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

Invasive peach blossom jellyfish spreading through B.C. waterways

Invasive peach blossom jellyfish spreading through B.C. waterways

Some time more than 30 years ago, a single Chinese peach blossom jellyfish made its way into a lake in British Columbia. Exactly how it arrived is not clear, researchers say — perhaps it was in aquarium water — but decades later, thousands of genetic clones of the same organism have been spotted in 34 waterways around the province. … Read more

Invasive zombie plant takes hold in St. John River

Invasive zombie plant takes hold in St. John River

When aquatic botanist Meghann Bruce found an invasive species nicknamed zombie plant in the St. John River in 2015, she only found it in one spot.  She actually stumbled upon Eurasian watermilfoil while doing a botanical survey of the river for another project.  As part of that study, she explored 171 sites between the Mactaquac Dam … 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

Scientists researching wasps that may protect B.C. berries

Scientists researching wasps that may protect B.C. berries

Every year, invasive insects gnaw away at Canadian farms, gardens and wild plants, spreading disease and disturbing ecosystems.  But tiny wasps that lay body-bursting eggs in invasive insects may be able to help B.C. berry growers protect their crops. “It’s like a free service nature is providing us to help control crop pests,” said Paul Abram, an … Read more

Check out the elephants at risk of extinction, and the wild cats that are bouncing back

Check out the elephants at risk of extinction, and the wild cats that are bouncing back

Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction — 1,000 more than last year — according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion. The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its latest Red List of Threatened Species on … Read more

Giant hornets are here — but they’re not the ones you might think

Giant hornets are here — but they’re not the ones you might think

Christine Moses was playing Scrabble with her husband in their Ottawa home this spring when she looked outside the window and shrieked. “I just saw this gigantic beast crawling up the window,” Moses said. After taking a picture of the giant insect, Moses asked her husband to eliminate the intruder with a fly swatter. She then posted … Read more

Wild ‘superpigs’ from Canada could soon invade some U.S. states, study suggests

Wild ‘superpigs’ from Canada could soon invade some U.S. states, study suggests

Quirks and Quarks8:37This little piggy escaped and wreaked havoc on crops and the environment Invasive wild pigs in Canada are on the move and could soon spread southward to several northern United States, according to a new study. Wild pigs are already a widespread issue in the southern U.S., with an estimated six million pigs in at least 35 … Read more