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Squirrels and jaywalking
No one ever said a squirrel’s life was easy. Just how tough it may be for male squirrels, however, has been found by a study at Texas A&M University. A Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences’ Animal Ecology course student project that tracked radiocollared fox squirrels on campus found that one quarter of the males did not survive the first year. But is wasn’t hunger or predators that killed them. They were all run over by cars. Fewer females died, with most killed by predators (reported in the New York Times, May 2003; submitted by Peter Jacobsen, who notes that many injury prevention folks may wonder about the sex difference in unintentional injury; this study, he points out, indicates a biological explanation and that the New York Times headline blames the victim!).
Crocodile teeth a health hazard!
Australian scientists have found that crocodile teeth are a health hazard! Scientists from Darwin have begun a study into the diversity and toxicity of bacteria growing on crocodile teeth, to help develop better antibiotics for survivors of crocodile attacks (broadcast on ABC’s Asia-Pacific Network, June 2003; submitted by Ian Scott).