Kill the killers

John Hart squatted in a muddy pasture and examined the carcass in front of him. The wounds on the eviscerated calf, and the tracks all around it, left no mystery about what had happened.

Soon Hart would set up traps to capture and shoot the killer: one or more gray wolves roaming the area.

- Star Tribune (link here)

If we carry this chain of revenge to its conclusion....

Disturbing.

Flies vs. ants

Researchers in Texas are trying an unusual approach to combat fire ants - deploying parasitic flies that turn the pesky and economically costly insects into zombies whose heads fall off.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

Fascinating.

Frog diseases

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this story.)

Bd causes devastating chytrid disease, first identified about a decade ago. In the past few years, a number of studies have shown that it is an important factor in the recent drop-off in amphibian numbers. Worldwide, chytrid disease has caused extinctions and declines in 200 species of frogs. Ranaviruses also cause large die-offs, but scientists do not yet know whether they can contribute to extinctions.

- New Scientist (link here)

Deer sightings

Yesterday, Gil & I biked 23 miles.

We saw 4 whitetail deer and 1 rabbit.

Antero

Thanks to Dad for sending me this picture.

Fred & fish

Coyotes

Thanks to my brother for sending me this picture.