Posts by Laurel Neme
The WildLife: Discovery of New Frog Species in Ecuador, Alejandro Arteaga
Alejandro Arteaga, a 19-year-old university student, talks about his discovery of a new frog species living in Ecuador’s Andean highlands, the Bamboo Rain-Peeper (Pristimantis bambu). He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how he and his colleagues traipsed through the forest late at night searching for tiny creatures with the aid of headlamps. The result was many seemingly…
Read MoreThe WildLife: The Secret Life of Seahorses, Helen Scales
Helen Scales, author of Poseidon’s Steed: The Story of Seahorses from Myth to Reality, reveals the unusual anatomy and strange sex lives of seahorses. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme that seahorses live mysterious lives, tucked away out of sight on the seafloor, and provides insights into their strange characteristics, including: kangaroo-like pouches for the males to…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Primate Smuggling and Tarantula Trade, David Kirkby
David Kirkby, veteran U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Special Agent, talks about wildlife law enforcement. He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about two of his most prominent cases: smuggling of primates for research institutions; and Operation Arachnid, an undercover investigation into the illegal trade in tarantulas. David Kirkby was a US FWS…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Commercial Porcupine Farming in Vietnam, Emma Brooks
IUCN program officer Emma Brooks discusses illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam and her research on how commercial farming of a traded species, like porcupines, affects both the species and the trade. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how most animals in Vietnam’s wildlife trade end up on the plates of wealthy restaurant patrons. In Vietnam…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Sounds of Orca Whales, Ari Daniel Shapiro
Ari Daniel Shapiro, a wildlife biologist and radio contributor, shares his research on the vocalizations of killer whales. He reveals to “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme a number of interesting facts about the sounds of killer whales. Did you know they use both high and low frequencies in the same vocalization? He’ll also divulge what it’s…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Once and Future Giants, Sharon Levy
Sharon Levy, author of Once and Future Giants, discusses what Ice Age extinctions teach us to help today’s megafauna, like elephants and bears, avoid the same fate. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme that North America was home to a menagerie of massive mammals, like mammoths, mastodons, camels, giant beavers, sloths and lions, until about…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Thailand’s Domestic Elephants, John Roberts
John Roberts, Director of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, discusses domestic Asian elephants in Thailand. He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about the life of domestic Asian elephants in the Golden Triangle and talks about the innovative approach being taken by a relatively new elephant camp at Anantara luxury Resort in northern Thailand that aims both to…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Geoducks and Shell Games, Craig Welch
Craig Welch, Seattle Times environmental reporter and author of Shell Games: Rogues, Smugglers, and the Hunt for Nature’s Bounty, talks about wildlife trafficking in Puget Sound and the massive illegal trade in geoducks (pronounced “gooey-duck”) clams. He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how geoducks are more than fashionable seafood by providing an entrée into the dark underworld…
Read MoreShop so Orangutans don’t Drop
From JeffCorwinConnect.com Laurel NemeJuly 14, 2011 Next time you shop, consider orangutans. While U.S. grocery stores may be physically far from the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, where these endangered primates live, the impact of supermarkets on orangutan survival is not so distant. About one in every ten products on your grocery store shelves…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Unlikely Friendships, Jennifer Holland
Jennifer Holland, senior writer for National Geographic magazine, talks about her new book, Unlikely Friendships. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme heartwarming tales of animals who bond in the most unexpected ways. While many of these interspecies relationships provide comfort, that’s not always the case. For instance, you’ll hear about a troublesome pygmy goat who teaches his…
Read MoreDung Beetles: Nature’s Cleanup Crew
From JeffCorwinConnect.com By Laurel NemeJuly 4, 2011 Dung beetles are part of nature’s cleanup crew. These beneficial insects eat and bury dung and, in the process, recycle nutrients back into the soil while removing breeding grounds for pests. As their name suggests, the main food source for dung beetles is animal feces, which provides nutrition and…
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