“Cocaine Sharks” discovered off Brazil
Sharks are aggressive enough already, but a study in Brazil found that some may be on cocaine as well.
Researchers found the drugs in 13 sharpnose sharks caught in the waters off Rio de Janeiro during a two-year period, according to National Geographic. Cocaine and benzoylecgoine, a metabolite produced when the drug is broken down in the body, were found in the muscle and liver tissues of all the fish.
It’s unknown whether the drug, which is a powerful stimulant, could affect the fish. Biologist Rachael Ann Hauser-Davis and ecotoxicologist Enrico Saggioro did not test the sharks’ health but suspect the drug could cause some damage, similar to results found when zebrafish and mussels have been exposed.
Brazil is one of the biggest cocaine markets in the world, with 1.8 million users, according to the study.  The drugs may be getting into the ocean from human waste getting in the local sewage system or being dumped by secret cocaine- refining laboratories into canals that empty into the sea.
​
Female frogs may eat their boyfriends
It’s not easy being green. Especially if you are a male frog trying to impress a female.
Australian ecologist John Gould thinks female green and gold frogs may devour their male suitors, if they fail to be impressed by the male’s mating song. While studying a nearby pond, Gould said he watched a female chomping down on a male’s leg, and trying to pull him into a hole as the poor amphibian shrieked in horror.
Cannibalism is common among amphibians, but this was the first time it was observed among two adults of this species, according to the New York Times.
“The females are almost the ultimate predators for the males,” Gould said, because their ears can hear the males’ songs and determine if they would make suitable mates or a good meal.
Biology professor David Pfennig of UNC, Chapel Hill, said he would need more evidence to determine if the frog mating-or-meal phenomenon is real. The males could fight back or a female might choke on her unlucky date, he said.
 
Lunar Cave Discovered
A cave that could someday shield astronauts from the harsh environment on the moon has been discovered. The NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which circles Earth’s satellite, found the entrance in a pit located in the Sea of Tranquility. That’s the site where astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The cave measures 148 feet wide and 98 to 262 feet long, according to CNN. It is likely part of a longer lava tube cavity, created when the moon was forming millions of years ago.
It could also serve as an emergency shelter for future astronauts living and working on the moon. Temperatures near the moon’s equator reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit during daylight, and drop to 208 degrees below zero at night. Lunar pits, which may lead into other caves, remain at around 63 degrees.
“Lunar caves would provide massive benefits for astronauts and rovers as they seek shelter from the hazards on the lunar surface such as radiation, micrometeorites and temperature extremes, “said UCLA doctoral student Tyler Horvath.

​Scientists have discovered a large lunar cave connected to the pit found within the Sea of Tranquility on the moon. 
NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University/photo