Animal Planet
laelaps | May 14, 2010
Image via Discovery Press Web.
In his monumental 1945 monograph on mammal classification, paleontologist G.G. Simpson appraised the living species of elephants to be "relicts of a dying group." The living African (Loxodonta) and Asian (Elephas) elephants were all that remained of the past diversity of proboscideans, and human activities put even these large mammals at risk of extinction. Poaching and human development on land bordering game preserves continue to put elephants at risk, and the two-hour BBC special The Secret Life of Elephants, airing this Sunday on Animal Planet in the US,…
cwilcox | June 24, 2009I've thought for a long time that Animal Planet has been dropping the ball on something. You see, they're supposed to be a whole network dedicated to Animals. Large, small, domesticated, wild - all of them. And they generally do a great job of that. They have specials about all kinds of creatures, from the littlest bugs to the largest whales. But they have overlooked one kind of animal, and it's kind of a biggie. Of course, since it's me talking, I'm referring to parasites.
I mean, come on - it's the most popular lifestyle on earth (just ask Carl Zimmer). How can a channel dedicated to…