A recent study reveals that flat-faced dogs, such as French bulldogs, have difficulty sleeping because of an unusual feature: their head shape. French bulldogs specifically suffer from increased daytime sleepiness, probably due to not getting enough night-time sleep.

With their big eyes staring right back at the owner, and wrinkles rolled over their noses, French bulldogs have shot up in popularity in recent years. But their distinct features and small size come with a number of health issues.

The researchers studied the sleep patterns of 92 dogs accompanied by their owners. They found that compared with other dogs, the flat-faced dogs experience a longer period of rapid eye movement (REM), regarded as the stage of sleep with most vivid dreams where the brain is active while the body remains still. Researchers said this was similar to the way babies sleep, suggesting that dogs, like French bulldogs, keep up the sleep patterns of puppyhood. Their night-time sleep is shorter and flat-faced dogs are also more likely to snoring (打鼾). “Sleep deprivation is increasingly recognized as a major cause of suffering in dogs with extreme brachycephaly (短头畸形),” said Dan O’Neill, an associate professor from the University of London.

The researchers employed an electroencephalogram (脑电图) throughout the dogs’ sleep. They looked particularly at sleep spindles (睡眠纺锤波). They found that dogs with brachycephaly had an increase in sleep spindles, which in dogs has been associated with poorer learning when it comes to training.

A researcher said, “We know that some of these dogs will sleep with a ball in their mouth, and people think it’s cute, but they’re actually doing it in order to keep their airways open.” O’Neill agreed, “Many owners find this phenomenon very funny and post videos online showing how comical their dogs are as they sleep with a toy in their mouth or with their neck extended or repeatedly waking up to breathe during sleep.”

Neil Jordan, a conservation biologist, has come up with a novel method for protecting cattle from African lions: paint eyes on their behinds. The lions will think their intended prey has seen them and will give up, since they’ve lost the element of surprise.

This psychological trickery has been called “iCow”, which is actually not as strange as it sounds. The eye-like patterns on butterfly wings are known to prevent preying birds and woodcutters in Indian forests wear masks on the backs of their heads when working to discourage hungry tigers.

The inspiration for the iCow strategy came while Jordan was based in a village in Botswana, when two lionesses were killed by local farmers to revenge their cattle’s death. The African lion is a vulnerable species, with numbers dropping from over 100,000 in the 1990s to about 30,000 today. Much of that decline is due to these kinds of revengeful killings because farmers have no effective strategies for protecting their herds.

“Lions are hunters that like to attack by surprise. They move slowly, quietly and carefully to their prey, get close and jump on them unseen,” he said. When Jordan was watching a lion follow an antelope one day, he noticed the lion gave up the hunt once the antelope spotted it.

So he joined one of the local farmers on a 10-week trial study, painting eyes on one-third of a herd of 62 cattle. When the cattle returned each night, they took a head count to see how many had survived. Only three cows were killed by lions during this period-all without the painted eyes on their behinds. And all the painted cows survived. However, Jordan warned that so far this is just a promising idea. He is now back in Botswana for a more ambitious study, armed with GPS devices to better monitor the movement of predators and prey.

When the people are away, the penguins will play. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, decided to close its doors last week due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean the animals have to self-quarantine.

Instead, workers are using the empty aquarium as a chance to provide new ways to the animals, including penguin tours. The penguins have been free to walk around the aquarium over the last few days, checking out everything from dolphins to seals. Without guests in the building, caretakers are getting creative in how they provide a better life to animals — introducing new experiences, activities, foods, and more to keep them active, encourage them to explore, problem-solve, and express natural behaviours.

Wellington, a rockhopper penguin, got to explore the aquarium’s “Amazon Rising” section on Sunday and was clearly attracted by the fish. The couple, Edward and Annie, a pair of rockhopper penguins who are together for the nesting season, went on a tour of the aquarium’s hall. They even checked out the information desk. Edward and Annie will begin building their nests next week.

Shedd Aquarium will be offering videos on the Internet so that animal lovers can follow along. Shedd’s zookeepers said even during this time of uncertainty, it is important to keep things as normal as possible for the animals.