Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) found that the fringe-lipped bat, known to eavesdrop on frog and toad mating calls to find its prey, learns to distinguish between palatable and unpalatable frogs and toads through experience. The findings, published April 29 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, provide the first evidence that eavesdropping predators fine-tune their hunting cues over the course of their development. 

Imagine a natural fortress standing strong against raging storms. That’s what mangroves and other forested wetlands do for our coastlines. But how well do they protect us, and against which storms? Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University, China and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) have uncovered a new and easy method to predict the effectiveness of these natural barriers during extreme weather events. This is an important new insight and tool for coastal managers and policymakers.

A new study published in Scientific Reports questions the functionality of using the Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) button with dogs. This tool has captivated social media and fueled a global citizen science movement. Researchers from the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, reveal that audio quality significantly influences a dog's ability to recognize and respond to recorded words.