Carnivores, in the context of the biological order Carnivora, comprise a diverse clade of mostly mammalian predators characterized by specialized dentition, particularly enlarged canines and carnassial teeth adapted for shearing flesh. Members of Carnivora include families such as Felidae, Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, and others, exhibiting a wide range of dietary strategies from obligate carnivory to omnivory. They share morphological and physiological traits such as a generally well-developed sense of smell, often acute vision and hearing, and cranial and limb adaptations for hunting, scavenging, or opportunistic feeding, making the order ecologically pivotal as apex and mesopredators in many terrestrial and some aquatic ecosystems.
The lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza is rapidly spreading along the coast of southern Australia, where it has killed thousands of wild birds and infected at least two long-nosed fur seals.
Ecology
Aug 31, 2026
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In 2020, Mexico joined 150 nations committing to protect 30% of its territory by 2030 as part of the global 30x30 initiative. More than halfway through the decade, there is ongoing debate about how to effectively expand protected ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 28, 2026
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The confirmation of Australia's first mainland death of a mammal from bird flu last week highlights New Zealand's challenge in managing the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.
Veterinary medicine
Aug 28, 2026
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H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a dead dolphin in South Australia, state officials said Friday, the first case of its kind in the country.
Ecology
Aug 28, 2026
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The deadly rabies virus was once common across Europe. A bite from an infected dog, wolf or fox could be fatal.
Plants & Animals
Aug 27, 2026
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Blinking keeps eyes moist, sweeps away bits of dirt and dust, and helps the brain rest when processing visual information. But in dogs, it may also serve another function as a subtle social signal. That was one of the conclusions ...
When news broke over the weekend that Australia's first mainland case of bird flu in a mammal—the death of a long-nosed fur seal—had been detected, I felt deep sadness and dread for what's likely to come next. We should expect ...
Veterinary medicine
Aug 24, 2026
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New research from Virginia Tech scientists in the College of Natural Resources and Environment provides fresh insight into how environmental conditions influence black bear hibernation, with implications for wildlife management ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 21, 2026
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Many animals obtain information about others from scent marks left in the environment, including urine. Because these marks remain after the sender has left, they allow animals to communicate across space and time. But odor ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Aug 19, 2026
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34
Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm, an insect that has crossed the ...
Veterinary medicine
Aug 19, 2026
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