Sharon Oosthoek

All Stories by Sharon Oosthoek

  1. photo of a southeastern pocket gopher emerging from a hole
    Animals

    Do gophers farm roots? It’s not as clear as viral articles claim

    Pocket gophers aerate and fertilize the soil in a practice that encourages rudimentary food production, researchers claim. But not everyone agrees.

  2. egyptian fruit bat
    Animals

    Most bats don’t echolocate in broad daylight. Here’s an exception

    Egyptian fruit bats in Tel Aviv regularly navigate by sound during midday hours to avoid obstacles and forage, despite their excellent vision.

  3. CT scan
    Health & Medicine

    Medical crowdfunding rarely helps those who need it most

    People in the U.S. with high medical debt and low insurance coverage are more likely to raise money but less likely to meet goals, a new study finds.

  4. aerial photo of a fin whale breaching the ocean surface with its mouth open
    Animals

    A ‘trapdoor’ made of muscle and fat helps fin whales eat without choking

    An “oral plug” may explain how lunge-feeding fin whales don’t choke and drown as they fill their mouths with prey and water while eating.

  5. image of vulture bees on a piece of chicken
    Animals

    Gut bacteria let vulture bees eat rotting flesh without getting sick

    Acid-producing bacteria in the gut of vulture bees let these “weirdos of the bee world” safely snack on animal carcasses.

  6. an anole lizard
    Animals

    How some lizards breathe underwater

    Researchers have figured out how some anole lizards can stay underwater for as long as 18 minutes.