* Copy Cat, the world's first cloned cat, had her first litter of kittens. These kittens weren't cloned-their father is Smokey, a naturally born tabby. Copy Cat was cloned by Texas A&M University researchers in 2001. Associated Press 12/15/06
* Elephants, rhinos, buffalos, and antelopes from the Munich Zoo create their own power supply-their manure is recycled to generate electricity. The plant, launched in cooperation with Munich city council, operates by fermenting the manure, producing methane which is burned to provide energy. Reuters 12/13/06
* Can a single female cat and her offspring really produce 420,000 cats in seven years? Many rescue programs and humane societies use this figure to encourage neutering, but no basis for this statistic has been found. More realistic calculations put the number at 100 to 5000. The Wall Street Journal 10/12/06
* Researchers have developed DNA tests that can quickly identify 30 different shark species, including those protected under strict laws such as the great white and basking sharks. These tests have already aided the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in several cases of illegal shark fin processing. Associated Press 8/16/06
* The collective name for a group of frogs is an "army." In the case of their warty cousins, it's a "knot of toads." www.freakyanimals.com
* The Chytrid fungus has killed millions of frogs and eliminated 120 frog species in the Carribean and Central America. Milwaukee County Zoo workers are trying to help scientists slow the spread of the fungus and are collecting, disinfecting, and housing the few frogs that have survived. Associated Press 12/18/06
