With these magnificent animals in the news currently.

Forget all about the bloody Da Vinci Code - this is the Sperm Whale Code!

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160...-speak-in-code

Social interaction amongst the Gloomy octopus (I just love that name).

http://www.livescience.com/53514-oct...ial-lives.html

http://www.livescience.com/53501-oct...res-video.html

Keyser have you asked DS to open up a "Science" section. It seems strange that a forum such as DS with so many sections and subsections doesn't have a science section to discuss all things science based.

I suppose it's a bit like religion in that the mods think that General is the best place for such threads.

But thanks for the thought Mina.

The trouble is, the science based threads tend to be "slow threads" - cumulative in its information and discussion, rather than the General invariably current affairs threads that are fast paced with a high turnover of threads.

The result being the science threads are rapidly decanted off the front page and end up dozens of pages back ... and requires someone like you to go back and find them to post new comments and information ... to bring them back from their "burial" places on page 11 or wherever.

Very true Mina - but I do my best to keep the ones I started going.

I would create more threads but I would be on here forever.

More on those fiendishly clever little buggers - the jumping spiders.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...imals-science/

Ravens can imagine being spied upon by a hidden competitor, showing a capacity for abstraction once thought to be exclusively human, according to a new study.

Scientists have shown that the birds take extra care to hide food if they suspect their movements are being monitored by another raven, even when the second bird is not actually there.

The findings, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that ravens – without recourse to direct observation – are able to understand what might be going on in the mind of another individual.

“This shows that traits that we consider uniquely human may be found in animals too,” said the lead author of the study, Thomas Bugnyar, a professor at the University of Vienna and an expert on social cognition in animals.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/...nds?CMP=twt_gu

Just what we need ! Spiders that can plan an attack

You beat me to it!

http://www.livescience.com/53571-sus...t-thieves.html

http://news.discovery.com/animals/ra...hed-160202.htm

I had to dig this out from page 12!!!! DS we need a Sciences and Animals section!!

Not sure whether you have got a more appropriate thread for this but it is a cute story about a mountain sheep getting into trouble and being rescued:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35362427

Well not really but it's a nice little story.

A short article on recent discoveries about animal's cognitive abilities.

http://fusion.net/story/267559/the-s...-intelligence/

That's a great idea. I posted that question to the DS forum support to see if they'll open a forum. I'll let you know when they respond.

I think that's such a good idea.

Keyser I too love the name of the Gloomy Octopus and in reading the article I see we have the Muppet Faced Fish If spiders were named in that way I might come to like them.

Thanks.

They said they are aware of some peoples interest in Science and Natural History and would be willing to open a forum if enough people were interested. If there is enough interest they could then add it on the next system update.

Maybe start a thread asking people if they would be interested in a forum? This way DS Support will have an actual number to see.

More on the consciousness and emotions of fish and plant 'intelligence'.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160...-have-feelings

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...ey-ngbooktalk/

I may have posted this on here before, the article is five years old but still very interesting.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042...ser4=companion

Fish can lie - and catch out others doing it as well.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...ls-freshwater/

program on the box about dogs who drive the car and are now being trained as pilots to fly a plane?
my dog only cares about a fresh bone...

Melissa Amarello - a herpetologist and founder of 'Advocates for Snake Preservation' on recent research on the cognitive abilities and behaviour of rattlesnakes.

"They're shy, gentle creatures with rich family lives. They can have friends. They take care of their kids."

Try telling that to the rednecks of Sweetwater Texas.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...imals-killing/

Crows again.

https://cosmosmagazine.com/life-scie...crows-so-smart

Search doesn't work on this forum. So, this may have been mentioned. But, here's a very impressive demonstration by Kanzi the bonobo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh8gfIcjQNY

A couple of articles on Bonobos.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160...ime-having-sex

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/a...eeling/473619/

Echo the parrot.

Knows far too much and is now in the US witness protection programme for his own safety.

https://digg.com/2016/parrot-witness-protection

I, for one, welcome our new chicken overlords.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/5-...6-chickens.htm