Why an Alaska island is using peanut butter and black lights to find a rat that might not exist

Why an Alaska island is using peanut butter and black lights to find a rat that might not exist

On an island of windswept tundra in the Bering Sea, hundreds of miles from mainland Alaska, a resident sitting outside their home saw — well, did they see it? They were pretty sure they saw it.  A rat. The purported sighting would not have gotten attention in many places around the world, but it caused a … Read more

It’s a small world: Winners of microscopic video competition reveal the tiny in stunning detail

It’s a small world: Winners of microscopic video competition reveal the tiny in stunning detail

It’s not every day we get to see the tiny world that exists beyond our vision, but that’s what the Nikon Small World in Motion competition is all about. This is the 14th year of the competition, where past winners revealed extraordinary insights into things like the stomach contents of a termite, human cells fusing and dying during … Read more

What killed and ate a really big shark? An even bigger shark, scientists say

What killed and ate a really big shark? An even bigger shark, scientists say

As It Happens6:05What killed and ate a really big shark? An even bigger shark, scientists say When marine biologist James A. Sulikowski started monitoring the migration and mating habits of porbeagle sharks, he didn’t expect he would end up investigating a murder mystery. But when Penelope, a 2.4-metre-long porbeagle, dropped off his research team’s radar, … Read more

Russian ‘spy whale’ Hvaldimir found dead near Norway

Russian ‘spy whale’ Hvaldimir found dead near Norway

A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization that had been monitoring the whale. The body of Hvaldimir — a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin — was spotted floating in the … Read more

This sea creature turns into a baby when it’s stressed out — but is it reverse aging?

This sea creature turns into a baby when it’s stressed out — but is it reverse aging?

An invasive sea creature with a disappearing anus and a penchant for cannabalizing its own young may have yet another trick up its sleeve.  When life is going badly for the sea walnut, it will shrink and take on the shape of its larval form, and stay that way until things are looking up again, according … Read more

Sturgeon endure in Alberta, but the future of these river ‘monsters’ is now uncertain

Sturgeon endure in Alberta, but the future of these river ‘monsters’ is now uncertain

They lurk in the murky depths of some of Alberta’s biggest rivers, living fossils from when giant lizards strode the earth. But a prominent fisheries biologist fears the province’s lake sturgeon may finally share the fate of the dinosaurs because of growing pressure on water resources. “The more you shrink the area in which a … Read more

More young people flocking to birding as their hobby of choice

More young people flocking to birding as their hobby of choice

A new generation of birders is embracing the hobby and making it their own. Birding,  bird watching, is the observation of birds in nature. Many participants also capture photographs or sound recordings of their sightings, and keep track of the species they’ve seen throughout their lives. In Sudbury, Ont., a Facebook group is providing a … Read more

Grolar bear hybrids in N.W.T. all traced back to same ‘strange’ female polar bear

Grolar bear hybrids in N.W.T. all traced back to same ‘strange’ female polar bear

A family of polar and grizzly bear hybrids, or grolars, in Canada’s western Arctic — which all started with a “pretty strange” female polar bear — is “quite rare,” according to a new study.  The research paper, published last week in the journal Conservation Genetics Resources, used a new tool to look at samples from … Read more

Elephants may have names for each other that humans don’t know, study finds

Elephants may have names for each other that humans don’t know, study finds

As It Happens6:38Elephants may have names for each other that humans can’t understand Elephants appear to know their own names, according to a new study. Not the nicknames we humans sometimes give them, but their own, unique elephant names, which they use to call to each other. The findings, published this week in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, … Read more

Speed limits, fishery rules aim to protect southern killer whales

Speed limits, fishery rules aim to protect southern killer whales

The federal government has announced salmon fishery closures and mandatory speed limits in areas where southern resident killer whales forage and travel in the ongoing effort to protect the endangered species. A statement from Transport Canada says the measures off Vancouver Island are aimed at protecting the whales from noise, contaminants and improving their access to prey. … Read more