animal news blog – Page 3

婦女為瀕危鸛改寫形象

February 6, 2026

印度瀕危的大禿鸛曾因被視為不祥之兆，而長期遭到當地人的畏懼與獵殺。生物學家 Purnima Devi Barman 走訪多個村莊，向婦女們推廣保護大禿鸛的重要性。她與來自 47 個村莊的 2 萬名婦女組成「大禿鸛大軍」，並開始把大禿鸛的形象融入各種喜慶場合，例如製作大禿鸛主題的服飾用於儀式舞蹈，或在傳統織物中加入大禿鸛圖案等。

India’s endangered hargila, once known as a symbol of bad luck, were long feared and hunted by local communities. Biologist Purnima Devi Barman travelled from village to village, educating women and encouraging them to support the protection of these storks. Together with 20,000 women from 47 villages, she formed the “Hargila Army.” They began to associate the storks with joyous occasions by creating hargila-themed costumes for ceremonial dances and incorporating stork motifs into traditional weaving.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260128-the-protectors-of-indias-greater-adjutant-storks

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/