Fear, Crackers, Bats and Gorillas

Another week, another four bylines. Here are my latest batch of articles for Scientific American and TakePart. At least one of these is a story that no one else covered. Two of them contain some of my best openings lines ever (or at least so far this year). One asks some tough questions. I'll let you guess which is which.

A Third of Parrot Species Face Extinction

How Barking Dogs Restored an Island Ravaged by Raccoons

Brazil's Bats to Face Climate-Change Squeeze

Not-So-Great-Apes? Research Focus on Gorillas Leave Other Species and Ecosystems Unstudied

More next week! Until then, follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen.


(PS: There are no actual crackers in this week's stories.)

Layoffs, Birds, Tigers and Adventurers

Source: Govt of Thailand/WCS Thailand

The past seven days have been busy, busy, busy. I'm working on a half-dozen news articles, five new features, and one big thing I don't even know how to describe.

Meanwhile, my latest news articles popped up online, along with a few articles I have been working on since the beginning of the year.

I'll start this list with a milestone, my first article for Audubon magazine:

How Flashing Lights on Cell Towers Can Save Birds’ Lives


On a completely different note, here's my latest tech careers article for IEEE-USA InSight. I think this contains some great advice that I haven't seen anywhere else:

Tips for Surviving a Layoff


That brings us back to the wildlife beat and two new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Rarest Crocs in the Americas Get a Radio Boost

Tigers Have Just One Safe Habitat in SE Asia


Finally, here are two new pieces for TakePart, the second of which is my favorite article of the week. (I know, I know, I buried the lede.)

Shark Scientists Agree: Shark Fishing Is OK (Sometimes)

Adventurer Encounters World’s Rarest Lemur During 1,600-Mile Trek


That's it for this week. Come on back 'round here next Monday for another link list, or follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen!

River Monsters, Parrot Genes and Monkey Puzzles

 I love my job. Every week I get to write about some of the most interesting species on the planet. This week really proved that, with articles about weird trees, nearly extinct parrots, tiny primates, rare bees and amazing fish.

Let's start the list of last week's headlines with my newest "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American, including:

Every Member of This Rare Bird Species Is About to Get its Genome Sequenced

The Monkey Puzzle Tree Faces More Threats Than a Barrel of Monkeys

And here are three new articles for TakePart:

Tickle Me Not: Japan Revealed as Hub of Illegal Trade in Slow Lorises

A Mysterious River Monster Could Help Save Papua New Guinea’s Rainforests

Scientists Discover an Imperiled Bumblebee Bouncing Back in Unexpected Places


I have lots more in the works, some of which should be pending publication over the next few days. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest headlines as they happen.

Zika, Heavy Metals and Poachers

Hey folks, welcome once again to my Monday morning look back at my latest articles.

Last week I published five new articles. I think I turned in two or three others that will be coming out at some point in the next month. It's tough balancing all of this work, but it's also deeply satisfying.

Okay, let's start the list with three new articles for TakePart, including yet another elephant-related article (don't worry, this time it's good news!):

Conservationists Rush to Save the Congo’s Last 38 Giraffes

Is the Zika Virus (or Something Worse) Killing Nicaragua’s Monkeys?

500 African Elephants Are Moving to a New Home


Next up, two new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American, neither of which are good news:

Heavy: Caspian Turtles Are Polluted by Toxic Lead, Mercury and Cadmium

Poachers Steal 7 Million South African Abalones a Year


Finally this week, here's one of my older SciAm articles that just got translated into Spanish:

El exterminador de estrellas de mar: un robot patrulla las aguas de la Gran Barrera de Coral 


Look for more soon. Follow me on Twitter to get the latest headlines as they happen!

Elephant Week + Impending Extinctions

Boy, the endangered species beat sure is keeping me busy these days. I published six articles last week, all about species that are either endangered, nearly extinct, or somewhat at risk.

But let's start with the one good-news story in the bunch. Here it is, my latest story for Vice's Motherboard imprint:

How Do You Save an Elephant’s Tusk? Ask a Materials Engineer


Next up, three new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle Just Got 25 Percent Closer to Extinction

Think Manatees are Recovered? Look Farther South

Sleeping Sickness Parasite Susceptible to Extinction Because It Hasn't Had Sex in 10,000 Years


And rounding out this batch of publications, here are two new ones for TakePart, including my second elephant article for the week:

Zoos Pledge to Fight Palm Oil's Big Threat to Pygmy Elephants

Overhunting Tapirs, Monkeys, and Other Rainforest Animals Makes Climate Change Worse


Well, that's enough extinction news for one sitting. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for more happy news as it happens.

(Seriously, though, I know this is all heady stuff, but it's my privilege to tell these stories. Thanks for reading and for caring.)