Metamorphosis, that profound transformation enabling certain animals to shift between habitats such as from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment, is generally viewed in terms of its benefits. A team of researchers from the University of Liège has now demonstrated that it also entails a direct and immediate cost for the individuals undergoing it, a cost that varies by sex and could influence long-term evolutionary trade-offs

A new study has found saltwater crocodiles raised in captivity do not try to return to their breeding facilities after being released into the wild. Instead, they settle and behave similarly to wild crocodiles, suggesting they can adapt to natural environments. The findings support the use of captive‑reared adults in conservation programs, while highlighting challenges with relocating wild crocodiles due to strong homing instincts.

Small samples of DNA can reveal hotspots and trade routes in the illegal wildlife trade, according to a study published May 7^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Sean Heighton and Philippe Gaubert of the University of Toulouse and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France and colleagues.

A UC Davis study in Science found that 7% to 16% of global plant species studied face high risk of extinction by 2100 under current climate change projections.

Scientists from the Natural History Museum, London have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found within the Museum’s collections, and named it as a birthday present for Sir David Attenborough.

Artificial intelligence can dramatically speed up the painstaking work of tracking wildlife with remote cameras, cutting analysis time from months or even a year to just days while producing nearly the same scientific conclusions as humans. That’s according to a new study led by researchers at Washington State University and Google, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The team tested whether a fully automated AI system could replace humans in processing hundreds of thousands to millions of camera trap images collected in Washington, Montana’s Glacier National Park, and Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve.