Other Animals

Everywhere the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation (SWCCF) works, we employ the principles of community-based conservation. Community-based conservation begins by helping people solve their problems and consequently helps small cats and other species. For example, a repaired or new hen house protects against a family’s losses and hence makes retaliatory killing of all small cats

Chinese water dragons (Physignathus cocincinus) are one of the most common lizards in the pet trade today. However, they aren’t the only water dragon you can get. Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) are in many ways very similar to their Chinese cousins. So which is the better pet reptile? ==== CHINESE WATER DRAGON Dubia Roaches:

One of the more disheartening and unfortunate occurrences in the wild is the disappearance of the Spix’s macaw. The Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is a medium-sized macaw with shades of blue and a vibrantly colored upper region of feathers. The Spix’s was so named after German naturalist, Johann Baptist von Spix back in 1819 and

Recently, Sonam Tashi Lama, a 2016 recipient of the WCN Scholarship Program, received a 2022 Whitley Award for his incredible work helping red pandas in Nepal. As Program Coordinator of the Red Panda Network (RPN), he has been behind many critical initiatives to protect red pandas from major threats, such as habitat degradation and poaching.

Alex, who was picked by chance from among nine other young African grey parrots in a pet store, was with Dr. Pepperbeg for 30 years. His passing was covered in news outlets such as the New York Times and The Economist, which is usually reserved for world leaders, or notables like Pavarotti. June 15th marked

Webinar: Avian Bornavirus? Avian Ganglioneuritis?: One Last Q&A! – Special 2-Hour Webinar! Date: Friday, July 22, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for this very important FREE, live webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider—Avian Vet Insider: Liver Disease in Pet Birds Date: Friday, July 15, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr.

Image by Howard Walsh from Pixabay Some of us have spent a large part of our lives enjoying birds in the wild in a practice branded as “birding.” It’s fun to watch for certain kinds of birds, to photograph them, to watch their daily interaction, or simply to have the comfort of birds attracted to

We’ve all seen it: parrots and other exotic birds using their beak to move around. Nothing unusual, right? A bird being a bird. But apparently, it IS a big deal. The interest in this maneuver is the use of the beak as a “limb”, something that becomes odd simply because science says that, to date,

In late 2021, Resson Kantai Duff, Deputy Director of Ewaso Lions, held a fascinating TED Talk highlighting the need for Africans to lead conservation efforts at home. This TED Talk has now been released and we’re excited to share it with you. She describes how a history of colonialism led to a separation of people

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: Nutraceuticals—Natural Medications for Pet Birds Date: Friday, June 3, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb,

Webinar: An Insider’s View of an Educational Wellness Retreat for Pet Bird Owners Date: Friday, June 10, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special

May 25, 2022 By Dr. Jim Sanderson, Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation How do we know our threat reduction interventions are working and actually benefiting small cats and other wildlife? We could simply depend on nature. If threats are reduced, the cats can do the rest themselves. Nevertheless, monitoring is vital so that interventions and

Rats are amazingly social and intelligent creatures. They honestly make amazing pets. But is a rat the best pet mammal? And is it the best pet mammal for you? #clintsreptiles #rat #petrat ===== Aspen Shavings Substrate: https://amzn.to/3PwNUMT Paper Rodent Bedding: https://amzn.to/39IE6Pd Enclosure: https://amzn.to/384bUpA Water Bottle: https://amzn.to/2Jsm7jC Food: https://amzn.to/3yUgaTF Litter Box: https://amzn.to/33JrKAG Toys: https://amzn.to/3wxVdME Rat Wheel:

Webinar: Comprehensive Anatomy Research Project—New Findings to Advance Veterinary Medicine, Part 2 Date: Friday, June 24, 2022 SPECIAL TIME: 11:00 am PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) EXTENDED WEBINAR – THIS WEBINAR WILL BE 1.5 HOURS Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of

Hamlet the Indian ring-necked parakeet has become a TikTok star, and his funny antics have helped lift the spirits of those experiencing bouts of depression. Image courtesy of Bridget Chant. It’s a well-known fact that birds are just as capable of providing emotional support to people as dogs and cats are. In some respects, and

Did you know that there are no velociraptors in Jurassic Park? Not in Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, or any of the other movies in the franchise. The dinosaur that is in these movies, as it turns out, is even cooler still. While it is not a velociraptor, it is a member of the clade Maniraptora.

One of the best things about having a pet is interacting and handling it. So what reptiles are good to handle? Here are five of the best pet reptiles to hold! #clintsreptiles #reptiles #reptile ==== Clint is a professional biologist and educator, but above all, Clint LOVES reptiles and he loves to share that love

I recently gave a talk that reviewed Alex’s numerical competence and realized that I had never discussed this issue in a blog. The material is far from new, but worth reviewing because Alex’s number studies were unique in several ways. Not only was he the only nonhuman who used vocal labels (rather than, for example,

Charles Knowles, President and Co-founder of the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), was recently featured in a list of “eco-warriors” who are making a huge environmental impact in the nonprofit world. This list was created by Marin Magazine, a branch of Make It Better Media, and includes women and men who dedicate their lives and their

It’s a good time to revisit the Macaw Recovery Network (MRN) because it’s spring, and the great green macaw chicks are hatching in the MRN breeding facility as well as their native nests, which are largely found in the endangered Mountain Almond tree. Creating successful offspring is a slow, challenging process for wild macaws. They

Recently, Dr. Rachel Graham, Founder and Executive Director of MarAlliance, was interviewed on NPR’s Short Wave podcast. During the interview, Dr. Graham discusses what makes the manta ray such a unique example of marine wildlife, as well as how they have become such an endangered species. Dr. Rachel Graham Manta rays can grow up to

Black pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) are easily mistaken for Mexican black kingsnakes. Both are beautiful, jet black, reasonably sized black snakes, but I would argue that black pine snakes make BETTER pets. They are a dream snake for me! But is the black pine snake the best pet snake for you? #clintsreptiles #pinesnake #pituophis ====

We recently held our spring Wildlife Conservation Expo, a virtual event dedicated to celebrating wildlife and bringing conservationists together with you, our amazing community of supporters. Expo is that special time of year when we can show you all of the tremendous work that you’ve helped make possible, and our Network’s conservationists shared their stories

Image courtesy Zara Williams Every parrot owner has feared the escape of their beloved bird. The sequence of opening a door or window, the sudden flap of wings by an inquisitive bird, and the movement of air as the bird flies past you and into the wide, borderless world of adventure and answers can be

Chameleon geckos (Eurydactylodes spp.) are, pound for pound, probably the best pet lizards you could possibly get. It helps that they are tiny, but they are honestly spectacular lizards even disregarding their diminutive size. I’m not sure there is a lizard that I could recommend to more people than this one. They are tiny perfection!

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, a time to show some love for that special person who helped shape you into who you are today. If your mom is a lover of wildlife, you’re in luck—there are tons of amazing gifts available that will show her how much you care and help support wildlife

Birdwatching Magazine created its own “March Madness” event with its bird-watching bracket to see widdle 64 bird species down to one winner in terms of wanting to be seen most among birders. One of the thrills of the sporting world is the time-honored ability for folks that enjoy the predictive to guess what the outcome

Earth’s largest animals, like elephants, rhinos, and whales, are more than just breathtaking and iconic. Increasing evidence suggests that these heavyweight mammals play a vital role in climate change mitigation. A new study from the University of Oxford found that the conservation of large mammals can directly bolster ecosystem resilience and reduce the effects of

Happy hatch-date to you! African grey parrots Griffin and Athena co-celebrate their hatch-date anniversaries by digging into their individual banerry-corknut cakes, which are made mostly of apples, almond flour, and ground almonds. All labs have a distinct culture. The best labs have a culture of cooperation—everyone working together for a common goal. Of course, it