Erosion blankets can tie snakes into knots

As Christopher Schalk was conducting research on roadkill in Texas, he noticed the roadways were often lined for miles and miles with erosion control blankets — materials often required by government regulations to prevent soil loss and stimulate vegetation growth in areas cleared for construction.

Schalk, an assistant professor of forest wildlife management at Stephen F. Austin State University, began to wonder what effects these blankets might have on wildlife. After finding a number of reports of snakes getting tangled in them, he decided to take a deeper look. A literature review showed over 43% of snake entanglements were happening in erosion control products.

Read more at The Wildlife Society.

Lack of Privacy Could Be Affecting When and Where Japan’s Imperial Raccoon Dogs Relieve Themselves

Raccoon dogs are having trouble finding a private moment to take care of their bathroom business in Tokyo’s Akasaka Imperial Grounds.

According to new research, human disturbance of the animals’ bathroom breaks may be impacting their social lives.

“Changes in frequency of defecation and latrine-use might have negative effects on their scent communication behavior,” said Masumi Hisano, a graduate student in biology at Lakehead University in Canada, in an email. Hisano is an author of a study published recently in The Journal of Wildlife Management.

Read more at Inside Science.