Planned burns are destroying habitat of endangered cockatoos
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Lonley African grey parrots have shorter telomeres than those housed in groups.Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that function as protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Biologists and veterinarians at the Vetmeduni Vienna recently examined the telomere length of captive African grey parrots. They found that the telomere lengths of single parrots were shorter than those housed with a companion parrot, which supports the hypothesis that social stress can interfere with cellular aging and a particular type of DNA repair. It suggests that telomeres may provide a biomarker for assessing exposure to social stress. The findings have been published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is taking a close look at Puerto Rican parrot numbers as part of a broader review of endangered or threatened species on the U.S. mainland and the island.The FWS is conducting five-year status reviews of 25 endangered and eight threatened species occurring in one or more of the 10 states in the southeast region and Puerto Rico. The public is invited to provide written information and comments concerning these species on or before May 27.
These five-year reviews will ensure listing classifications under the Endangered Species Act are accurate. In addition to reviewing the classification of these species, a five-year review presents an opportunity to track the species’ recovery progress.