Red-eyed Vireo

Hello, welcome to wild suzhou. Today I will be talking about the discovery of new species. With there being over 2 million discovered and recorded species on earth, it may seem like scientists are getting close to documenting every single one, but this is far from the truth. It’s impossible to know exactly how many species there are and this number would be fluctuating constantly. Scientists are still discovering new species all the time. Scientists debate the estimate of how many total species there are on earth, guesses ranging from about 9 million to even tens of millions. A large part of this ambiguous number is because places like the deep ocean or the amazon rainforest are just so inaccessible and difficult to navigate. Another question that might come up is how are researchers able to tell if a specimen they find is new, or already part of the immense amount of other species. The first thing they do after finding a species is by taking a detailed analysis of its biology and characteristics to see what it could be, and if they find it is unique enough, other scientists will weigh in and confirm or counter. A new technology is DNA sequencing, which is an even more accurate way to determine the makeup of an animal's genealogy. Some of the most recently discovered animal species include the bright blue tarantula found in the mangroves of Thailand. The spider is not actually blue but it appears to be because of the way it’s hairs reflect light. Its venom is not enough to kill humans and since being discovered, people have started collecting them as pets. Another is a collection of 6 slightly different species of pygmy chameleons, discovered in the mountains of Tanzania. The eastern Arc mountains are very biodiverse, and although the species were discovered in the same range, they are all slightly differently adapted to their unique biome. These chameleons can be as small as 1.5 centimeters. Additionally, a new frog was discovered with a quality that scientists had never seen before, this being that the frog does not croak at all and is actually silent. It is called the Ukaguru spiny throated reed frog, and researchers have theorized that the spines on the throat serve as an identifier between them. For wild suzhou I’m Elysia and thanks for listening.

In last week's episode I talked about the possibility of bringing back long lost animals from extinction, but this week I will talk about a more present issue that does not concern the prehistoric animals that have been lost to time. As the world’s climate changes, some animals are forced to adapt to their new habitat but for others, the decrease in their habitat is simply not sustainable and they are brought to the brink of extinction. However, due to conservation efforts there have been many species that almost vanished but have since repopulated. Sea otters are an extremely important part of their marine environments that they exist in, especially because they are apex predators, eating sea urchins. If the sea otters were not there to keep the sea urchin population under control, this would be extremely detrimental to the kelp forests that they live in. The thing that first led to the decline of sea otter population was the demand for their extremely thick, soft fur due to the rise of the fur trade starting in the 1500s. However due to a lack of regulation, their population eventually dwindled to around a few thousand. However, in the last century, regulations on the fur trade and efforts to protect their environment has raised their population to more than 100,000. An animal that faced a similar predicament was the blue whale, that also experienced a sharp decline in population due to hunting. Blue whales were once very common in all the oceans, but due to whaling their population jumped down to around 2000. They were sought after for their fat and oil when whaling peaked in the 1800s, which was a very useful substance at that time used in lamps, soaps, varnish and many more things. However, in the mid-1900s, regulations were placed and their population slowly started to recover. The practice of whaling was outlawed in 1971 in the US, but it is a hard animal to protect because its huge size means it cannot be bred and kept in captivity, and also since it migrates and not all countries have the same whaling regulations.Other species that have just started their conservation efforts include Siberian tigers, giant pandas, and bison. For wild Suzhou I’m Elysia and thank you for listening.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we recreated what happened in the movie Jurassic park? What if scientists actually did manage to bring back the dinosaurs through DNA cloning? Fortunately for humans, the chances of this are next to zero as the dinosaurs have been extinct for 66 million years. However, there is a chance that de-extinction -bringing back a species that has already been declared extinct-may be possible for some other long lost creatures. So what are some of the hypothetical ways that scientists have theorized about?First of all, How scientists would hypothetically do this is through genome editing or cloning, in which they would take DNA samples from a similar living animal, compare it with the extinct species’, then essentially cut and paste parts of the living animals DNA and insert parts of the extinct species’ genetic code. After the genetic editing, they would transfer what’s called the new, hybrid nucleus into a donor egg of the living animal. If such a process ever happened, then the species created would not technically be exactly the same as the extinct species, but would share many genetic traits.  The reason it would not be possible to bring back dinosaurs is because the most essential part to bringing them back is having DNA that the scientists can use to create life. Since dinosaurs have not existed in many millions of years, all of the remnants of them have no DNA left in them, as their bones have no organic matter in them anymore and what remains is only minerals. Additionally, DNA breaks into smaller pieces over time due to exposure to the elements and it gets reclaimed by the earth. So for this reason, dinosaurs will not be coming back anytime soon, but what about other animals that went extinct more recently? The Wooly Mammoth is one possible contender for de-extinction. Wooly mammoths lived in cold climates such as the arctic, which includes the northernmost parts of Eurasia and North America. Their habitat was the tundra which has a layer of permafrost, and this icy environment creates the perfect condition for preservation. Preserved mammoth DNA has been found through frozen carcasses so there are some teams of scientists that believe this return would be possible. Although an interesting concept, the wooly mammoth, similar to the dinosaur, will probably remain a thing of the past as a big part of its extinction was due to the warming of the climate that came with the end of the ice age, so our current climate would not be very accommodating to them. But all of this goes to show the developments that scientists have made in regards to genetic editing that could have many applications in the natural world. For Wild Suzhou, I’m Elysia and thank you for listening.

A rakish, eye-catching crest really sets some birds apart. Picture the Blue Jaysof the East… or Stetter’s Jays of the West.Ajay’s crest is made up of a slender array of feathers on top of its head. Thesefeathers are a bit longer and can be spiked up or slicked back, depending onwhat the bird is trying to communicate.Whenjays are sitting on eggs, feeding their young, or hanging out with their mate,their crests lie low. But in the case of heightened arousal, like in courtshipor conflict, a jay’s sharply raised crest tells a tale.Thesame goes for Northern Cardinals and, perhaps, most crested birds. Even birdswithout crests, like crows or sparrows, sometimes puff up their short crownfeathers.Whysome species have crests and others don’t remains a complex evolutionaryquestion dating back to the dinosaurs.

Birdslay eggs. That means they don’t nurse their young… right? Well, have you everheard of something called “pigeon milk?”Pigeons,one of the most ancient of domesticated birds, feed their nestlings a peculiar,milky liquid- straight from the adult’s beak to the baby’s throat.It’soften called “crop milk,” because it comes from special cells in the birds’crop. The crop is a section of the lower esophagus in some birds that is usedfor storing food before digestion.Unlikemilk from mammals, pigeon milk doesn’t come from a mammary gland. But it doescome loaded with antioxidants and immune boosters that help the new hatchlingssurvive.Acouple of days before their eggs hatch, both pigeon parents start making themilky substance, which they’ll feed their hatchlings over the first ten days oftheir lives. When the special feeding stops, the special crop milk cells returnto normal.Pigeonsand doves aren’t the only birds that can make this special milk. Flamingos andsome species of penguins can, too.

Hello welcome to wild Suzhou, today I’ll be talking about theblue-spotted ribbon-tail rayBlue spotted ribbon-tail rays live near the seafloor in coral reefs and inhabit temperate waters. It is able to dig in sand to conceal itself, andit uses this skill to catch prey. Another way it finds food is scooping up thesand into its mouth and filtering out the food. Its diet consists of small seaanimals like sand worms, shrimp, hermit crabs, small fish, and mussels. The population of the rays issuffering though due to fishing and habitat loss, like coral reefsdeteriorating. They are also traded as pets or to go to aquariums. Some of theblue spotted ribbon-tail rays predators include hammerhead sharks, orcas, andhuman activity. This ray is quite venomous, and capable of killing a human.Most of the time, these rays live on their own, except when migrating orraising offspring. It is gray, with bright blue spots covering its body, and atthe end of its tails are its stingers.     For wild Suzhou I’mPalm-tree and thanks for listening.

Thisrollicking song belongs to a Black-headed Grosbeak. Like most birds, the malegrosbeak begins singing in earnest a few days after reaching his traditionalnesting grounds in spring.And,like most birds, he sings frequently when trying to attract a mate. He’ll singa bit less while he and his mate incubate eggs, but pick up the pace againafter the young hatch. By late summer, his singing will cease.Everwonder how much a bird sings in one day? Some patient observers have shown thata typical songbird belts out its song between 1,000 and 2,500 times per day.Even though most bird songs last only a few seconds, that’s a lot of warbling!Onnights with a full moon, male Sage Thrashers have been known to proclaim theirlong-winded songs all night. But the North American record-holder may well bethe Red-eyed Vireo. One such vireo delivered its short song over 22,000 timesin ten hours!

We’veall heard about the “early bird” getting the “worm.” We know it as sound adviceabout initiative and timely action. And we can almost see that robin leaningback and tugging that recalcitrant worm out of the ground. Research shows,however, that birds dining early and heavily may lower their life expectancy. Astudy of three North American woodland bird species found that sociallydominant birds stay lean during the day and then stoke up when it’s mostimportant- later in the day, before a cold night. At night, birds avoidhypothermia by metabolizing fat. And by staying lean through most of the day,dominant birds are more agile in avoiding predators.Subordinatebirds have to look for food whenever and wherever they can find it, and carryfat on their bodies to hedge against unpredictable rations. Dominant birds,which can push subordinates off food, can choose when they eat and so lessentheir odds of being eaten themselves.Therefore,at least in the woodland bird’s world, the revised moral might read: “Get the wormlate in the day- you’ll sleep better and live longer.”

Somebirds are very well known. A few are even legendary.Theancient Greeks and Egyptians described a mythical bird called the Phoenix, amagnificent creature that was a symbol of renewal and rebirth.Accordingto legend, each Phoenix lived for 500 years, and only one Phoenix lived at atime. Just before its time was up, the Phoenix built a nest and set itself onfire. Then, a new Phoenix would rise from the ashes.Boththe Greeks and Egyptians associated the phoenix with the sun. One myth says thedawn song of the Phoenix was so beautiful, the sun god Apollo would stop hischariot- and the sun- to listen.Ancientsources differ on the bird’s size and color. Some say it was the size of aneagle; others, bigger than an ostrich- with bright red and gold or maybe evenpurple feathers. All agree it- definitely had a golden aura. And in everyversion, it was exotic, literally one of a kind.PoetWallace Stevens imagined the mythical “gold-feathered bird” perched in a palmtree. He wrote:“Thebird sings. Its feathers shine.Thepalm stands on the edge of space.Thewind moves slowly in the branches.Thebird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down.”

Hello, this isWild Suzhou.Today, we will betalking about ambergris, an interesting product that comes from the intestinesof a sperm whale and has some unexpected uses.First, let’s talkmore about what ambergris actually is. It is also called grey amber, which isjust a translation of the originally French word. This waxy, usually greysubstance is formed in the bile ducts of a sperm whale’s intestine, and similarto poop, it exits the body the same way. Scientists believe that the reasonambergris exists is that it acts as a waxy coating over sharp objects, such assquid beaks, that sperm whales will eat. By doing this, these sharp and usuallyhard-to-digest objects will not scratch and hurt the inside of the whale’sintestine.But, what isambergris used for? In some places, especially in East Asia, ambergris has beenused as traditional medicine. But more common and more surprising is thatambergris used to be a common ingredient in perfume. First, it is used as afixative, meaning that the smell would last longer on the wearer once they hadput the perfume on. It is also described to have a pleasant and earthy smell,making it desirable for luxury perfume makers, especially since ambergris is sorare. Ancient Egyptians would burn ambergris as incense, whereas modernEgyptians use it in cigarettes.However, ambergrisis also incredibly rare. It’s estimated that only around 1 percent of spermwhales will ever make ambergris. Also, it will usually float around in theocean for several years before it reaches the shore for someone to harvest it.Because of its rarity and also because of legal questions surrounding howethical it is to harvest ambergris, most perfume makers have stopped usingambergris and instead turned to synthetic alternatives that work just as well.For Wild Suzhou,I’m Ciana, thanks for listening and see you next time.