Check for these tell-tale signs to stay safe! Hey there, adventurer! Ever been out on a hike, soaking in the beauty of nature, when you suddenly spot something slithering across your path? Your heart skips a beat, and you wonder, “Is that snake dangerous?” We’ve all been there. It’s a…Check for these tell-tale signs to stay safe! Hey there, adventurer! Ever been out on a hike, soaking in the beauty of nature, when you suddenly spot something slithering across your path? Your heart skips a beat, and you wonder, “Is that snake dangerous?” We’ve all been there. It’s a mix of excitement and a bit of panic. But fear not! I’m here to help you unravel the mystery of how to tell if a snake is venomous. In this guide, we’re diving deep into the world of snakes, busting myths, and giving you the lowdown on spotting the dangerous ones. Spoiler alert: It’s not just about the color! Whether you’re a seasoned hiker, a curious learner, or someone who just loves nature, by the end of this article, you’ll have the know-how to confidently identify whether a snake is a friend or foe. Stick with me, and I promise you’ll not only become the go-to snake expert among your friends but also feel a whole lot safer on your next outdoor adventure. Ready to become a snake-savvy superstar? Let’s slither right in! Key Takeaways Learn the main physical traits of venomous snakes. Understand behavioral signs that indicate danger. Discover safety tips for when you encounter a snake. Identifying Physical Traits Alright, let’s get down to business. How exactly can you tell if a snake is venomous? Here are the main physical traits to look out for: Head Shape One of the easiest ways to identify a venomous snake is by its head shape. Most venomous snakes have a distinct triangular or diamond-shaped head. This is due to the venom glands located on either side of their heads. So, if you see a snake with a broad, angular head, it’s time to stay cautious. Pupil Shape Ever heard that the eyes are the windows to the soul? Well, in the case of snakes, they can also be windows to danger. Venomous snakes often have elliptical, slit-like pupils, much like a cat’s eyes. In contrast, non-venomous snakes typically have round pupils. Next time you’re face-to-face with a snake, check out its peepers! Body Patterns This one’s a bit trickier because it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but many venomous snakes have distinct, bright patterns on their bodies. However, don’t rely solely on this. Some harmless snakes can be just as colorful, while some venomous ones are more subdued in color. Presence of Fangs venomous snakes have prominent fangs that they use to inject venom into their prey. If you can safely observe, look for those tell-tale fangs. But remember, getting too close is never a good idea unless you’re a trained professional. Behavioral Signs Alright, now that we’ve covered the physical traits, let’s talk about behavior. Snakes have their own way of communicating danger, and if you know what to look for, their behavior can be a dead giveaway. Aggressiveness Venomous snakes are often more aggressive when they feel threatened. If a snake is coiling up, hissing, or making sudden movements towards you, it’s likely not a happy camper. This defensive behavior is a clear sign that the snake could be dangerous. Always give it plenty of space to avoid any unpleasant encounters. Warning Signals Some venomous snakes have built-in alarm systems. Take the rattlesnake, for instance. That iconic rattle isn’t just for show—it’s a warning to back off. Similarly, some snakes might flatten their bodies, puff up, or make loud hissing sounds. These warning signals are their way of saying, “Hey, stay away, I mean business!” Movement Watch the way the snake moves. Some venomous snakes, like the cottonmouth, have a unique way of swimming on the water’s surface with their bodies fully exposed. This distinctive movement can be a clue to their venomous nature. On land, a snake’s movement can also tell you a lot. If it seems overly confident and undeterred by your presence, it might be because it knows it has venomous backup. Safety Tips When Encountering Snakes Now that you’re well-versed in the physical and behavioral signs of venomous snakes, let’s talk about what to do if you actually encounter one. Here are some practical tips to keep you safe: Keep Your Distance This is the golden rule. The best way to stay safe is to maintain a respectful distance from any snake. Most snake bites occur when people try to handle or get too close to the snake. Stay Calm If you see a snake, don’t panic. Sudden movements can provoke a snake to strike. Take a deep breath, stay calm, and slowly back away from the snake. Educate Yourself Knowledge is power! Familiarize yourself with the types of snakes that are common in your area. Knowing what to expect can help you stay prepared and confident. Emergency Preparedness Know what to do in case of a snake bite. Quick and calm actions can make a huge difference. Keep a first aid kit handy and learn the basic steps of snake bite treatment. Remember, seeking professional medical help as soon as possible is crucial. Myth-Busting: Common Misconceptions Alright, let’s debunk some myths! There’s a lot of misinformation out there about snakes, and it’s time to set the record straight. Color Confusion Not all brightly colored snakes are venomous, and not all dull-colored snakes are safe. While some venomous snakes do have bright warning colors, many harmless snakes mimic these patterns to ward off predators. Don’t rely solely on color to make your judgment. Size Matters Think big snakes are more dangerous? Think again! Venomous snakes come in all sizes. Some of the most dangerous snakes can be quite small, so never judge a snake’s danger level by its size alone. Snake Charms Forget about those old wives’ tales and folklore. Stick to facts and evidence-based knowledge. For example, the idea that all venomous snakes have triangular heads is generally true but not foolproof. Always use a combination of traits to make your identification. Conclusion Next time you’re out exploring, you’ll be armed with the knowledge to stay safe and maybe even impress your friends with your snake smarts. Remember, when it comes to snakes, respect and caution are your best friends. Happy adventuring, and may your paths be snake-free—or at least, snake-savvy!
United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications Jitender Dubey , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Follow Peter C. Thompson , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic…United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications Jitender Dubey , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Follow Peter C. Thompson , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Larissa S. de Araujo , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Aditya Gupta , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Sasha Kay , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Oliver C. H. Kwok , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Jaquin Battle , United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Kyle R. Van Why , United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services Follow Justin D. Brown , Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus Benjamin Rosenthal , United States Departament of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Follow Document Type Article Date of this Version 2024 Citation Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports (2024) 54: 101086 doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101086 Abstract Trichinella infections have been eliminated from pork where pigs are raised in biosecure facilities, but wildlife infections persist. Trichinella murrelli is the primary zoonotic species in wild carnivores in the United States, having been identified in several species of omnivores and carnivores. Here, we document its occurrence in seven of 21 (33.3%) red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) from six counties in Pennsylvania. Encysted Trichinella juveniles were detected in muscle squashes (< 5 g samples) of all seven foxes, and in histological sections of the tongue and limb muscle of three. Juveniles from muscle squashes were pooled and tested in a multiplex PCR capable of differentiating all Trichinella species native to the USA; all samples contained only T . murrelli . This is the first identification of T . murrelli in red foxes from Pennsylvania, and the first such survey performed in the last three decades. Results indicate that Trichinella remains endemic in Pennsylvania wildlife and a threat to the health of those who consume wild game. DOWNLOADS Since November 23, 2024 Included in Natural Resources and Conservation Commons , Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons , Other Environmental Sciences Commons , Other Veterinary Medicine Commons , Population Biology Commons , Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons , Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons , Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology Commons , Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons , Zoology Commons COinS
United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications Document Type Article Date of this Version 2024 Citation Proceedings, 31st Vertebrate Pest Conference, paper 12 Published August 30, 2024 Editors: Rober M. Timm and D. M. Woods Abstract The…United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications Document Type Article Date of this Version 2024 Citation Proceedings, 31st Vertebrate Pest Conference, paper 12 Published August 30, 2024 Editors: Rober M. Timm and D. M. Woods Abstract The United States Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) established the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. The program funded US$75M for 5 years, split evenly between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), both programs within the United States Department of Agriculture. The agencies solicited joint programs from states with high densities of feral swine in two phases. In Texas, NRCS and APHIS submitted three multi-county project areas along watersheds for Phase I funding and one eradication effort along with two crop protection projects in Phase II. The eradication project was adjacent to a Phase I project area and after extensive surveillance, it was determined to be successful, the first such project in Texas. All the remaining projects were designed with a direct management effort, a self-help effort through trap loans and a damage assessment process. Landowner in-kind contributions were identified and captured to detail the effects of the program. DOWNLOADS Since November 23, 2024 Included in Natural Resources and Conservation Commons , Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons , Other Environmental Sciences Commons , Other Veterinary Medicine Commons , Population Biology Commons , Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons , Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons , Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology Commons , Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons , Zoology Commons COinS
Home Terrestrial Invasives Terrestrial Vertebrates African Clawed Frog Scientific Name Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802) ( ITIS ) Common Name African clawed frog Native To Date of U.S. Introduction First invasive populations discovered in California in 1968 ( Measey et al. 2012 ) Means of Introduction Image use policy African clawed…Home Terrestrial Invasives Terrestrial Vertebrates African Clawed Frog Scientific Name Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802) ( ITIS ) Common Name African clawed frog Native To Date of U.S. Introduction First invasive populations discovered in California in 1968 ( Measey et al. 2012 ) Means of Introduction Image use policy African clawed frog, dorsal/back Credit Photo by Simone Des Roches; Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Source Videos YouTube - The INVAXEN project: INVAsive biology of XENopus laevis in Europe Google. YouTube; BiodivERsA. Selected Resources The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Council or Task Force Partnership Federal Government International Government State and Local Government Academic Professional Citations Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Xenopus laevis . [Accessed Jan 23, 2021]. Measey, G.J., D. Rödder, S.L. Green, et al. 2012. Ongoing invasions of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis: a global review . Biological Invasions 14(2255–2270).
Center, Internet, Wildlife Damage Management TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter: Winter 2000 – Volume 7(1) – Elections Issue! Date of this Version 2000 Document Type Article Abstract Forward - Scott Craven; Candidates for The Working Group Officers – March 2000 ;Stupid Pest Tricks (Or What Your Best Extension…Center, Internet, Wildlife Damage Management TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter: Winter 2000 – Volume 7(1) – Elections Issue! Date of this Version 2000 Document Type Article Abstract Forward - Scott Craven; Candidates for The Working Group Officers – March 2000 ;Stupid Pest Tricks (Or What Your Best Extension Call Was All About); Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Ballot – March 2000; Wisconsin DNR Won’t Bite On Compensating Muskie Victim; 3rd European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference; Symposia, Workshop, And Special Poster Sessions; Application For Membership / The Wildlife Society DOWNLOADS Since November 09, 2010 COinS
Higher education is an essential component of natural resource careers. However, it’s one thing to learn in the classroom; it’s another to get outside. For the next generation of fire practitioners, who will be tasked with ensuring our forests remain healthy and resilient for native wildlife and local communities alike,…Higher education is an essential component of natural resource careers. However, it’s one thing to learn in the classroom; it’s another to get outside. For the next generation of fire practitioners, who will be tasked with ensuring our forests remain healthy and resilient for native wildlife and local communities alike, it’s more important than ever they get hands-on experience. That’s why Fort Valley State University (FVSU), in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation’s Southeast Forestry program, has established the FireCats. This collegiate club aims to bring together students with an interest in the natural world and careers in forestry, fire ecology, prescribed burning, and conservation. In collaboration with the Longleaf for All Mentorship Model—a program that leverages the knowledge of experienced forestry landowners to educate their community—the FireCats brought 24 students to Landowner Mentor Mr. Herbert Hodges’s property for his annual Learn & Burn in Swainsboro, Georgia. Students get a look inside the Pine County. Credit: Shelby Flores John Bowers, Georgia Wildlife Federation, explains the different parts of a drip torch. Credit: Shelby Flores The longleaf pine ecosystem—once spanning 90 million acres stretching from southern Virginia to eastern Texas—is crucial to the Southeast, but human activity has caused a drastic decline in acreage. Efforts are underway to reverse this damage, and prescribed fire is a critical component of this, as lower-intensity fire is a natural and necessary aspect of this ecosystem. It’s a methodology that not only helps the flora grow but thrive . In removing invasive shrubs and other competing vegetation, sunlight can reach the understory, promoting nutrient cycling, seed germination, and the growth or regrowth of native species. In fact, without prescribed burning, the ecosystem’s namesake species, the longleaf pine, wouldn’t be able to flourish. For Zion Sayles, the newly appointed FireCats President, it was very rewarding to learn how native plants can survive during fires and rebound, coming back stronger than ever. In an interview, Zion noted her particular excitement “to provide plant science majors”—like herself—“with the opportunity to get deeper into the field of forestry and ecology” in her new position. However, flora aren’t the only ones who benefit from fire in the longleaf pine ecosystem. Fire opens the understory up, which provides ample hunting opportunities for native wildlife; increases diversity and abundance of vegetation for herbivores; and maintains the habitat of keystone species like the gopher tortoise—an at-risk reptile students loved learned about. A student gets hands-on experience with a drip torch. Credit: Shelby Flores Students practicing mopping-up the fire. Credit: Shelby Flores Prescribed burning doesn’t merely benefit ecosystems but communities too. Warming temperatures are amplifying wildland fire activity , and while humidity, wind speed, and direction are prominent influences in how these events spread, it’s the accumulation of vegetation—or fuels—that drive hotter, faster, and higher reaching fires. The resulting catastrophic wildfires threaten landscapes, property, civilians, and firefighters, prescribed burners have the unique ability to get ahead of these natural disasters by removing these loads. In removing dead and live vegetation, such as trees, shrubs, grasses, and litter, fire practitioners can safeguard communities before trouble strikes. “This experience really opened my eyes,” says student Kingston Askins. “I can see how this is a very enjoyable career to go into, and it’s very rewarding, as you can see how doing these prescribed burnings [help] the environment.” Katelynn Hodges, FVSU student and Herbert Hodges’s granddaughter, uses a drip torch. Credit: Shelby Flores It’s the diversity of the field that stuck with students in the end, as most students went into this event not knowing how their majors could help them have careers in fire. But that’s the beauty in forestry: no matter your degree, there’s always ways to get involved. The professionals were prime examples of this, as while many had natural resource degrees, others majored in the arts. While it’s true that many of these students may not find their way into a fire-adjacent career, whether that be because of pre-determined career goals or otherwise, at the very least, they now have the resources to teach their friends and family that prescribed fire isn’t something to fear. And out of this peer education, who knows what future fire practitioners could be born. “There are steps we can take to protect [the environment] for the next generation,” Herbert says, “[and] it’s going to take all of us being interested and working hard to see that it’s done.” Students and professionals at the 2026 Hodges Learn & Burn. Credit: Shelby Flores
Massey Services, a leader in pest management and landscape care, announced the promotion of five team members to sales director roles, strengthening the company’s sales leadership team across multiple regions spanning 10 states. Aaron Brown has been promoted to sales director, primarily serving the Villages market in Florida. Brown joined…Massey Services, a leader in pest management and landscape care, announced the promotion of five team members to sales director roles, strengthening the company’s sales leadership team across multiple regions spanning 10 states. Aaron Brown has been promoted to sales director, primarily serving the Villages market in Florida. Brown joined Massey Services in 2020 as a sales inspector and […] The post Massey Services announces 5 sales leadership promotions first appeared on Pest Management Professional.
Research reveals that new highway and other development is slicing up jaguar habitat in Tamaulipas, Mexico The post Jaguar density drops in northeastern corner of their range appeared first on The Wildlife Society.
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Honestly, Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog gets way too much attention and credit for predicting spring. Who decided groundhogs get the monopoly on one of the most glorious seasons of the year? Learn about the lesser-known stars of early spring—unlikely pollinators, sleepy toads, moody bears, and elusive birds all pop out…Honestly, Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog gets way too much attention and credit for predicting spring. Who decided groundhogs get the monopoly on one of the most glorious seasons of the year? Learn about the lesser-known stars of early spring—unlikely pollinators, sleepy toads, moody bears, and elusive birds all pop out for the long-awaited warm weather and blue skies. While it’s clear there is a mammal whose spring activity gets the most recognition from us humans, there are a few other species that deserve some love, too. To start, black bears emerge from hibernation and leave their dens as the weather warms. However, females typically stay longer when they have cubs, who need more time to grow bigger before leaving the den. Another species that emerges from its den in spring is the highly intelligent red fox . Ironically, they typically improve abandoned groundhog burrows while raising their young. Whether or not that makes them qualified shadow prophets, it shows that maybe renting can be better than owning in the face of unpredictable weather (and shadows). And then there are the so-called trash pandas, masked marauders, AKA raccoons . They tend to become most active around mid-March as well, because this is the prime breeding season for them. They are typically solitary, but after gestating young over the winter period, they need to feed their new young. For many species, including bears, foxes, raccoons (and yes, even groundhogs), life begins in spring. So this March, listen to Phil’s predictions if you wish. But no matter what the weather might be, know that many mammals are still rousing from the winter to face the day! A black bear and her cub. Credit: NPS/A. Falgoust Red fox and kit. Credit: Erin Strand/USFWS Raccoons. Credit: NPS/D. Machado Groundhog and her two offspring. Credit: Veronica Kelly/USFWS For many states in the northern part of the country or on migration routes, the return of familiar birds is often the first sign of spring. Over 350 species of birds cross the country on their spring migration. You might take a gander at robins reappearing to pick at the dirt for their breakfast, Canada geese flying overhead on their way to their summer breeding grounds, or the morning calls of songbirds like warblers, finches, and wrens resuming their songs among the treetops. In springtime, bird is the word! One incredible spring sighting is the northward migration of sandhill cranes through Nebraska. After hunkering down for winter in southern states like Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, about one million sandhill cranes and some endangered whooping cranes flock together along Nebraska’s Platte River from mid-February to April as a stopover on their journey north towards Canada. During the day, they disperse amongst nearby corn fields and meadows to eat, then return to the shallow waters of the Platte River overnight. You know spring is in full swing when you spot soaring sandhill cranes. Another bird with a dazzling—if difficult to spot—spring performance is the American woodcock . These odd little forest birds are relatives of sandpipers and are known for their funky strut , which helps them find worms in the soil. They have endearingly earned the nicknames timberdoodle, Labrador twister, night partridge, and bog sucker. When spring comes around, male woodcocks return to the edge of forests to perform their “sky dance” at dusk. They let out a call, then fly high into the sky and circle, the air whistling over their wings. Then, they make their way back down to the ground and begin the process again, until finding their spring fling! American robin. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS Sandhill cranes on the Platte River. Credit: Larry Crist/USFWS American woodcock. Credit: NPS/N. Lewis Yellow-rumped warbler. Credit: USFWS “Not the bees!” Yes—the bees! Native bees are estimated to pollinate 80% of flowering plants around the world. Did you know there are at least 4,000 bee species native to the United States? Un-bee-lievable! Bees get a bad rap. But very few species of bees can sting. When spring flowers bloom, many bees come out of hibernation to drink nectar, pollinating flowers along the way. Queen bees are the only bumble bees that live through the winter (by hibernating) while all workers die off. Which means one bumblebee emerging in spring is responsible for creating a whole host of pollinators in the spring! Some types of flowers can only be pollinated by certain bee species! Examples of bees native to the United States are: the American bumblebee, rusty-patched bumblebee, and the Mojave poppy bee. Beetles are pollinators, too! In fact, they are some of the original pollinators—active 200 million years ago, before it was cool. Species like soldier beetles, scarabs, long-horned beetles, sap beetles, and checkered beetles all work to pollinate certain types of flowering plants. These plants will usually have fragrant flowers with cup- or bowl- like blossoms that are open during the day, and leathery, tough petals and leaves, like the magnolia. Maybe the real beetle juice is the nectar we drank along the way! “ Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee ” – Muhammad Ali While butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen, they are the beauty queens of the insect world, and they have their place. Unlike bees, butterflies can see red and have good vision but a weak sense of smell. They gravitate towards (and pollinate) brightly-colored, clustered flowers with a lot of nectar. The iconic monarch butterfly feeds on milkweed toxic to predators as a caterpillar, which makes its attackers sick and keeps them at bay. This blog brought to you by the letter B! Digger bee. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS Cucumber beetle. Credit: Laurie Sheppard Buckeye butterfly. Credit: Bonnie Masdeu Amphibians are SUPER spring coded. This is their time to mate, breed, and lay eggs that will hatch in a matter of weeks, populating forests and arid grasslands with slimy and slithering specimens. Many amphibians have antifreeze characteristics that allow them to survive the unpredictable weather transition between late winter and early spring, when temperatures can still be at or below freezing. Some species of amphibians, like wood frogs , lay their eggs in vernal pools. Vernal pools are small, temporary ponds filled with rainwater or snowmelt that are likely to dry up by the time late spring and summer roll around. Amphibians tend to lay eggs in vernal pools because fish typically do not inhabit vernal pools, keeping vulnerable eggs safe from predatory fish that might eat them. Other amphibians, like the spotted salamander , aren’t so lucky. They, too, search for freshwater pools to breed in during late winter, after the ground has thawed. But while females can lay 100-300 eggs per year, around 90% of those eggs will not make it to maturation due to disease, predation, and ponds drying up. It’s a hard knock life for the spotted salamander! With a breeding call that sounds like a brief snore, plains spadefoot toads are sleepy little springtime signifiers. Coming from their loosely packed soil burrows to mate during or after heavy rains, these toads also breed in ephemeral pools. Plains spadefoot toads have one of the fastest development rates of amphibians, laying eggs that hatch within two days. Woodfrog. Credit: Gary Eslinger/USFWS Spotted salamander. Credit: Bruce Hallman/USFWS Plains spadefoot toad. Credit: Veronica Kelly/USFWS
More than 50 skuas died in Antarctica during the summers of 2023 and 2024 after becoming infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. Researchers say this marks the first confirmed wildlife die off from the virus on the continent. The findings come from a study led by Erasmus…More than 50 skuas died in Antarctica during the summers of 2023 and 2024 after becoming infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. Researchers say this marks the first confirmed wildlife die off from the virus on the continent. The findings come from a study led by Erasmus MC in The Netherlands and the University of California, Davis, recently published in Scientific Reports . Skuas are large brown seabirds related to gulls that live mainly in polar and subpolar regions. They are predators and scavengers, similar in some ways to birds of prey, and play an important role in cleaning up carcasses. That scavenging behavior may also increase their risk of catching and spreading the virus across Antarctica, according to the researchers. Earlier in 2024, scientists detected H5N1 in a kelp gull and two skuas that were found dead in January and February. However, until now, it had not been proven that the virus was the actual cause of death. "We knew there were animals with the infection, but this is the first study to show they died of the viral infection," said co-senior author Ralph Vanstreels, a wildlife veterinarian with the UC Davis One Health Institute within the Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. "It's an important distinction in the early days of an outbreak." Antarctic Expedition Investigates Bird Flu In March 2024, the research team traveled to Antarctica shortly after the breeding season for skuas and penguins. They examined wildlife at 10 sites across the South Shetland Islands, the northern Weddell Sea, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Whenever they encountered sick or dead animals, the scientists collected tissue and environmental samples and conducted necropsies to determine the cause of death. They examined the remains of gentoo penguins, Adélie penguins, and Antarctic fur seals, but H5N1 was not identified as the cause in those species. "As the expedition progressed, it became obvious quickly that skuas were a major victim," said Vanstreels. The virus was detected in skuas at three locations: Hope Bay, Devil Island, and Beak Island. Beak Island experienced a large die off of south polar skuas. "We diagnosed high pathogenicity avian influenza as the cause of death for nearly all of the dead skuas we found at Beak Island," said first author Matteo Iervolino, a Ph.D. candidate at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. "There, I could really see with my eyes the impact this virus can have on these populations." Vanstreels described the situation as a "crisis in animal suffering." H5N1 attacks the brain, leading to severe neurological symptoms such as twisted necks and unusual body stretching. Infected birds may walk or swim in circles, crash into objects, or even fall out of the air. The researchers stress that human activity played a role in the emergence of the virus and is also key to limiting its spread. How H5N1 Spread Across the Globe The H5N1 virus was first identified in 1996 on a domestic goose farm in Southeast China. It circulated unchecked in poultry for several years, eventually spilling into wild bird populations. From there, it spread across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, then to North and South America, and by early 2024, to Antarctica. The same strain now affecting Antarctic skuas previously caused massive losses among elephant seals and sea lions in Argentina. It has led to the deaths of more than 400 million poultry worldwide and has infected dairy cows, mink, foxes, bears, otters, and many other mammals and wild birds. H5N1 can also infect humans. Of the roughly 1,000 reported human cases, about half have been fatal. "We let the virus slip out through our fingers when it first emerged in the poultry industry," said corresponding senior author Thijs Kuiken, a professor at Erasmus MC. "Once it got into wild bird populations, we lost ability to control this virus. Now it's established in wild bird populations in all the continental regions of the world except Oceania." Calls for Increased Surveillance in Antarctica Antarctic wildlife already face serious challenges, including climate change, growing tourism, invasive species, overfishing, and pollution. The arrival of avian influenza adds yet another pressure. The study emphasizes the need for stronger surveillance and monitoring to reduce the risk of further spread. One complication is the lack of recent population data. The last census of Antarctic skuas took place in the 1980s, when researchers estimated about 800 breeding pairs. Without updated numbers, it is difficult to measure how significant the loss of 50 birds may be. "Everything points toward this virus spreading further," Kuiken said. "If nobody is watching, we won't know what is happening." The HPAI Australis Expedition was funded by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and Ocean Expeditions. The study was supported by the European Union, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and PTI Global Health.
