logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
20m 5s

Audio long read: These animals are racin...

SPRINGER NATURE LIMITED
About this episode

Australia's swamp tortoise is one of the most endangered species in the world. This species lives in wetlands that are under threat due to rising temperatures and a reduction in rainfall.


In an effort to save the tortoise, researchers are trialling a controversial strategy called assisted migration. This approach has seen captive-bred tortoises released in other wetlands some 330 kilometres south of where they are naturally found. The aim is to see whether the animals can tolerate cooler climates, and whether this new habitat might ensure the species’ future as the planet warms.


While many conservation biologists and land managers have long resisted the idea of assisted migration, attitudes are changing and other projects are beginning to test whether it can protect protect animals at risk from climate change.


This is an audio version of our Feature: These animals are racing towards extinction. A new home might be their last chance


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 9
Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases
00:48 The past 35,000 years of diseaseAncient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago. The DNA, extracted from human teeth, shows the history of diseases present in ... Show More
37m 6s
Jul 4
Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works
Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of resear ... Show More
16m 13s
Jul 2
3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry
In this episode:00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimicsMany harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution sometimes favours imperfect mimicry, a team 3D printed a range of imaginary insects. ... Show More
27m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2011
Alien Invaders
The threat to wildlife from invasive species is now one of the greatest across the world and it is growing. Killer shrimp are the latest non-native species to be found in a formerly quiet and respectable area of Cambridgeshire. In the UK we have endlessly debated the problem of t ... Show More
28m 4s
Jan 2023
Game changers
Nations are racing to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 in an attempt to halt biodiversity loss, but one novel approach may be able to safeguard species under threat of imminent extinction. Vic visited Nature’s Safe in May, a cryogenic biobank, storing the genetic information of ... Show More
28m 18s
Oct 2023
Scarier than lions: how fear of ‘super predator’ humans is shaping the animal kingdom
Ian Sample meets the conservation biologist Liana Zanette, whose recently published research demonstrates that humans are now the super predator, inciting more fear in wild animals than even lions. She explains the ramifications of this knowledge for conservation techniques and t ... Show More
15m 44s
Mar 2021
What Reptiles Are Most Endangered?
Cute, fuzzy mammals often get all the attention (and funding) when they land on endangered species lists, but now reptiles are getting an equal spotlight. Learn about the effort to identify and preserve these animals in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choi ... Show More
3m 42s
Nov 2020
Reshaping Nature Through Gene Drives
A new technology, called gene drives, has the power to spread any genetic instructions you wish across an entire animal or plant species in the wild. It might let us restore ecosystems ravaged by invasive species, or help species adapt to climate change. And, it might save millio ... Show More
1h 10m
Apr 2021
Saving the world's rarest marine mammal
In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous comebacks.Perhaps one of the most endanger ... Show More
32m 7s
Jun 2024
Quel animal serait le dernier à survivre en cas de fin du monde ?
La Terre a déjà connu des épisodes tragiques, au cours desquels la vie a paru menacée. On se souvient ainsi de l'extinction des dinosaures, survenue voilà 65 millions d'années. Mais la crise du Permien-Trias, il y a environ 252 millions d'années, fut encore plus grave. Provoquée ... Show More
2m 4s
Nov 2021
Geoengineering The Planet
Geoengineering is already underway from Australia to the Arctic as scientists try to save places threatened by global heating. It’s time for a global conversation about how we research these powerful techniques, with agreements on how and where to deploy them. Global temperature ... Show More
27m 29s