Plant and animal tagging methods encompass a range of techniques used to individually mark organisms for identification, tracking, and data collection in ecological and behavioral research. Approaches include physical tags (e.g., ear tags, leg bands, collars, PIT/ RFID tags, satellite or GPS transmitters), chemical or molecular markers (e.g., stable isotopes, genetic tags), and minimally invasive plant markers (e.g., coded tags on stems or branches). Method selection is constrained by species biology, tag retention, effects on fitness and behavior, environmental conditions, and data-resolution requirements, and is typically accompanied by rigorous ethical, welfare, and permitting considerations in wildlife and conservation studies.
Scientists from UNSW Sydney have confirmed a reintroduced platypus population in Royal National Park has now grown to 20 known individuals, following the release of four additional animals and a new round of surveys across ...
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2026
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12
Colorado State University Professor George Wittemyer and his research team reunited a 4-month-old elephant calf with her family after she wandered into a tourist camp alone. The orphaned elephant calf was disoriented from ...
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2026
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3335
A new study has revealed that saltwater crocodiles born or raised in captivity may not return to their breeding centers after being released into the wild, a discovery that can help inform conservation and management practices.
Plants & Animals
May 8, 2026
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660
In recent years, using drones for wildlife research has proven to be a valuable tool in collecting data for population surveys, observing behavior and measuring animals' physical dimensions. A new study led by Murdoch University ...
Ecology
Apr 30, 2026
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8
A study by researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry indicates that if lichen continues to decline across the Arctic, caribou populations could struggle to survive the winter.
Plants & Animals
Apr 8, 2026
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9
Penguins living along the Patagonian coast of Argentina can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the ...
Environment
Apr 8, 2026
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21
Recent data showing an increase in lead exposure and deaths among critically endangered California condors seems to fly in the face of decades of conservation measures, including bans on lead bullets and public-education ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 18, 2026
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20
When a wolf pack runs down its prey, the first on the scene is often the raven. Even before the predators have had time to dig in, the ravens are already in line, waiting to take advantage of the odd scrap of meat that becomes ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 12, 2026
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51
Every morning, people fasten their watch, slip on a bracelet and head out the door without thinking much about what they might encounter along the way. The air they breathe, the dust on their hands and the surfaces they touch ...
Environment
Mar 9, 2026
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15
February 2026 has seen thousands of dead seabirds washing up along the coastlines of the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. There's evidence that these "wrecks" (where large numbers of seabirds are found along beaches) are becoming ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 2, 2026
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