Lesser kestrels in Italy have formed a 'truce' with their jackdaw neighbours to save energy, a study has revealed.
Researchers found that birds nesting in a mixed colony patrolled for predators less often than those living in single species sites.
The unlikely co-operation happened despite the birds' conflicting diets as jackdaws can prey on kestrel eggs.
Scientists suggest this could have important implications for the future of the birds of prey.
Up to 20,000 pairs of lesser kestrels are currently thought to exist in Europe and North Africa.
According to BirdLife International, a partnership of conservation organisations, the species suffered rapid declines after the 1950s but they have been recovering in the last three generations.
The sociable raptors roost together in trees and abandoned buildings, preying on small mammals and sometimes other birds.
Mixed roosts
Scientists from the University of Palermo, Italy and the University of Manitoba, Canada noticed the seemingly unusual mixed roosts of kestrels and jackdaws in rural buildings surrounded by cereal crops.
"Jackdaws are opportunist foragers and as such they may be potential predators of kestrel eggs," explained Daniela Campobello whose study, conducted with colleagues Maurizio Sara and James F Hare, was published in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
"The fact that lesser kestrels tolerated them as 'neighbours' triggered us to suspect that it must have been some kind of advantage."
By observing the birds and recording their calling behaviour in response to predator threats, the researchers discovered that both species benefited from the mixed 'neighbourhood'.
By Ella Davies
Reporter, BBC Nature
Read more here ...
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Ancient Whale Taken Down by Shark, Tooth Marks Reveal
The sharp eyes of an Italian stonecutter were the first to spy a new ancient species of whale 40 million years after it was first encased in stone.
The fossil, of a new ancient whale species called Aegyptocetus tarfa, was found in a block of limestone headed to decorate an Italian building. The stonecutter realized after slicing through the stone block that he was looking at the cross section of a fossilized skull, and he contacted Giovanni Bianucci, a researcher at the University of Pisa, to help identify it.
The whale belongs to a group of whales ancestral to all of today's modern whales, including the toothed whales, like the dolphin, and baleen whales, like the blue whale.
The remains also show the scars of a shark attack, which may have led to the beast's demise.
Read more ...
The fossil, of a new ancient whale species called Aegyptocetus tarfa, was found in a block of limestone headed to decorate an Italian building. The stonecutter realized after slicing through the stone block that he was looking at the cross section of a fossilized skull, and he contacted Giovanni Bianucci, a researcher at the University of Pisa, to help identify it.
The whale belongs to a group of whales ancestral to all of today's modern whales, including the toothed whales, like the dolphin, and baleen whales, like the blue whale.
The remains also show the scars of a shark attack, which may have led to the beast's demise.
Read more ...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Italy: More on the black panther
Tuscany Trembling over Big Cat
Phantom Panther Gives Italians Paws for Thought
Hans-Jürgen Schlamp in Massa Marittima, Italy
08/17/2011
A large black cat believed to be a panther is stalking the fields and forests of southern Tuscany, striking fear into residents and holidaymakers. Hunters have angered animal rights campaigners by offering to kill it, but the debate is academic -- "Bagheera" is running rings around its pursuers.
The blissfully peaceful rhythm of life in the olive groves and forests of southern Tuscany has been rudely disrupted this month by repeated sightings of a large black beast around the medieval Tuscan village of Prata, a few kilometers from the tourist center of Massa Marittima.
"Until now, we looked out for vipers on the ground when we walked around outside," said Antonella Boddi, a local farmer. "These days we're looking up first, into the trees." That's where the animal -- believed to be a panther -- might be lurking.
Dozens of police, forestry workers and wildlife experts have descended on this beautiful, sparsely populated region to track down the elusive predator. They have attached warning notices to trees instructing people how to behave if they encounter it. Officials decided last week that it should be caught alive. But no one knows how to do that.
It's unclear who saw the panther first. In early August, Riccardo Pini, who owns a holiday home nearby, told people in the village that he had seen a large black cat twice in five days and that it was "quite obviously a black panther." He said he saw it clearly and for a long time. Pini runs a business near Florence. He bought his summer retreat here back in 1974.
He had been planning to retire here in a few years, but he's no longer quite so sure about that. Pini refuses to set foot in Prata. The villagers accused him of lying. Some said he just wanted the planned village festival to be cancelled. Others claimed he wanted to keep mushroom gatherers out of the woods so that he could keep more for himself. Pini, furious at the accusations, says he'll keep quiet in future, "even if I see a herd of elephants."
But then, Bruno Sani, the father of a member of parliament no less, reported that he was missing two sheep, two goats and two piglets. Droppings and paw prints indicated that a large cat was the culprit. Further panther spotters came forward. The authorities took over the case. And shortly afterwards, two forestry workers saw and photographed the predator.
'This Moment Seemed Endless'They said the beast had been lying in a meadow, looking quite relaxed. When they took a few steps towards it, the animal stood up and looked at them. "This moment seemed endless," the brave duo told a reporter from the local newspaper, Corriere di Maremma.
Further "moments of panic and indecision" followed before the sinister beast finally turned away and slowly padded off into the forest. The photo shows a black blotch whose outlines resemble an animal. But the men have "no doubt that it was a panther."
Since then, local papers have been carrying daily stories about the hunt for "Bagheera," named after the friendly panther from Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." The locals find the beast a tad less cuddly, however. They're afraid. Most of the buildings have no fences, and terraces and gardens open out onto meadows, bushes and woods. Evening life takes place outdoors around here. At least, it used to.
Authorities have mounted a show of force, to impress the locals. One vehicle, sometimes two, stands parked on the only hard-top road leading into the wooded hills south of Prata, to remind locals to take care and to keep strangers out. The officers don't tend to venture out of the cars. And when it gets dark, they drive home. No patrols have been sighted on the narrow, dark forest paths leading to the farms or holiday homes, not even in daylight.
Daring PursuersSometimes a daring armed squad equipped with strong lamps on the roof of their vehicle drives up to houses along the street and reminds residents to remain in their homes and to keep their pets indoors. And to call them, or better still the local vet, if the beast makes an appearance. The vet has a tranquilizer gun -- but it usually takes him two hours to arrive. People have also been told to give the cage traps that have been set up a wide berth, because it may scare off the cat.
But still the panther remains at large. He or she has an abundance of deer, wild boar, rabbits and other fresh livestock at his or her disposal in the wild. And there is no shortage of sheep in the fields.
And if the cat was ever tempted to sniff around the cages, it would probably change its mind because forestry workers and police officers tend to whistle, shout and bang the bars with metal rods whenever they exchange the bait -- to make themselves feel a little safer while they're going about their dangerous work.
Automatic cameras have been positioned along narrow paths to find out what routes the animal takes. Panthers, experts say, wander up to 10 kilometers a night. Which presumably renders a photo from the previous night pretty useless.
What is to be done? Hunters say the dangerous animal should be driven out of the forest by beaters, and killed. Farmers say "give us guns, we'll take care of it." But animal welfare groups are up in arms at the suggestion, and have reminded the people of Prata that panthers are a protected species. They won't even accept putting out live bait such as chickens or rabbits.
Memories of BrunoThe controversy echoes the tale of Bruno the brown bear who wandered into Germany from Austria and eluded hunters for weeks, gorging himself on live sheep and honey, until he was shot dead, to the dismay of his many fans.
The police would rather just leave. After all, the chances of catching the cat seem pretty remote.
A vague hope remains: that Bagheera's former owner might return to pick up his pet. Police have made enquiries with every circus and every zoo for miles around to see if anyone is missing a panther. No one is. Officials assume that some rich show-off had a panther cub and got rid of it when it grew too big. Experts say that if the owner came back, the beast might just hop back in its cage.
The former owner may be pretty stupid. But he's unlikely to be so stupid to show his face round here to be greeted by police and a hefty fine.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,780798,00.html
Phantom Panther Gives Italians Paws for Thought
Hans-Jürgen Schlamp in Massa Marittima, Italy
08/17/2011
A large black cat believed to be a panther is stalking the fields and forests of southern Tuscany, striking fear into residents and holidaymakers. Hunters have angered animal rights campaigners by offering to kill it, but the debate is academic -- "Bagheera" is running rings around its pursuers.
The blissfully peaceful rhythm of life in the olive groves and forests of southern Tuscany has been rudely disrupted this month by repeated sightings of a large black beast around the medieval Tuscan village of Prata, a few kilometers from the tourist center of Massa Marittima.
"Until now, we looked out for vipers on the ground when we walked around outside," said Antonella Boddi, a local farmer. "These days we're looking up first, into the trees." That's where the animal -- believed to be a panther -- might be lurking.
Dozens of police, forestry workers and wildlife experts have descended on this beautiful, sparsely populated region to track down the elusive predator. They have attached warning notices to trees instructing people how to behave if they encounter it. Officials decided last week that it should be caught alive. But no one knows how to do that.
It's unclear who saw the panther first. In early August, Riccardo Pini, who owns a holiday home nearby, told people in the village that he had seen a large black cat twice in five days and that it was "quite obviously a black panther." He said he saw it clearly and for a long time. Pini runs a business near Florence. He bought his summer retreat here back in 1974.
He had been planning to retire here in a few years, but he's no longer quite so sure about that. Pini refuses to set foot in Prata. The villagers accused him of lying. Some said he just wanted the planned village festival to be cancelled. Others claimed he wanted to keep mushroom gatherers out of the woods so that he could keep more for himself. Pini, furious at the accusations, says he'll keep quiet in future, "even if I see a herd of elephants."
But then, Bruno Sani, the father of a member of parliament no less, reported that he was missing two sheep, two goats and two piglets. Droppings and paw prints indicated that a large cat was the culprit. Further panther spotters came forward. The authorities took over the case. And shortly afterwards, two forestry workers saw and photographed the predator.
'This Moment Seemed Endless'They said the beast had been lying in a meadow, looking quite relaxed. When they took a few steps towards it, the animal stood up and looked at them. "This moment seemed endless," the brave duo told a reporter from the local newspaper, Corriere di Maremma.
Further "moments of panic and indecision" followed before the sinister beast finally turned away and slowly padded off into the forest. The photo shows a black blotch whose outlines resemble an animal. But the men have "no doubt that it was a panther."
Since then, local papers have been carrying daily stories about the hunt for "Bagheera," named after the friendly panther from Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." The locals find the beast a tad less cuddly, however. They're afraid. Most of the buildings have no fences, and terraces and gardens open out onto meadows, bushes and woods. Evening life takes place outdoors around here. At least, it used to.
Authorities have mounted a show of force, to impress the locals. One vehicle, sometimes two, stands parked on the only hard-top road leading into the wooded hills south of Prata, to remind locals to take care and to keep strangers out. The officers don't tend to venture out of the cars. And when it gets dark, they drive home. No patrols have been sighted on the narrow, dark forest paths leading to the farms or holiday homes, not even in daylight.
Daring PursuersSometimes a daring armed squad equipped with strong lamps on the roof of their vehicle drives up to houses along the street and reminds residents to remain in their homes and to keep their pets indoors. And to call them, or better still the local vet, if the beast makes an appearance. The vet has a tranquilizer gun -- but it usually takes him two hours to arrive. People have also been told to give the cage traps that have been set up a wide berth, because it may scare off the cat.
But still the panther remains at large. He or she has an abundance of deer, wild boar, rabbits and other fresh livestock at his or her disposal in the wild. And there is no shortage of sheep in the fields.
And if the cat was ever tempted to sniff around the cages, it would probably change its mind because forestry workers and police officers tend to whistle, shout and bang the bars with metal rods whenever they exchange the bait -- to make themselves feel a little safer while they're going about their dangerous work.
Automatic cameras have been positioned along narrow paths to find out what routes the animal takes. Panthers, experts say, wander up to 10 kilometers a night. Which presumably renders a photo from the previous night pretty useless.
What is to be done? Hunters say the dangerous animal should be driven out of the forest by beaters, and killed. Farmers say "give us guns, we'll take care of it." But animal welfare groups are up in arms at the suggestion, and have reminded the people of Prata that panthers are a protected species. They won't even accept putting out live bait such as chickens or rabbits.
Memories of BrunoThe controversy echoes the tale of Bruno the brown bear who wandered into Germany from Austria and eluded hunters for weeks, gorging himself on live sheep and honey, until he was shot dead, to the dismay of his many fans.
The police would rather just leave. After all, the chances of catching the cat seem pretty remote.
A vague hope remains: that Bagheera's former owner might return to pick up his pet. Police have made enquiries with every circus and every zoo for miles around to see if anyone is missing a panther. No one is. Officials assume that some rich show-off had a panther cub and got rid of it when it grew too big. Experts say that if the owner came back, the beast might just hop back in its cage.
The former owner may be pretty stupid. But he's unlikely to be so stupid to show his face round here to be greeted by police and a hefty fine.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,780798,00.html
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Italy: Panther sighting (via Chad Arment)
Massa Marittima, Italy - Italian wildlife wardens were on Monday scouring the Tuscan countryside near Massa Marittima for a panther spotted in the area over the weekend.
Reported sightings by locals of the big cat were initially dismissed by officials, until Sunday when a patrol of the state forestry corps came upon the animal while it was sleeping in a shaded hillside embankment.
'I estimate (the panther) to be around 1.3 metres in length and to weigh around 70 kilograms. It is certainly young and healthy and appears to be well-fed,' said Salvatore Foti, one of the forestry guards.
The panther roused by the movement of the guards - one of whom managed to snap a blurry photograph - disappeared into the thick vegetation nearby.
Officials later advised residents in Prata, a small settlement on the outskirts of Massa Marittima, to stay indoors.
Wardens intend to sedate the panther and take it to a nearby animal centre.
Experts believe the animal may have been smuggled into Italy as a cub and then abandoned.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1655632.php/Search-is-on-for-Tuscan-panther
Reported sightings by locals of the big cat were initially dismissed by officials, until Sunday when a patrol of the state forestry corps came upon the animal while it was sleeping in a shaded hillside embankment.
'I estimate (the panther) to be around 1.3 metres in length and to weigh around 70 kilograms. It is certainly young and healthy and appears to be well-fed,' said Salvatore Foti, one of the forestry guards.
The panther roused by the movement of the guards - one of whom managed to snap a blurry photograph - disappeared into the thick vegetation nearby.
Officials later advised residents in Prata, a small settlement on the outskirts of Massa Marittima, to stay indoors.
Wardens intend to sedate the panther and take it to a nearby animal centre.
Experts believe the animal may have been smuggled into Italy as a cub and then abandoned.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1655632.php/Search-is-on-for-Tuscan-panther
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Lifedogs trained to rescue swimmers in Italy
August 24, 2010 5:00 PM
They many not look quite like Pamela Anderson in a red swimsuit, but dogs are being trained to work as lifeguards on Italian beaches.
Dozens of the pooches are currently undergoing training which will see them taught how to jump from helicopters or boats and save stranded swimmers.
In total the Italian Coast Guard uses 300 lifedogs - mostly golden retrievers and labradors - which each work with a human lifeguard.
Bosses say the dogs are great for taking inflatable rubber rings to swimmers who are in distress and act as an "intelligent lifebuoy".
The dogs are credited with saving the lives of some of the 3,000 people rescued each year -- not bad considering they can only swim doggie paddle.
http://newslite.tv/2010/08/24/lifedogs-trained-to-rescue-swi.html
They many not look quite like Pamela Anderson in a red swimsuit, but dogs are being trained to work as lifeguards on Italian beaches.
Dozens of the pooches are currently undergoing training which will see them taught how to jump from helicopters or boats and save stranded swimmers.
In total the Italian Coast Guard uses 300 lifedogs - mostly golden retrievers and labradors - which each work with a human lifeguard.
Bosses say the dogs are great for taking inflatable rubber rings to swimmers who are in distress and act as an "intelligent lifebuoy".
The dogs are credited with saving the lives of some of the 3,000 people rescued each year -- not bad considering they can only swim doggie paddle.
http://newslite.tv/2010/08/24/lifedogs-trained-to-rescue-swi.html
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
No lions, but maybe a tiger -- oh my! (via Chad Arment)
FLORENCE, Italy, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A tiger hunt is on in the hills surrounding Florence, Italy, after police determined multiple sightings of a big cat were credible.
Police, forest rangers, dog teams and helicopters combed the forests while traps with wild boar meat were set along trails the animal was likely to take, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Wednesday. Officials say they're confident they can lure the animal out of hiding.
Police dubbed their prey "Kabir," the name of an Indian actor who played Sandokan, a pirate and jungle adventurer introduced to the literary world in the late 19th century by Italian author Emilio Salgari.
"The sightings are credible," a police spokesman said.
Skeptics say no zoo or circus has reported a tiger going AWOL.
No one has reported any livestock or indigenous animal deaths by an animal resembling a tiger, police said.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/08/18/No-lions-but-maybe-a-tiger-oh-my/UPI-85661282150523/
Police, forest rangers, dog teams and helicopters combed the forests while traps with wild boar meat were set along trails the animal was likely to take, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Wednesday. Officials say they're confident they can lure the animal out of hiding.
Police dubbed their prey "Kabir," the name of an Indian actor who played Sandokan, a pirate and jungle adventurer introduced to the literary world in the late 19th century by Italian author Emilio Salgari.
"The sightings are credible," a police spokesman said.
Skeptics say no zoo or circus has reported a tiger going AWOL.
No one has reported any livestock or indigenous animal deaths by an animal resembling a tiger, police said.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/08/18/No-lions-but-maybe-a-tiger-oh-my/UPI-85661282150523/
Monday, March 9, 2009
Vampire discovered in Mass Grave
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126985.200-vampire-discovered-
in-mass-grave.html
'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
* Updated 16:07 06 March 2009
* Magazine issue 2698. S
A SKELETON exhumed from a grav
e in Venice is being claimed as the first known example of the "vampires" widely referred to in contemporary documents.
Matteo Borrini of the University of Florence in Italy found the skeleton of a woman with a small brick in her mouth (see left) while excavating mass graves of plague victims from the Middle Ages on Lazzaretto Nuovo Island in Venice (see second image below).
At the time the woman died, many people believed that the plague was spread by "vampires" which, rather than drinking people's blood, spread disease by chewing on their shrouds after dying.
in-mass-grave.html
'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
* Updated 16:07 06 March 2009
* Magazine issue 2698. S
A SKELETON exhumed from a grav
e in Venice is being claimed as the first known example of the "vampires" widely referred to in contemporary documents.Matteo Borrini of the University of Florence in Italy found the skeleton of a woman with a small brick in her mouth (see left) while excavating mass graves of plague victims from the Middle Ages on Lazzaretto Nuovo Island in Venice (see second image below).
At the time the woman died, many people believed that the plague was spread by "vampires" which, rather than drinking people's blood, spread disease by chewing on their shrouds after dying.
Grave-diggers put bricks in the mouths of suspected vampires to stop them doing this, Borrini says.
The belief in vampires probably arose because blood is sometimes expelled from the mouths of the dead, causing the shroud to sink inwards and tear. Borrini, who presented his findings at a meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Denver, Colorado, last week, claims this might be the first such vampire to have been forensically examined. The skeleton was removed from a mass grave ofvictims of the Venetian plague of 1576.
However, Peer Moore-Jansen of Wichita State University in Kansas says he has found similar skeletons in Poland and that while Borrini's finding is exciting, "claiming it as the first vampire is a little ridiculous". Borrini says his study details the earliest grave to show archaeological "exorcism evidence against vampires".
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