or even death.

This recent event was not the only time Tommy helped save Hank’s life.

Service dog Tommy working at the golf course – Credit: Hank Ford

Years ago, Hank was in a self-described dark spot. He had spent decades of his selfless military service in high-stress situations, a hero in harm’s way. Desert Shield. Desert Storm. Bosnia. Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Then, when he left the military, he worked for years at a federal penitentiary, adding even more layers of stress.

All those experiences and memories weren’t easily forgotten. Hank had a significant case of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). He didn’t like dealing with people or going out in public. He slept a lot and stayed at home, sheltering himself from the outside world.

His doctors encouraged him to pursue a service dog. And when his hunting dogs— also Labradors—passed away, Hank reached out to the Wounded Warrior Project for a service dog. That organization helped connect him with Dogs Inc, a nonprofit that provides guide dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs, free of charge, to people in need.

Not long afterward, Hank and Tommy were united and the impact was immediate.

“We bonded fast,” Hank said. “I have had some good connections with dogs, but nothing like what we have…

“He would key the clues I was putting out really quickly. If you stress out, he will come out and look at you and put his chin on you and be like, ‘Hey, are you okay?’ It was a calming presence. And it was really quick. I was ready to have a dog again, but wasn’t expecting what I got.”

Hank received a new best friend and a new path forward.

Life started looking a whole lot better. And when Hank’s heart was on the verge of a potentially-fatal malfunction and he was stabilized in the hospital, his wife brought the dog in to see him. Tommy crawled right up onto Hank’s bed and laid across his body.

The dog stayed there for hours, just inches away from the beating heart of the man he had helped to heal years ago. So perhaps it’s no surprise that he was the crucial first responder and hero when Hank’s heart spun wildly out of rhythm.

“I knew dogs were man’s best friend for a reason,” Hank said. “He takes it above and beyond that.” Hero Service Dog Senses Owner’s Irregular Heartbeat–Saving the Veteran From a Catastrophic Stroke
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Bugun Liocichla: A Jewel of the Eastern Himalayas


Vidyasagar Jagtap

In the dense, verdant forests of Arunachal Pradesh, India, a chance encounter sparked a conservation movement that would resonate far beyond its origins. Ramana Athreya, an astrophysicist with a passion for birdwatching, was traversing a narrow jungle trail near the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary when a flash of vibrant color caught his eye. “I was simply passing through when, out of nowhere, a flash of brilliant color stole my attention,” he later recalled. There, gliding gracefully through the foliage, was a bird unlike any he had ever seen—its olive-grey plumage complemented by a striking black cap and vivid patches of yellow, red, and white on its wings. Before Athreya could fully absorb the sight, the bird vanished into the dense canopy, leaving him with a sense of wonder and an unquenchable curiosity to learn more.

An Unexpected Discovery

That fleeting moment set Athreya on a path of discovery. Over a decade later, in 2006, he returned to the area with renewed determination and was able to document the bird meticulously. Given the species' apparent rarity, Athreya and his team employed non-invasive methods, collecting feathers, photographs, and audio recordings of its soft, flute-like calls. This careful approach ensured the bird's safety while allowing for its formal identification as a new species—the Bugun Liocichla.(Liocichlabugunorum)

A Marvel in Miniature

Measuring approximately 20 to 22 centimeters, the Bugun Liocichla is a small yet captivating bird. Its olive-grey body is accentuated by a jet-black cap and radiant orange-yellow markings around the eyes, with wings adorned in a medley of bright colours. Beyond its visual appeal, the bird's melodious and flute-like song adds to its allure, making it a true gem of the Himalayan forests.

Impact on the Bugun Tribe and the Region

The discovery of the Bugun Liocichla holds significant historical importance, being the first bird species described from India in decades. More profoundly, it galvanized the local Bugun tribe to take proactive steps in conserving their natural heritage. Recognizing the bird as a symbol of their rich biodiversity, the Bugun community established community-managed reserves and initiated sustainable ecotourism projects. These efforts not only protected the bird's habitat but also provided economic benefits to the community, exemplifying a harmonious balance between conservation and livelihood. As a major step towards conservation, the Arunachal Pradesh government finally notified Braiduah Community Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The reserve is situated adjacent to the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.


Parallels in Conservation Efforts

Athreya's dedication mirrors the passion of other notable conservationists. Sálim Ali, often hailed as the “Birdman of India,” conducted extensive bird surveys across the country and authored “The Book of Indian Birds,” a seminal work that has inspired generations of ornithologists. Similarly, Asad R. Rahmani's memoir, “Living with Birds,” narrates his lifelong commitment to studying and protecting India's avian species, reflecting the broader narrative of India's conservation movement. Internationally, Mya-Rose Craig's “Birdgirl” chronicles her global birdwatching adventures and environmental activism, emphasizing the universal appeal and urgency of bird conservation. These works collectively underscore the profound impact individuals can have on bird conservation, echoing the transformative journey sparked by Athreya's chance encounter with the Bugun Liocichla.

A Legacy of Hope and a Call to Action

Currently listed as Critically Endangered, with an estimated population of only 14 to 20 individuals, the Bugun Liocichla's survival hangs in the balance. Its precarious status underscores the urgent need for continued conservation efforts. Yet, its story serves as a beacon of hope, illustrating how serendipitous discoveries can lead to meaningful change. As Athreya aptly noted, “Sometimes, all it takes is a single moment in the wild to show us the beauty we must fight to protect.”

The story of this remarkable bird is a call to action for everyone: cherish the wonders of nature, work together with communities, and ensure that such treasures endure for generations to come.

References:

Discovery and Conservation of the Bugun Liocichla:
  1. • Ramana Athreya - Sanctuary Nature Foundation: Details Athreya's discovery of the BugunLiocichla and subsequent conservation efforts.
  2. • From a new bird to a new community reserve: India's tribe sets example - Mongabay: Discusses the Bugun tribe's establishment of community reserves following the bird's discovery.
  3. • https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/news/post/postage-stamp-released-of-bugun-liocichla-the-bird-will-now-go-places/3
  4. • https://www.deccanherald.com/india/arunachal-pradesh/arunachal-tribe-donates-land-for-critically-endangered-songbird-bugun-liocichla-2940635
Notable Works in Bird Conservation:
  • • The Book of Indian Birds by Sálim Ali: A seminal guide illustrating and describing over 500 Indian bird species.
  • • Living With Birds by Asad R. Rahmani: A memoir detailing Rahmani's dedication to studying and protecting India's avian species.
  • • Birdgirl by Mya-Rose Craig: Chronicles Craig's global birdwatching experiences and environmental activism.
These sources offer comprehensive information on the topics discussed in the article.Vidyasagar Jagtap is a BSc Zoology graduate from Fergusson College, Pune, with a deep interest in life sciences and nature. Bugun Liocichla: A Jewel of the Eastern Himalayas | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
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Researchers Test Use of Nuclear Technology to Curb Rhino Poaching in South Africa


In South Africa, biologists and scientists have developed a novel way of disincentivizing poaching that will allow rhinos to keep hold of their horns.

Previously it was widespread practice to capture and de-horn rhinos to disincentivize poachers from killing them, but the lack of a horn deeply interfered with the animals’ social structures.


Instead, rhinos at a nursery in the northern province of Limpopo have had radioactive isotopes embedded into their horns. The idea is that the radiation given off by these isotopes will mark out anyone at any border crossing as having handled a rhino horn.

It’s a superior form of tracking because even if the tracker is removed the radiation remains on the horn, as well as anything that touches it.

Nuclear researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit in South Africa injected 20 live rhinos with these isotopes.

“We are doing this because it makes it significantly easier to intercept these horns as they are being trafficked over international borders because there is a global network of radiation monitors that have been designed to prevent nuclear terrorism,” Professor James Larkin who heads the project told Africa News. “And we’re piggybacking on the back of that.”

Larkin adds that innovation in poaching prevention is urgently needed, as all existing methods have limitations, and South Africa still loses tens of rhinos every year.

Professor Nithaya Chetty, dean of the science faculty at Witwatersrand, said the dosage of the radioactivity is very low and its potential negative impact on the animal was tested extensively.While poaching elephants for their ivory yields a unique material for sculpture and craft, rhino horn is trafficked to criminal groups in Asia who sell it for the incorrect belief that it contains therapeutic properties. Researchers Test Use of Nuclear Technology to Curb Rhino Poaching in South Africa
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Rare Wild Baby Horse Is Adopted by a Domestic Pony That Just Lost Her Own Foal

Alice the pony and Marat the foal at the Minnesota Zoo – released

A story of resilience and maternal instinct comes now from Minnesota, where a foal belonging to Asia’s last remaining wild horse species is thriving thanks to an unexpected hero: a domesticated horse named Alice.

Having lost her own offspring, Alice decided to put Marat, the months old Przewalski’s horse foal, between her heart and her hooves.

Born May 17th at the Minnesota Zoo, the male foal is the result of a decades-long commitment to saving the endangered Przewalski’s horse, which over the last 15 years has progressed remarkably well.

Just days after his birth, the foal became critically ill and was transferred to the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center. While he made a full recovery, the temporary separation led his mother, Nady, to reject him—a behavior not uncommon among wild horses after separation.

Enter Alice, a gentle Pony of the Americas mare from Brush Poppin Ranch in southeastern Minnesota. Just days earlier, Alice had lost her own newborn filly. Her owners, Sylvia and Jeff Passow, hoped her nurturing temperament and milk supply might help another foal in need.

Within hours of hearing about the orphaned wild foal, the Passows made the drive to the Minnesota Zoo. From their first meeting, Alice accepted Marat as her own, nuzzling him gently and allowing him to nurse. The two have formed a heartwarming bond, and Alice will remain by his side for the next several months as he continues to grow.

Just a few thousand of Marat’s species exist in the wild and zoos around the world – released

“This is the kind of story that reminds us of what conservation is all about: collaboration, compassion, and hope,” said Randy Kochevar, Chief Animal Care, Health, Conservation and Behavior Officer at the Minnesota Zoo. “Thanks to the Passows’ generosity and Alice’s instinct, this endangered foal now has a second chance.”

Przewalski’s horses are the world’s last truly wild horse species, never domesticated and genetically distinct from other horses. Once declared extinct in the wild by the 1960s, the species survived only through a small number of individuals in zoos.

Through decades of careful breeding, international cooperation, and scientific breakthroughs, including recent genetic research and cloning efforts, populations have been reestablished on the steppes of Mongolia and China. Fewer than 2,000 Przewalski’s horses exist today, making each foal born in human care critical to the species’ survival.

The Minnesota Zoo has long played a leading role in this global effort. Since opening in 1978, the Zoo has welcomed more than 50 foals as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP), which coordinates breeding to maintain genetic diversity.

In 2024, the Zoo contributed to a landmark genetic study aimed at strengthening future conservation efforts for the species.Along with Mongolia and China, this year GNN reported that 150 animals have been transported to the steppes of Kazakhstan, another of the horse’s former pastures. Released at the Altyn Dala Reserve in Kazakhstan’s Kostanay region, it’s hoped they will naturally breed and spread out, eventually becoming prey for the Turanian tiger, an extinct local subspecies Kazakhstan is also attempting to reintroduce. Rare Wild Baby Horse Is Adopted by a Domestic Pony That Just Lost Her Own Foal
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Snake and Spider Venom Produce Hundreds of ‘Promising’ Potential Antibiotics

A dwarf sand adder snake – credit Arno Moller, Unsplash

Hundreds of potential antibiotics have been discovered in snake and spider venom thanks to AI.

A screening of global venom libraries, powered by artificial intelligence uncovered dozens of “promising” new drug candidates.

AI has already been used to complete screenings of plant compounds and existing drugs in search of potential new antibiotics, and snake, scorpion, and spider venoms have proven a fruitful hunting ground as well.

Antibiotic resistance contributes to more than one million deaths worldwide every year. Finding alternative compounds that can eliminate these pathogens is one of medicine’s great ongoing missions.

To that end, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States used a deep-learning system called APEX to sift through a database of more than 40 million venom encrypted peptides (VEPs), tiny proteins evolved by animals to ravage the nervous system, blood cells, and organs of their prey and/or attackers.

The algorithm flagged 386 compounds within a matter of hours with the molecular hallmarks of next-generation antibiotics.

“Venoms are evolutionary masterpieces, yet their antimicrobial potential has barely been explored,” said senior study author Professor César de la Fuente. “APEX lets us scan an immense chemical space in just hours and identify peptides with exceptional potential to fight the world’s most stubborn pathogens.”

From the AI-selected shortlist, the team synthesized 58 venom peptides for lab testing.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed that 53 killed drug-resistant strains of bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus at doses that were harmless to human red blood cells.

“By pairing computational triage with traditional lab experimentation, we delivered one of the most comprehensive investigations of venom derived antibiotics to date,” said co-author Dr. Marcelo Torres in a release from his university.

The platform mapped more than 2,000 entirely new antibacterial “motifs”—short, specific sequences of amino acids within a protein or peptide responsible for their ability to kill or inhibit bacterial growth.

The team is now taking the top peptide candidates, which could lead to new antibiotics, and improving them through medicinal-chemistry tweaks.SHARE These Scientists Biting Into To Antibiotic- Snake and Spider Venom Produce Hundreds of ‘Promising’ Potential Antibiotics
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