A resident’s suspicion uncovers red wolves’ genetic legacy in Galveston coyotes

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A resident’s suspicion uncovers red wolves’ genetic legacy in Galveston coyotes

Ron Wooten had a rough introduction to the coyotes of Galveston, Texas. A pack ran off with his dog one night. But the experience turned into a fascination with the canids.

They didn’t look like other coyotes (Canis latrans). He began to wonder, could they have genetic traces of the red wolves that were once abundant in the region. His suspicion was right. Biologists believe these genes could benefit a captive breeding program meant to return the critically endangered wolves to the wild.

“It was a real validation, I think, to the people on the ground—the naturalists and the photographers on the ground saying, ‘We have something special here,’” TWS member Kristin Brzeski, a conservation geneticist, told the New York Times.

Bear strolling past midnight in Ranthambore National Park

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Bear strolling past midnight in Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve are witnessing an unending cycle of wild animals escaping forests and entering residential areas.

Yet again, at 1 o’clock at night, a bear was seen wandering in the Ranthambore resort area. It strolled there for about 20-25 minutes and fearing it would attack, none of the staff dared to step out. However, after a good walk in a new environment, it went back to the forest itself.

Leopard Found Dead In Jammu And Kashmir’s Samba

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Leopard Found Dead In Jammu And Kashmir’s Samba

An FIR was registered in connection with the death and a post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the leopard’s death for further action, stated officials.

A leopard was found dead in a forest area in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, said officials of the Wildlife Department.

The carcass was found in Ghagwal forest by sarpanch Darshan Kumar and was recovered by the rescue team of the department, the officials said.

An FIR was registered in connection with the death and a post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the leopard’s death for further action, stated officials. “Post-mortem to be conducted determine the cause of its death; FIR registered in the matter,” said the Wildlife Department.

Things About The Most Common Dog Fears You Have To Experience It Yourself

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Things About The Most Common Dog Fears You Have To Experience It Yourself

As we know, dogs have highly developed senses, especially hearing and smell. While these allow them to get out of many situations, they also cause them a great deal of fear. Some of these fears are due to bad experiences, others are due to genetics or a lack of awareness. In any case, here is an overview of the most common dog fears.

Just as humans experience a rich range of emotions that include fear and anxiety, our loyal companions also have phobias. A phobia is a pathological and disproportionate fear response to an object or situation. For dogs, this pathological state can manifest itself at any age. It is sometimes disabling because it prevents them from going out or even eating. It can also cause them to isolate themselves. If this phobia is chronic or present over too long a period of time, it may be accompanied by other symptoms in your pet. These include vomiting, diarrhea, self-inflicted injuries, weight loss, and more.

One of the most common dog fears: thunderstorms

The fear of thunderstorms is the most common fear amongst dogs. There are various reasons why thunderstorms are a source of anxiety for man’s best friend. The most common one is probably related to the sound of thunder. Because of their highly developed senses, dogs show anxious behavior even before the thunder starts. It is normal for them to be scared to death of thunder. This is because their hearing amplifies the perceived sound significantly. A thunderclap seems incredibly louder, more powerful, and closer to them than it is to us.

Thunder, lightning, rain on the roof, drops in air pressure before the storm – these are all factors that cause anxiety in dogs. They express their fear by whining, hiding, kicking, barking, running around, salivating, or even urinating on the spot.

The fear of fireworks

Due to their hypersensitivity to noise, the vast majority of dogs have a phobia of fireworks. The reason for this is that they cannot understand where the noise is coming from and what it means. Even after growing up in an urban environment, dogs still have primitive instincts. For them, a loud noise is synonymous with danger. As soon as they hear it, they want to run away to protect themselves.

Moreover, they do not have the ability to associate the sounds of fireworks with a duration. We, humans, know that firecrackers or fireworks will stop at such and such an hour, but this is not the case with dogs. For them, the noises seem incessant and unbearable. Beyond the noise, the smell of smoke in the air, and the visual effects that take place during the show are also sources of fear for dogs.

The fear of being alone

Loneliness is one of the most common dog fears. Their fear of being alone is often associated with the death of their former owner or the fact that they have been abandoned in the past. Another cause of loneliness or separation anxiety in dogs is a change in their owner’s schedules. For example, if your dog is used to being with you all the time and your new schedule requires you to be away from home without him or her, he or she may suffer anxiety because he or she is not used to you being away.

It is important to note that in the majority of cases, this type of phobia has its origin in the animal’s genetics. Only a handful of breeds are predisposed to it. Among them are the Shetland Sheepdog, the Border Collie, and the German Shepherd.

The fear of going to the vet

Like us, dogs have a good memory. They often remember things associated with certain experiences, such as visits to the vet. Dogs associate these visits with negative moments because, in the vet office, they are confronted with unusual smells, sensations, and noises. In addition to all this, dogs may also experience the discomfort of other dogs through their sense of smell. Thus, when he/she returns, the same sensations are repeated and consequently put him/her in a state of stress.

The fear of unknown objects

Whether it’s a tree, a statue, a toy, a cushion, a vacuum cleaner, a skateboard, or an umbrella —our companions can behave in a very anxious way when they are in front of objects they are not used to seeing. The reason is that they perceive them as a threatening signal. Consequently, they either try to get as far away from the danger as possible by hiding, they start barking, or they put their tail between their legs.

The fear of the dark

Dogs can be afraid of the dark because at night, objects around them become unfamiliar and the movements and noise can frighten them. Just like us, they see less if the light is too dim. This fear of the dark can also be associated with bad experiences in the past or with health problems.

The fear of other dogs

Other dogs can, in fact, cause phobia in our companions. This fear often occurs in puppies that have been taken away from their mother too early and have unfortunately not had the opportunity to become familiar with other dogs. The same is true for those who have lived through a painful and traumatic experience caused by another dog. As already mentioned above, dogs can perfectly remember their past experiences. Therefore, it only takes one bad interaction to make them fear other dogs.

Another common dog fear: getting into a car or vehicle

When a dog does not want to get into a car at all, it is often because he has suffered a car-related trauma (for example, when he has been hit by a vehicle in the past), or simply cannot stand the noise of the engine.

The fear of getting into a car can also be explained by the fact that the dog has never been in a car and that this experience is unfamiliar to him or her. It can also be due to the feeling of motion sickness or because he or she thinks that the vehicle is always synonymous with visits to the veterinarian. On the other hand, a dog can feel disturbed by the lack of control over his or her environment and movement. The vehicle is in motion, the landscape is changing and he or she does not have the means to act and check everything.

The fear of stairs

There are several reasons for the fear of stairs, a very common fear amongst dogs. Among these is the lack of exposure to stairs from a young age. In this case, the staircase is considered by the animal as something unknown and therefore a potential threat. This phobia can also be linked to a traumatic experience. Perhaps the dog has already fallen down, got his paw stuck in the wood of the floor, or has been locked in a stairwell.

How do I recognize when my dog is scared?

Body language is very important when trying to understand if your dog is afraid.

We can detect if a dog is scared by looking at the ears. Dogs will lower the ears backward and possibly curl them upon themselves. Sometimes a dog, after too much stress, will pee or squeal. There are many signs that can indicate fear in a dog, so be careful to properly understand your dog’s behavior and isolate him or her if one of these situations should occur.

The Modern Rules Of Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language

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The Modern Rules Of Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language

Our pets cannot communicate with us the way we communicate with other humans. Instead, they use their body language as a primary way to communicate with us.

Dogs are appreciated for their expressiveness. They know how to show us their affection and they are particularly social. But their body language is not only used to express their affection. For example, they use their body to communicate how they are feeling — stressed, happy, sick, or angry.

In order to be the best dog owner you can be and respond to your dog’s requests, it is important that you know how to decode their body language. In this article, we’ll give you some helpful tips to help you better understand them.

Typical body language

Dogs use their body to communicate with us every day. It’s important to be able to decipher them in order to know the best way to react to them.

Moving their ears

Dogs use their ears a lot to express themselves. When they lean their ears forward, it means that they feel reassured or confident. However, dogs also lean their ears forward and show their fangs when they are ready for action.

Raised hackles

Similar to many other furry animals, raised hackles are not a good sign. Hackles are the long hairs found on the backs of dogs. Raised hackles show that they are scared, but it can also show that they are trying to dominate someone. When they do this, is best not to approach or touch the dog.

Wagging their tail

There is nothing more common than a dog wagging its tail. Usually, this is a sign of joy, however, it can also have other meanings.

If your dog is wagging their tail up and down toward the back legs, your dog is afraid. You should do your best to reassure them in this case. However, if the tail is raised high, your dog is expressing its dominance, and if they are wagging their tail, they are spreading their scent to mark their territory.

Lastly, when dogs swing their tail quickly from left to right, it means that they are happy to see you.

Licking

Licking is a very normal behavior for dogs. Most of the time, dogs do this to clean their coat. However, when they do this to other animals, it has a more social connotation. A mother, for example, licks her young out of affection. When mothers target their puppies’ stomachs, they are doing this to help them digest food better.

Dogs may also lick other dogs to show their submission or affection. By doing this, they are showing the other dogs their peaceful intentions.

Similarly, dogs may lick you to soothe you when they sense that you are stressed or anxious.

Lying down on their back

When dogs lie on their back, they are usually expressing their submission. By putting themselves at a lower level than you or another dog, they are showing a very sensitive and vulnerable area of their body—their belly.

This gesture also expresses their fulfillment.

If a dog lies on his back and lifts his hind legs while you pet him, it may also mean that he is begging for you to pet his belly or that he has fleas in that area.

Moving their pupils

Dogs also use their eyes to express how they are feeling. If you want to know the emotional state of your pet, pay attention to their eyes.

Normal-sized pupils mean that your dog is feeling good. Dilated pupils can mean that the dog is excited or stressed. Dilated pupils can also express extreme concentration during play.

When they have constricted pupils, this usually expresses discomfort.

Sniffing another dog’s private parts

Sniffing another dog’s private parts is a mode of communication specific to dogs. Dogs do this to know who they are dealing with. Their noses allow them to detect thousands of different odors.

By sniffing the private parts of another dog, they are able to detect the pheromones which are released from the anal glands. For example, a dog is able to tell if a female dog is in heat.

Dogs of the same sex may also sniff each other’s private parts to exchange other kinds of information. It prevents dogs from being aggressive to one another.

Raising their paw

Dogs raise their paws to demand attention. This probably means that they want to play or they are asking you to feed them.

Understanding your dog’s sounds 

Dogs use a wide range of vocal sounds to express themselves. Understanding your dog’s body language also means understanding the sounds that they associate with their gestures. Here are the most common sounds that dogs make.

Barking

Depending on its tone and frequency, barking can express joy, especially when the sound is high-pitched.

Dogs can also bark to threaten an individual. When this is the case, the sound produced is more muffled. Successive barks can express frustration or boredom.

Note that you can train your dog to bark under certain conditions. However, keep in mind that barking is the most common means of communication used by dogs to address humans. Despite training, dogs will instinctively bark to communicate.

Growling

Growling should always be interpreted as a warning. Dogs growl to signal their discomfort in a situation, or with another individual. They are warning you to stay away.

Growling is also used to mark their territory.

In general, you should always consider this noise as a warning signal. It is important to quickly decode their growl in order to avoid aggression or to help dogs when they feel threatened or hurt.

Howling

Dogs are known for barking, but they can also howl like a wolf. It is considered a natural way to communicate.

A howling dog may be expressing distress or echoing the howling of another dog in the neighborhood. Keep in mind that their ears are particularly sensitive.

Also, note that some dog breeds are more predisposed to howling than others. For example, the Husky, the Beagle, and the Cocker Spaniel are very big howlers.

Whining

Dogs whine to express how they are feeling. They might whine because they want your attention or because they are bored or frustrated.

If your dog whines when you pet them or touch them in a specific area, this means that they are in pain. You should take your dog to the vet immediately.

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