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.

241 questions
14
votes
2 answers

The extinction of the thylacine: could some still survive?

(Image comes from Wikimedia Commons) The last known thylacine died in 1936, and the species was officially moved from 'endangered' to 'extinct' in the 1980s. Since the last living specimen died, there have been well over 3000 reported sightings,…
oosterwal
  • 4,305
  • 1
  • 26
  • 37
14
votes
2 answers

Do fish feel pain?

As a small kid, I was told that fish don't feel any pain when they bite into a fishing hook. I'm not sure if this was just something made up so I didn't feel sorry for the fishies. It appears that the controversy is quite widespread. Slate even had…
SirDuckduck
  • 333
  • 1
  • 6
14
votes
0 answers

Do cats have a chemical in their brains that resembles LSD?

So while our cat was acting "crazy" this evening tearing from room to room and pouncing on on nothing, my wife and I were laughing at its behaviour. During discussions she mentioned hearing that cats have a chemical in their brains that acts much…
Larian LeQuella
  • 44,977
  • 18
  • 187
  • 208
13
votes
2 answers

Are there no camels in the Qur'an?

It seems to be an often-repeated saying that "there are no camels in the Koran". But I just repeated this factoid in the presence of a guy from Syria who insisted it's not true and that there is a sura about camels in the holy book of Islam. So I…
hippietrail
  • 333
  • 2
  • 13
13
votes
3 answers

Are the British to blame for Israel's stray cat problem?

Stray cats are extremely common in Israel and there is a common urban legend that they were imported by the British during the mandate period to combat a rat problem. For example, you can see this claim repeated in this article from the Jerusalem…
Malper
  • 716
  • 5
  • 12
13
votes
1 answer

Have 500 million mammals, birds and reptiles died in the 2019 Australian bushfires?

Several news sites have reported that almost 500 million animals* have died in the 2019 Australian bushfires. Example: article in news.com.au (Jan 1st 2020) Ecologists from the University of Sydney now estimate 480 million mammals, birds and…
Thanassis
  • 235
  • 2
  • 8
13
votes
1 answer

Do elephants never forget?

There is a ubiquitous belief that "elephants never forget". I know we aren't suggesting that elephants have unlimited memory, but have there ever been any scientific studies/case studies that suggest that elephants have a profound ability to…
MSpeed
  • 4,818
  • 3
  • 29
  • 38
13
votes
1 answer

Does the gorilla, Koko, have an IQ in the range 70-95?

Koko is a western lowland gorilla kept in San Francisco. There are many claims about her IQ. For example: She was given IQ tests several times when she was younger and scored between 70 and 95, where 100 is considered normal for humans. Her carers…
Ginden
  • 233
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
13
votes
1 answer

Does lavender repel moths?

On Wikipedia, it is said that Dried and sealed in pouches, lavender flowers are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and to deter moths. I know many people do it. Has this been tested to actually deter the moths? How…
Turion
  • 944
  • 1
  • 6
  • 11
13
votes
1 answer

Do prairie dogs die when they eat bubblegum?

There are many sources on the internet which claim that prairie dogs can be exterminated using bubblegum: Source 1: prairie dogs are handled with poison or bazooka joe bubble gum, of which the dogs chew and can't swallow because it gets caught…
March Ho
  • 18,688
  • 12
  • 81
  • 109
13
votes
0 answers

Can a wasp ingest and use a snake's venom?

Some people claim that if one comes across a dead venomous snake one should always cut of and bury the head as otherwise wasps could reach the venom and add it to their own stinger, for example this Answers.com answer: You bury a venomous snake's…
Thijser
  • 459
  • 1
  • 4
  • 9
13
votes
1 answer

Chickens that lay eggs twice a day

I have heard that chickens can actually lay multiple eggs in a single day. Is this possible? I know that leghorn hens usually lay eggs every 25 hours or so (for an annual total of about 280-320), but can they actually lay more than one egg in a…
ServAce85
  • 241
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
13
votes
1 answer

Did cows in Germany blow up their own barn by farting?

As reported by Reuters, Flatulent cows start fire at German dairy farm - police Methane gas from 90 flatulent cows exploded in a German farm shed on Monday, damaging the roof and injuring one of the animals, police said. High levels of the gas had…
Ladadadada
  • 1,690
  • 1
  • 16
  • 27
13
votes
1 answer

Do sharks die if they stop swimming?

I've seen this claim several places: If a shark stops swimming it will die. (from wikianswers, alongside contradictory text) [I]f they do not swim, then they will have no oxygen and they will drown. (from ask.com) Do sharks drown and die if they…
user5582
13
votes
2 answers

Did an orangutan learn to pick locks?

Just read about this orangutan called Fu Manchu who allegedly crafted a self made key for his zoo cage, kept it hidden in his mouth all day and regularly escaped during the night. Mother Nature Network - Hairy Houdinis: 6 animal escape artists…
user1721135
  • 2,706
  • 4
  • 17
  • 24
1 2 3
…
16 17