Aroma Pets

One-eyed cat found in container on North Sea oil rig helicoptered back to mainland

Reference: Independent: Matt Mathers 

Rare iguanas develop a sweet tooth from 'ecotourists' feeding them grapes

Iguanas in the Bahamas are getting a sweet tooth because of grapes fed to them 'ecotourists'

Scientists say the sweet snacks are raising the rock iguanas' blood sugar and they don't yet know the consequences this could have for this endangered species.

Every day, dozens of speedboats land on the white sandy beaches of the Exumas Islands. The visitors attract the Cyclura cychlura or Northern Bahamian rock iguanas, which rush to the boats with the expectation of being fed grapes from the end of skewers.

These reptiles are classified, depending on the subspecies, from "vulnerable to "endangered".

A team of American researchers has studied the effect of this repeated and unnatural feeding on the animals' metabolism. They compared the blood glucose levels of iguanas with those of animals from the same species living in nearby islets where the rocky landscape prevents tourists from visiting.

The results of their research on four populations of iguanas (two fed with grapes, two fed with natural food) are clear. There were "significant effects" on iguanas fed by the ecotourists - including much higher blood glucose levels.

To ensure that the grapes really the cause of the high blood sugar levels, they replicated the experiment in the laboratory on common green iguanas, a non-protected species. The results were identical.

Provided by Euronews A northern Bahamian rock iguanas standing on a cay of the southern Exuma Islands. ERIN LEWIS / THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS / AFP

Are the grapes impacting the iguanas' health?

The researchers themselves admit they don't know if this change in metabolism is inherently bad for the lizards' health. But "we could call it diabetes if they were humans or mice," Susannah French, lead author of the study, told AFP.

And the researchers have already noted physiological effects, particularly on the animals' poo. When the iguanas eat their natural diet of plants, it is shaped like a "Cuban cigar, a bunch of rolled-up leaves." But it becomes much more liquid when they eat the fruit provided by visitors to the islands.

A previous study had already shown that iguanas living on beaches where they are fed are larger, heavier and grow faster than their counterparts not exposed to tourists.

The researchers insist that their study is not a condemnation of tourism. They want to work with tour operators in the Bahamas to "find a more sustainable plan," says Charles Knapp, another of the study's authors. Among the potential solutions, they suggest the islands could regulate the number of visitors or "use of another type of food". 

Reference: EuroNews: 

Brandon Specktorargest crown jellyfish ever discovered is a blood red, saucer-like weirdo

Scientists have discovered a new species of crown jellyfish that looks like a scarlet alien saucer in the sunless "midnight zone" of California's Monterey Bay.

The newly described species, Atolla reynoldsi, measures about 5 inches (13 centimeters) in diameter and can have anywhere from 26 to 39 tentacles, researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) said in a statement. Like the 10 other known species of the Atolla genus, A. reynoldsi sports a deep groove running around its central bell, giving its body the appearance of a domed head wearing a frilly red crown.

Though it's not much wider than a dollar bill, A. reynoldsi seems to be the largest of the known species of Atolla jellies, the researchers said. However, what really sets this jelly apart from its cousins is what's missing; unlike all other currently known species of crown jellyfish, A. reynoldsi lacks a single elongate tentacle — one long, thin tentacle that trails behind its body, measuring up to six times the diameter of the jelly's bell.

According to the researchers, a crown jelly uses this extended appendage to help snag prey, which can include crustaceans, siphonophores (rope-like gelatinous animals) and other small creatures that pass through the ocean's midnight zone — the deep, sunless region of the ocean that extends from 3,300 to 13,100 feet (1,000 to 4,000 m) below the water's surface.

While analyzing thousands of hours of footage taken in the Monterey Bay's midnight zone between April 2006 and June 2021, MBARI researchers occasionally spotted crown jellies that lacked the signature trailing tentacle. The team suspected that they had discovered three new crown jelly species in the Bay, but sightings were too rare to prove it.

Now, in a new study published March 16 in the journal Animals, the researchers have conclusively identified one of the unknown jellies as the new species A. reynoldsi. The team studied 10 specimens of the mysterious crown jelly, including both physical specimens and sightings from archival footage, to conclude that the species is "molecularly and morphologically distinct" from all other known species in the genus — that is, it looks different both physically and genetically from its cousins.

A. reynoldsi has so far only been spotted in the Monterey Bay, swimming at depths of 3,323 to 10,463 feet (1,013 to 3,189 m).

"These remarkable new jellies underscore how much we still have to learn about the deep sea," lead study author George Matsumoto, a senior education and research specialist at MBARI, said in the statement. "On just about every dive into the depths of Monterey Bay, we learn something new."

MBARI researchers have identified more than 225 new species over the past 34 years, according to the institute. The two other crown jelly species observed without trailing tentacles may well end up being classified as new Atolla species in the future, the researchers added — however, more observations are still required. 

Reference: Live Science: Brandon Specktor

Livingston vets solve dog's mysterious case of swollen tongue and jaw

Four-year-old Sprocker Lola has made a full recovery, after being treated at Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS).

Four-year-old Sprocker, Lola, was treated at Veterinary Specialists Scotland in Livingston after suf...

She was referred for emergency care at the Livingston practice, as she was unable to move her mouth properly due to the swelling.

At first, the cause of the problem was unknown, but the vets soon cracked the case using a CT scan.

The scan revealed that two pieces of stick were embedded inside Lola’s tongue.

While the swelling made it difficult to put the pup under anaesthetic, Dr Sam Woods, clinical director at VSS, managed to put Lola under and remove the stick.

Lola returned home a couple days after the surgery and has recovered well.

Grateful owner Daniel Mainland, from Glasgow, was delighted to welcome back his beloved pet.

He said: “My first reaction was disbelief at what was happening and obviously I was extremely concerned as it was an emergency situation.

“When I was told they’d found a foreign object in Lola’s tongue I was amazed and couldn’t imagine how or when it had happened.

“Lola loves tennis balls so we can only imagine that maybe she has opened her mouth to pick up a ball and the sticks have gone in then.

“The vets at VSS were really good and kept us fully informed at every step of Lola’s treatment and progress.

“I’d definitely recommend them to other dog owners. We wanted the best for Lola and that’s exactly what we were given and we’re very thankful.”