Rudolph the reindeer is having a glittering antler makeover — the latest attempt to halt some of the thousands of road deaths of the roaming caribou in the wilds of Finland.
Anne Ollila of the Finnish Reindeer Herder's Association says the antlers of 20 reindeer have been painted with various fluorescent dyes to see how the animals react and whether the paints are resistant to the harsh Arctic climate.
If successful, animals with glittering antlers will be free to roam Lapland — a vast, deserted area in northern Finland where herders tend to some 200,000 reindeer.
Ollila says reflectors and reflective tape have proven unsuccessful as reindeer have torn them off — and road signs warning drivers of roaming reindeer often are stolen by tourists as souvenirs.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Crocodiles can climb trees: researchers
ORLANDO - Most people entering crocodile territory keep a wary eye out on water and land, but research suggests they need to look up.
Though the reptiles lack obvious physical features to suggest this is possible, crocodiles in fact climb trees all the way to the crowns, according to University of Tennessee researcher Vladimir Dinets.
Researchers in the climbing study observed crocodiles in Australia, Africa and North America. The study documented crocodiles climbing as high as six feet off the ground. But Dinets said he received anecdotal reports from people who spend time around crocodiles of the reptiles climbing almost 30 feet.
Dinets said crocodiles lack the toe and foot structure that would be expected of a climber. However, smaller and juvenile crocodiles in particular were observed climbing vertically while larger ones tended to climb angled trunks and branches, all of which is a measure of the reptiles' spectacular agility, he said.
"They just go slowly," he said. "Eventually they get there."
The finding was reported in January in Herpetology Notes in collaboration with Adam Britton from Charles Darwin University in Australia and Matthew Shirley from the University of Florida.
The researchers believe the crocodiles climb to keep a lookout on their territory and to warm themselves in the sun.
"The most frequent observations of tree-basking were in areas where there were few places to bask on the ground, implying that the individuals needed alternatives for regulating their body temperature," the authors wrote.
"Likewise, their wary nature suggests that climbing leads to improved site surveillance of potential threats and prey."
People who spend time around crocodiles have known about the climbing ability for decades, Dinets said, but this study is the first to thoroughly examine the climbing and basking behavior.
Dinets also was co-author of a widely reported study in 2013 that demonstrated crocodiles used sticks and twigs to hunt, balancing nest-building material on their snouts just above the water line to lure birds. The crocodiles lay in wait for hours and lunged when a bird ventured near.
That finding was the first reported use of tools by any reptile and the first known case of predators timing the use of lures to a seasonal behavior in their prey, according to a University of Tennessee press release at the time.
The latest climbing study suggests paleontologists studying extinct species should be cautious about drawing conclusions from fossils, adds Dinets.
"If crocodiles were extinct and you only knew them from fossils, you wouldn't be able to guess they climb trees because they don't have any physical adaptations," Dinets said.
"Assumptions based on fossils, he said, can be "far less correct than people think."
Though the reptiles lack obvious physical features to suggest this is possible, crocodiles in fact climb trees all the way to the crowns, according to University of Tennessee researcher Vladimir Dinets.
Researchers in the climbing study observed crocodiles in Australia, Africa and North America. The study documented crocodiles climbing as high as six feet off the ground. But Dinets said he received anecdotal reports from people who spend time around crocodiles of the reptiles climbing almost 30 feet.
Dinets said crocodiles lack the toe and foot structure that would be expected of a climber. However, smaller and juvenile crocodiles in particular were observed climbing vertically while larger ones tended to climb angled trunks and branches, all of which is a measure of the reptiles' spectacular agility, he said.
"They just go slowly," he said. "Eventually they get there."
The finding was reported in January in Herpetology Notes in collaboration with Adam Britton from Charles Darwin University in Australia and Matthew Shirley from the University of Florida.
The researchers believe the crocodiles climb to keep a lookout on their territory and to warm themselves in the sun.
"The most frequent observations of tree-basking were in areas where there were few places to bask on the ground, implying that the individuals needed alternatives for regulating their body temperature," the authors wrote.
"Likewise, their wary nature suggests that climbing leads to improved site surveillance of potential threats and prey."
People who spend time around crocodiles have known about the climbing ability for decades, Dinets said, but this study is the first to thoroughly examine the climbing and basking behavior.
Dinets also was co-author of a widely reported study in 2013 that demonstrated crocodiles used sticks and twigs to hunt, balancing nest-building material on their snouts just above the water line to lure birds. The crocodiles lay in wait for hours and lunged when a bird ventured near.
That finding was the first reported use of tools by any reptile and the first known case of predators timing the use of lures to a seasonal behavior in their prey, according to a University of Tennessee press release at the time.
The latest climbing study suggests paleontologists studying extinct species should be cautious about drawing conclusions from fossils, adds Dinets.
"If crocodiles were extinct and you only knew them from fossils, you wouldn't be able to guess they climb trees because they don't have any physical adaptations," Dinets said.
"Assumptions based on fossils, he said, can be "far less correct than people think."
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Canada’s Olympians enjoy passport to free beer
The value of a Canadian passport just went up.
Bright, flag-red beer fridges have been set up at Canada Olympic House in Sochi offering free Molson products to Canada’s Olympians and their sporty friends.
All it takes to open it is a swipe of a Canadian passport.
Once opened, the athletes can extract as much beer as they see fit.
The fridge looks something out of hoser heaven, but it’s actually the product of a modified webcam and a tiny computer.
They scan the passport’s image and then check if it matches what’s found on a Canadian passport.
If it computes, then the fridge’s latch is released and the passport-holder can extract as much free beer as is desired.
Molson’s spokesperson Forest Kenney said in an interview that the promotion is a continuation of a campaign that began last summer with the Rethink advertising agency.
In that campaign, which went viral, a fridge was left in random locations with a note that it could only be opened with a Canadian passport.
When a Canadian would happen by, he/she would be able to play the role of a good host and give the strangers beer.
The Canadian women’s hockey team created a short-lived flap after winning the gold in the Vancouver Olympics, and then celebrating on ice with champagne, cigars and Molson’s Canadian beer.
Kenney said he couldn’t immediately say how much free beer has been quaffed in Sochi and how much it cost to set up the fridge there.
Not surprisingly, reviews have been favourable from lovers of free beer, despite the blatant attempt to cash in on patriotism.
“Well played, Canada. Well played,” tweets ABC News producer Meredith Frost.
“1st time I’ve ever wanted 2b Canadian,” confesses John Elder of Nashville.
“This is why Canada is the greatest country in the world,” raves a tweeter who identifies him/herself as “FromIceLevel.”
The deft marketing move has also drawn favourable nods from major media, including USA Today, whose writer excitedly raved, “This Canadian beer machine is the most amazing technology in the Olympics.”
Bright, flag-red beer fridges have been set up at Canada Olympic House in Sochi offering free Molson products to Canada’s Olympians and their sporty friends.
All it takes to open it is a swipe of a Canadian passport.
Once opened, the athletes can extract as much beer as they see fit.
The fridge looks something out of hoser heaven, but it’s actually the product of a modified webcam and a tiny computer.
They scan the passport’s image and then check if it matches what’s found on a Canadian passport.
If it computes, then the fridge’s latch is released and the passport-holder can extract as much free beer as is desired.
Molson’s spokesperson Forest Kenney said in an interview that the promotion is a continuation of a campaign that began last summer with the Rethink advertising agency.
In that campaign, which went viral, a fridge was left in random locations with a note that it could only be opened with a Canadian passport.
When a Canadian would happen by, he/she would be able to play the role of a good host and give the strangers beer.
The Canadian women’s hockey team created a short-lived flap after winning the gold in the Vancouver Olympics, and then celebrating on ice with champagne, cigars and Molson’s Canadian beer.
Kenney said he couldn’t immediately say how much free beer has been quaffed in Sochi and how much it cost to set up the fridge there.
Not surprisingly, reviews have been favourable from lovers of free beer, despite the blatant attempt to cash in on patriotism.
“Well played, Canada. Well played,” tweets ABC News producer Meredith Frost.
“1st time I’ve ever wanted 2b Canadian,” confesses John Elder of Nashville.
“This is why Canada is the greatest country in the world,” raves a tweeter who identifies him/herself as “FromIceLevel.”
The deft marketing move has also drawn favourable nods from major media, including USA Today, whose writer excitedly raved, “This Canadian beer machine is the most amazing technology in the Olympics.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)