| Sweet-Toothed CarnivoreBirds do it. Bees do it. Bats do it. And, it turns out, a wolf species may join the ranks of species that pollenate plants, helping them reproduce. The Ethiopian wolf has been seen licking the fantastically named Ethiopian red hot poker, and scientists think that while it licks it gets pollen trapped on its fur and whiskers, transporting it from plant to plant.What it matters: The Ethiopian wolf is endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals, and both it and the red hot poker are native to Ethiopia’s afroalpine ecosystem, which is only found in mountains about 3,000 meters above sea level. Both climate change and the encroachment of people are endangering the ecosystem and those two species–their possible interdependence underscores how crucial it is to preserve whole habitats.What the experts say: “The conservation of these flowers may be very relevant for the Ethiopian wolf,” says Anagaw Atickem, an ecologist at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. — Andrea Thompson |
Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void 