Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [zoology]

Use this tag for questions involving animal biology; evolution, ecology, physiology, behavior, genetics, and marine biology.

Zoology the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems.

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Are animals fleeing Yellowstone park?

This article claims that animals are fleeing en masse from Yellowstone National Park. At Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, there is a mass animal exodus underway. Miles of buffalo can be seen running frantically from the Northwest end of the…
Flimzy
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Did production of "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" involve a dramatically high rate of animal deaths?

A rumor has circulated on the internet for quite some time that there were many animal cruelty violations in the process of making the movie, The Adventures of Milo and Otis, including the deaths of over 30 animals. Unfortunately, it seems like…
Peter Grace
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Do lizards drink water?

Is it true that lizards don't drink water? My friend told me that lizards don't drink water, they lie upside down whenever they get thirsty. I found that some desert lizards absorb water instead of drinking. But most were saying that generally…
smUsamaShah
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Does genital-electrocution of animals cause immediate death?

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claim that fur-farms use genital electrocution techniques to kill animals without damaging the fur: Animals have clamps attached to or rods forced into their mouths and anuses, and they are…
Aquarius_Girl
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Does plucking the feathers from live and conscious birds cause them pain?

From: http://www.peta.org/issues/Animals-Used-for-Clothing/down-and-silk-birds-and-insects-exploited-for-fabric.aspx Plucking birds causes them considerable pain and distress. Is there any truth in the claim that birds (live and concious) do feel…
Aquarius_Girl
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Do fish grow to the size of their fishbowl?

There are many variations of this popular idea, but some the main formulations would be: Fish will never "outgrow" their fishtank (small fishbowls will result in smaller fishes than larger ones, for same species and diet). The larger the fishtank,…
Dave
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Were beavers once classified as fish for religious reasons?

Starting from a comment on this ELL question, it appears to be a fairly common internet fact. The most famous case involving beavers began when Francois de Laval, the first Bishop of Quebec, wrote to theologians at the Sorbonne (not the…
Will
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Are bagged turtles and goldfish sold as keychains in China?

So there is this letter going around facebook: PLEASE SHARE IT , HUMBLE REQUEST ---- On a commercial street in China, little tortoises are found packaged as souvenir!!! These little tortoises are still alive and swimming inside a herbal solution.…
Baarn
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Do we know why animals have evolved to have sex for reproduction?

I've been reading 13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Intriguing Scientific Mysteries of Our Time (2010) and Chapter 10 concentrates on the subject of Sex. The author argues that we do not know why humans, or animals, have evolved to reproduce…
Chris S
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Is it safe for dogs to eat cooked chicken bones?

I've always been told not to let dogs eat cooked chicken bones since they can easily splinter/fracture and cause problems for the dog but I've never seen any satisfactory evidence of this and I am afraid that I am denying my dog some tasty snacks…
nvuono
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Are there examples of exclusive homosexuality in non-human animals?

I have often heard the claim that homosexuality exists in non-human animals. Sheep and dolphins seem to be common examples. I find it easy to believe that homosexual activity exists - some animals just get so horny that they will try and have sex…
TallGuy
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Will rats eat/burrow through human flesh?

I remember reading about this as a form of ancient torture, but I am unable to find evidence that is suggestive of that. I did however find on this wikipedia page uses a heavy chain to tie a cauldron to her stomach, then shoved rats under the rim…
picakhu
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Do Japanese crows use traffic to crack nutshells?

In a BBC article, its contended that: In a Japanese city, carrion crows have discovered how to eat nuts that they usually find too hard to tackle. One method is to drop the nuts from height on to a hard road in the hope of cracking it. Some…
Daud
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Do dogs commit suicide at Overtoun Bridge?

Over the last 50 years, many dogs have jumped to death from Overtoun Bridge in Scotland for no apparent reason. There are many popular explanations for this weird phenomenon. According to one of them, dogs commit suicide because of depression. Could…
Siato
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Do cat owners have a lower chance of developing allergies?

The following is from http://blog.petspyjamas.com/getty-dog-owners-vs-cat-owners-unbelievable-facts/9/: 9. Cat owners have a lower chance of developing allergies When cats enthusiastically rub themselves against your legs, it isn’t just out of…
cja
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