animal news blog – Page 2

非法走私特有鬣蜥

February 4, 2026

斯里蘭卡棲息着 22 種鬣蜥，其中 19 種為特有種。由於棲息地喪失、氣候變遷以及非法野生動物貿易，牠們的數量正面臨威脅。這些鬣蜥主要分布於濕區的森林與山脈。近期一項研究指出，牠們最重要的棲息地中有超過 40% 仍未受到保護。許多分布範圍狹窄的鬣蜥正被走私出境，並在網絡市場上以高價販售，例如極度瀕危的那科勒斯卷尾蜥（Cophotis dumbara）和瀕危的斯里蘭卡卷尾蜥（Cophotis ceylanica）。

Sri Lanka is home to 22 species of agamid lizards, 19 of which are endemic. They are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to habitat loss, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade. These agamid lizards mainly inhabit wet zone forests and mountain ranges, and a recent study found that more than 40% of their most critical habitats remain unprotected. Many range‑restricted species, such as the critically endangered Dumbara agama (Cophotis dumbara) and the endangered Ceylon deaf agama (Cophotis ceylanica), are being smuggled out of the country and sold at high prices on online markets.

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/habitat-destruction-illegal-trade-threaten-sri-lankas-endangered-agamid-lizards/

大象闖農田為自療

January 16, 2026

加彭一項研究發現，非洲森林象闖入當地農田並非為了覓食，而是為了尋找藥用植物。這些大象的糞便樣本顯示，牠們腸道內有寄生蟲，並試圖食用含有藥用成分的植物，例如農田裡的香蕉莖和木瓜葉。為了減少人類與大象的衝突，保育工作者希望能找到方法為大象提供如礦物鹽等替代物，減少大象破壞農作物的機會。

A study in Gabon suggests that African forest elephants raid local farms not for food, but to seek out medicinal plants. Analysis of their dung shows they are suffering from gut parasites and may be trying to consume plants with healing properties, such as banana stems and papaya leaves found in farmland. To reduce human–elephant conflict, conservationists hope to provide alternative medicinal resources, such as mineral salts, so the elephants are less likely to damage farmers’ crops.

https://www.biographic.com/pachyderm-pharmacies/

暖化導致性別比例失衡

January 12, 2026

許多龜類、鱷魚、喙頭蜥及其他爬行動物在產卵後，其後代的性別會由孵化溫度決定。隨著全球氣溫上升，一些物種正面臨愈加嚴重的性別比例失衡，甚至可能出現整代個體皆為單一性別的情況。有些物種試圖透過提前築巢或選擇不同的棲地來適應，但也有物種因繁殖性別失衡而面臨滅絕風險。

Many turtles, crocodilians, tuatara, and other reptiles rely on temperature‑based sex determination. As global temperatures rise, some species face increasingly skewed sex ratios, potentially leading to entire generations being dominated by a single sex. Some species are attempting to adapt by nesting earlier or choosing different habitats, but others face extinction risks due to these reproductive imbalances.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/global-warming-could-skew-reptile-sex-ratios-and-lead-to-extinctions/

企鵝受氣候變化威脅

January 10, 2026

南跳岩企鵝(𝘌𝘶𝘥𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦)的數量主要受到氣候變遷及食物短缺所威脅，並於2020年被世界自然保護聯盟（IUCN）列為易危物種。海洋變暖使得牠們更難獲取其主要食物來源——磷蝦及小魚，導致成年及幼年企鵝都要挨餓。極端天氣與非季節性風暴亦提高幼年企鵝的死亡風險，因為牠們仍未長出防水羽毛。

The population of the southern rockhopper penguin is threatened mainly by climate change and food scarcity, and it was listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN in 2020. Warming oceans make it more difficult for the penguins to access their main food sources—krill and small fish—resulting in starvation among both adults and chicks. Extreme weather and out‑of‑season storms also increase chick mortality, as they may not yet have developed their waterproof feathers.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/rockhopper-penguins-athleticism-makes-them-daredevils-animal-world-will-warming-climate-slow-them-down-180987846/

一直靠鼻子分類的變色龍

December 15, 2025

近一個半世紀以來，動物學家主要依據雄性鼻部的形狀與長度，對瘤冠變色龍屬（Genus 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 ）進行分類。然而，透過基因與形態學的綜合分析，研究人員發現其中有兩個物種過去被誤判。經過重新檢視，原本的分類被修正，並確認了兩個新物種：𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰 與 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 。其中， 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰 曾被歸入 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 ，而 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 則曾被劃分為 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮 。

For nearly 150 years, zoologists classified species of the Pinocchio chameleon based on the shape and length of the males’ nasal appendage. Through genetic and morphological analyses, researchers have now identified two distinct species: 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰 and 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 . 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰 was previously classified as the Lance-nosed Chameleon (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴), while 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 was formerly considered the Andasibe Nosed Chameleon (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮).

https://scitechdaily.com/this-strange-chameleon-fooled-scientists-for-150-years/