Fear as an ecosystem engineer

Here is a link to a fascinating article by Cristina Eisenberg, conservation biologist at Oregon State University.

Fear as an ecosystem engineer

Eisenberg writes about "whether the vigilance of ungulates—such as elk, deer and other hooved animals— varies based on wolf population dynamics or other environmental factors that can influence predation risk."

Artist of the Week: Angela Cater

I'm going to take an opportunity from time to time to showcase artists who either specialize in wolf or cat art, or who are just cool artists who happen to make wolves or cats, among other things.

Today I want to direct your attention to artist Angela Cater of Manchester, England. Angela has created the most wonderful felines, and her Portrait of a Tigress recently won FanArtReview's "Art in Nature" competition.

Please visit Angela's site and admire her beautiful art! If you find that you just have to have some of it for yourself, I'm sure she will be happy to help you!

Snow Leopard KITTENS!

Snow Leopard KITTENS!

The Bronx Zoo Tiger Cubs' First Blizzard

Really, Nikon?

Nikon Cameras sponsors Coyote kill weeks in Upstate NY providing prizes for those culling the most songdogs....................

photo by Scotti Cohn

This is distressing to me on many levels. For one thing, my understanding is that predator killing does not limit coyote populations in the long term and can actually grow those populations. And what (or who) are we "saving the deer" for in this case? So that hunters can kill them for sport? Nice. Whatever.

Sunda Clouded Leopard

I just came across a fascinating article by Charles Q. Choi in the Christian Science Monitor:

That new species of big cat? Turns out it's actually two new species

"... the newest species of big cat known to science, the mysterious Sunda clouded leopard, actually comes in two different types. . . .These big cats apparently owe their origins to cataclysmic super-volcano eruptions and rising sea levels, researchers found."