Thursday 21 July 2011

One for Dearieme.

From the BBC:

Scientists in Wales have shed new light on the social lives of otters by studying roadkill found by the public.

Cardiff University Otter Project says it has made new discoveries about how the animal communicates with scent by studying the glands of 150 dead otters. The team identified more than 400 chemicals, including some previously thought not to exist in the species...

The project already knew that otters use scent as their main means of communication, but wanted to learn more about what information was communicated or the social functions of the scent. With otters notoriously hard to find, the team, based at Cardiff's School of Biosciences, appealed to the public to send in any dead otters they came across.

6 comments:

Robert Edwards said...

Years ago, I was sitting on the shore of a lake too small to have a name in Canada. The kids were nearby, plundering the local store and I was sneaking a quick cigar.

I espied a pair of Otters clearly having a fine time - they were shagging like a pair of porn stars.

I felt rather like a voyeur...

dearieme said...

"...appealed to the public to send in any dead otters they came across."

Wot, all of a dead otter?

James Higham said...

Part of my third book revolves around otters and their relocation and their saved before they become deadish.

Important post, Mark.

Derek said...

A research project based on "studying roadkill found by the public"? Is it just me that finds that amusing or did the grant approval committee, roll around laughing before agreeing that this one was too funny not to fund.

Bayard said...

What's the difference between plain dal and tarka dal?

Tarka's a little 'otter.

I'll get me coat.

Anonymous said...

B,

Some jokes you otter, but sometimes you ought not to.

Best,
MikeW