Poor Pikas Losing Their California Habitat to Climate Change

(Photo : Alan D. Wilson/Wikimedia Commons)

American pikas, a pint-sized rabbit relative, are quickly losing their California mountain habitat to climate change, according to new research.

These cute creatures have demonstrated their incredible resilience in the face of danger, but even pikas may not be able to adapt to our increasingly warming world. As temperatures rise, pikas are abandoning their low-elevation habitat and moving to higher ground to escape the heat.

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz surveyed 67 locations with historical records of pikas and found that the animals have disappeared from 10 of them - that's 15 percent of the surveyed sites.

These poor pikas are struggling, and especially with 2014 confirmed as the hottest year on record, these animals are at risk of local extinction.

"This same pattern of extinctions at sites with high summer temperatures has also been observed in the Great Basin region," researcher Joseph Stewart said in a statement.

When summer temperatures are too high (like this past summer), pikas are forced to stay underground to avoid overheating. Less time spent foraging for food means less to eat, which increases the likelihood of local extinction.

Moving up the mountain is an option for these pikas. With high metabolic rates and thick fur, they are well adapted to the cold temperatures at high elevations. However, this could be just as harmful as it is helpful.

"They are uniquely adapted to cold temperatures, but these same adaptations make the species vulnerable to global warming," Stewart said.

To better determine the fate of the species in the face of climate change, the researchers analyzed a total of 34 different global climate models, taking into account atmospheric sensitivity to greenhouse gases and different levels of human greenhouse gas emissions.

They found that by 2070, pikas will be gone from much of their historical range in California - that's 39 to 88 percent of sites.

And this isn't just bad news for pikas, but for other local wildlife as well - they are prey to many species and alter vegetation and soil composition by foraging.

"Pikas are a model organism for studying climate change, and their decline at low-elevation sites suggests that the future for other species is not great either," Stewart added. "The problem is that the climate is changing faster than species can adapt or disperse to new sites."

The results were published in the Journal of Biogeography.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

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Discover the best gourmet experiences 2014

With so many places, each with their own journeys and adventures of tempting foods can be difficult to decide where you would most like to go. Since you can not be everywhere at once, here we share some of the best foodie strong experimenting with the MasterChef journey in 2014 collected by our experts.

South Africa - Discover Cape Malay cuisine.

 

South Africa is an ideal destination for travelers seeking an exotic destination foodie experience. In this small group tour MasterChef travel, spend quality time with Whitney Miller, winner of MasterChef Season 1, southern cuisine with a modern twist is as colorful and exciting as the famous Cape Malay cuisine in South Africa. Expand your culinary horizons with convenient classes and wine tasting gourmet cuisine at the world famous Winelands region hosted by Whitney. Your tour will also take him to Cape Town for the most delicious adventures!

 

Northern Spain - Taste your way through the heart of Spain.

 

Enjoy this pleasant journey MasterChef private tour of Northern Spain Wine and cuisine inspired by MasterChef. Travel through the heart of the gastronomic regions of Spain, experience the best of what the Basque Country and La Rioja has to offer, including a tasting tour of San Sebastián specialties. End your trip to Barcelona, one of the most fascinating and iconic cities in Spain!

 

Vietnam - a variety of styles of traditional and modern cuisine.

 

Traveling with a small group this culinary journey Cox & Kings in Vietnam, where you have the opportunity of a lifetime to interact with award-winning MasterChef Christine Ha. Travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City through Da Nang and Hue and learn about the amazing Vietnamese dishes influenced Christine while cooking courses and upscale food shopping street is staying.

 

Northern Italy - Truly a merger in Europe with local influences.

 

Do not miss this rich culinary journey MasterChef Voyage in Italy, with guided tours around. Traveling with a small group of famous Valley Food and Tuscany where you will meet your host, Manfe Luca, winner of MasterChef Season illustrates wine country 4. Discover Italy through native eyes Luca in a full day of wine tasting food site and be inspired by its unique cuisine with strong European influences during practice cooking classes, will host. Buon Appetito!

 

Hawaii - View of Hawaii as never before; a variety of culinary delights.

 

Embark on a journey of Hawaii MasterChef culinary journey and explore the natural wonders of the natural Maui. On the way, he meets MasterChef star native, Felix Fang to enjoy culinary activities specially organized in the comfort of a small group of nannies as travelers. Your tour includes a visit to a local organic farm, plus the chance to try their luck in mastering the art of "Hawaiian Sling" Fishing with Felix. Also diving in their world of cooking in a special cooking workshop is an inspiring experience not to be missed!

Dolphins Mourn Their Dead: More Evidence of Death Rituals

(Photo : Flickr: sheilapic76)

We have long known that great apes can empathize and orphaned elephants can mourn. Now new research has revealed that dolphins practice what seems like ritualistic behavior on the advent of a death in the pod, supporting grieving members and even holding what seem like wakes for deceased calves.

A study recently published in the journal Acta Ethologica details how a team of Portuguese marine biologists assessed two recorded instances in which Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) partook in what appeared to be ritualistic mourning.

The first instance, which was recorded by a tourist boat operator not involved in the study, showed four adult dolphins supporting the body of a dead calf near the water's surface with their heads and backs. This lasted for about 30 minutes before, all of the dolphins slipped away, leaving the calf to the ocean's currents.

In the second event, this time seen by researchers, a single adult - presumably the mother - was supporting her deceased calf at the surface for a similar duration before leaving.

One might argue that perhaps these dolphins don't know the calf is dead, and may be simply trying to support an ill and struggling member of the pod. After all, dolphins have long been known to be exceptionally intelligent and communal animals, caring and supporting one another in times of hardship.

However, Filipe Alves, who helped lead the analysis, recently told Wired that this behavior is not exclusive to Atlantic dolphins.

"There are records of other dolphin species carrying carcasses for several days, even after they begin to decompose," he explained.

These animals, it is argued, are certainly intelligent enough to tell the difference between dead and alive, so this behavior may not be supportive, but rather a ritualistic form of mourning, like a wake or funeral. How long the deceased body is carried may vary simply be based on the 'traditions' of that pod.

Still, it should be noted that Alves and his colleagues are hesitant to use the terms "grieve" or "mourn" in their study, instead calling it "nurturant behavior." This general term encompasses intriguing behavioral phenomena of all kinds (such as adopting a baby from another species), and is most commonly associated with intelligent communal animals.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

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When These Arachnids do Battle, the Winner is Never Certain

(Photo : USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab ) An armored harvestman (Leiobunum flavum)

When a quick but unprotected warrior does battle with a well-armored and stronger foe, the winner usually seems certain. There's a reason that armored knights were considered champions of the battlefield in medieval times. Still, when it comes to clashing arachnids, things could prove a little different.

According to a study recently published in the journal Animal Behavior, precision kill strikes are everything for the recluse spider. Small-but deadly, most recluse spiders have exceptionally sharp and poisonous fangs. However, like most spiders, they are fragile things, with spindly legs easily damage by stronger foes.

In numerous field surveys, researchers have observed recluse spiders attacking and eating harvestmen, also commonly known as "daddy-longlegs" (Mitostoma chrysomelas). Not to be confused with the spindly basement-dwelling daddy-longlegs spider (Holocnemus pluchei), harvestmen do not have the characteristic eight eyes and two body segments of normal spiders. Instead, they are one solid mass of armor with eight legs. Master hunters in their own right, harvestmen are generally stronger than even large spiders, and are adept at catching even the most slippery prey.

It's strange then that spiders, usually about the same size as harvestmen, would chose them as their prey. And yet that's exactly why, researchers suspect, harvestmen boast their impressive armored bodies.

Researcher Rodirgo Willemart from the University of São Paulo, Brazil recently spent time watching this intriguing predation in action. (Scroll to read on...)

(Photo : Wiki CC0 - Philipe de Liz Pereira) Recluse spider - Santa Catarina, Brazil

"Usually both fangs slide on the surface of the harvestman's body," he explained to New Scientist, adding that the result becomes more of a battle than your average predator-prey scenario.

Interestingly, this doesn't always happen. Willemart and his team found numerous  carcasses of harvestmen in the webs of recluse spiders in Brazil. The successful spider were then brought to a lab, where  they were introduced to more harvestmen prey. A stunning 31 out of 38 spiders found a way to kill and then eat these harvestmen, revealing the trick to a successful hunt.

"Recluse spiders are exceptional in that they do not try to pierce through the armor. They simply avoid it and bite the soft parts of the harvestman," he explained.

According to the study, the research team observed the successful spiders actually feeling around the harvestman's body even as they grappled. When the recluse finally found an unarmored portion, no matter how small, it lunged with frightening speed and accuracy, plunging a venomous fang into its prey.

Still, there are many questions to be asked, especially concerning why only some spiders know to do this. Is it a learned behavior or are some spiders simply better at it than others? A lot more research will be needed to find out.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

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