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Public tolerance toward predators is fundamental in their conservation and is highly driven by people’s perception of the risk they may pose. Although predator attacks on humans are rare, they create lasting media attention, and the way the media covers them might affect people’s risk perception. Understanding how mass media presents attacks and how this can affect perception will provide insights into potential strategies to improve coexistence with these species. We collected media reports of predator attacks on humans and examined their content. Almost half (41.5%) of the analyzed reports contained graphic elements. Differences in framing between species groups or species were found, with sharks and leopards having the highest proportion of graphic reports, whereas canids and bears had the highest number of neutral reports. This bias in coverage, instead of providing insights into the causes of these incidents and possible remedies, may provoke fear and decrease support for predator conservation.

Accurate measures of species abundance are essential to identify conservation strategies. N -mixture models are increasingly used to estimate abundance on the basis of species counts. In this study we tested whether abundance estimates obtained using N- mixture models provide consistent results with more traditional approaches requiring capture (capture-mark recapture and removal sampling). We focused on endemic, threatened species of amphibians and reptiles in Italy, for which accurate abundance data are needed for conservation assessments: the Lanza’s Alpine salamander Salamandra lanzai , the Ambrosi’s cave salamander Hydromantes ambrosii and the Aeolian wall lizard Podarcis raffonei . In visual counts, detection probability was variable among species, ranging between 0.14 (Alpine salamanders) and 0.60 (cave salamanders). For all the species, abundance estimates obtained using N -mixture models showed limited differences with the ones obtained through capture-mark-recapture or removal sampling. The match was particularly accurate for cave salamanders in sites with limited abundance and for lizards, nevertheless non-incorporating heterogeneity of detection probability increased bias. N- mixture models provide reliable abundance estimates that are comparable with the ones of more traditional approaches, and offer additional advantages such as a smaller sampling effort and no need of manipulating individuals, which in turn reduces the risk of harming animals and spreading diseases.

The interplay between traditional and social media is a critical aspect of information dissemination. Acting as news filters, social media platforms can amplify the visibility of specific content and shape emotions towards wildlife. Widely feared animals (e.g. spiders, snakes, large carnivores) often become the unfortunate antagonists of sensationalistic and inaccurate news articles that exploit biophobic sentiments, which can be further magnified by social media. Two questions arise: To what extent does this pattern extend globally, and what are the factors involved in driving the sharing of spider‐related articles on social media? To answer these questions, we used a global database of 5348 spider‐related news articles published between 2010 and 2020, covering 81 countries and 40 languages. For each article, the database contains information on the reported human–spider encounter and a quantitative characterization of the content, including number and type of errors, consultation with experts and a qualitative assessment of sensationalism. We used regression models to test the impact of eight article‐level features on the sharing of newspaper articles on social media (Facebook). Our analysis reveals that social media sharing is primarily driven by sensationalism and a focus on potentially deadly species and is independent of whether articles contain factual errors. Importantly, social media sharing showed a highly left‐skewed distribution, with 53% of articles never being shared. These articles tended to focus on harmless spider species, lacked visuals and were published in local news outlets. Understanding the role of social media in filtering traditional news articles is key to mitigating the spread of fear and reducing human–wildlife conflicts. By promoting active collaboration among scientists, science communicators and journalists and educating people to fact‐check spider‐related content, we envision a positive transformation in the news shared on social media, which would consequently improve public perception and understanding of spiders. This is crucial, given that biophobias may be rising in contemporary societies, incurring high socio‐economic costs. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Spiders are able to arouse strong emotional reactions in humans. While spider bites are statistically rare events, our perception is skewed towards the potential harm spiders can cause to humans. Nevertheless, there is still limited understanding of the role of the media in spreading (mis)information about them thereby promoting this distorted perception of risk. We examined the human dimension of spiders through the lens of traditional media, by analysing spider‐related news published online in Italian newspapers between 2010 and 2020 (n = 314). We assessed the accuracy, circulation and sensationalistic content of each article, and assessed how each of these features drove news' share on social media. We observed a recent, exponential increase in the frequency of the news, particularly those focused on medically important spiders—the Mediterranean black widow Latrodectus tredecimguttatus and the Mediterranean recluse Loxosceles rufescens. The news quality was generally poor: 70% contained different types of error, 32% were sensationalistic, and in virtually none was an expert consulted. The risk scenario depicted by the media reports was unnecessarily alarmist, especially with regard to L. rufescens. A conservative estimate would suggest that less than 10% of the bites reported in the media reports analysed here were delivered by the species described in the report. Moreover, two out of three casualties associated with a bite of the Mediterranean recluse were fake news, while the third was unverifiable. Overstated news referring to spider bites was shared significantly more on social media, thus contributing to frame a distorted perception of the risk. This is important given that these negative sentiments may ultimately lead to lowering public tolerance towards spiders and reducing conservation efforts towards them. We discuss open questions and avenues for future research concerning the media coverage of widely feared animals, that will help bridge knowledge gaps regarding the role of traditional and social media in framing our perception of the natural world. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. Riassunto I ragni sono organismi in grado di suscitare forti reazioni emotive. Sebbene i loro morsi siano eventi statisticamente rari, esiste una diffusa paura riguardo ai ragni anche in aree del pianeta dove non sono presenti specie pericolose per l'uomo. Tale percezione distorta del rischio potrebbe essere in parte dovuta alla diffusione mediatica di informazioni imprecise sui ragni. Abbiamo indagato questo fenomeno in Italia, andando a valutare la correttezza, la diffusione e il contenuto sensazionalistico di più di 300 notizie pubblicate su giornali e riviste online tra il 2010 e il 2020. Per ogni articolo, abbiamo stimato statisticamente come ciascuno di questi fattori agisca sulla diffusione delle notizie sui social media (Facebook). Vi è stato un recente aumento nella frequenza di notizie sui ragni in Italia, specialmente quelle incentrate sulle due specie di rilevanza medica in Italia ‐ la vedova nera mediterranea Latrodectus tredecimguttatus ed il ragno violino Loxosceles rufescens. L'attendibilità delle notizie è risultata generalmente bassa: il 70% conteneva diversi tipi di errori, il 32% era di carattere sensazionalistico e quasi in nessun caso era stato consultato un esperto. Una significativa porzione degli articoli forniva una rappresentazione allarmistica e distorta del rischio associato ai morsi di ragni, soprattutto nel caso del ragno violino. Una stima prudente suggerirebbe come meno del 10% dei morsi riportati negli articoli siano effettivamente attribuibili alle specie menzionate. Inoltre, le sporadiche notizie inerenti morsi fatali di ragno violino erano o false o non verificabili. Le notizie a carattere sensazionalistico erano, inoltre, maggiormente condivise sui social media, contribuendo così a generare una percezione distorta del rischio associato ai morsi di ragno. Sul lungo periodo, questo fenomeno potrebbe portare ad un'ulteriore stigmatizzazione dei ragni ed ad una riduzione degli sforzi di conservazione nei loro confronti. Il nostro lavoro apre la strada a future ricerche riguardanti la copertura mediatica di animali ritenuti pericolosi, andando a disvelare il ruolo che i media svolgono nella nostra percezione del mondo naturale. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

The evolution of sexual dimorphism (SD) is driven by intricate interplays between sexual and natural selection. When it comes to SD variation within populations, however, environmental factors play a major role. Sexually selected traits are expected to be strongly dependent on individual body condition, which is influenced by the local environment that individuals experience. As a consequence, the degree of SD may also depend on resource availability. Here, we investigated the potential drivers of SD expression at two sexually dimorphic morphometric traits, body size (snout vent length) and head shape (head geometric morphometrics), in the Italian wall lizard ( Podarcis siculus) . We assessed the existence of condition- and context-dependent SD across ten islands of the Aeolian archipelago (southern Italy), at within- and among-population scales. We observed strong geographical variation of SD among islands, and tested three potential SD predictors related to resource availability (individual body condition, ecosystem productivity, temperature). Body condition and ecosystem productivity were the main drivers of body size SD variation, and body condition was also the main driver for head shape SD. Our results highlight that the expression of SD in the Italian wall lizard is both condition- and context-dependent. These results are congruent at within- and among-populations scales highlighting that spatial multi-scale analysis represents a useful approach to understand patterns of SD expression.

Caves, with their unique geologic and biological features, have inspired human imagination throughout history. From photography to movies, through comics, painting, and poetry, subterranean ecosystems feature prominently in various forms of artistic expression, often incorporating scientific ideas or concepts. Integrating art with science offers a powerful way to convey the uniqueness and importance of the organisms that inhabit subterranean ecosystems, emphasizing their importance as providers of key ecological and cultural services. This, in turn, would help promote their conservation. We discuss realized and unrealized connections between subterranean biologists and artists, aiming to achieve broader protection for subterranean ecosystems. We showcase the different art forms that depict subterranean environments, explain how each aligns with conservation science, and highlight the mutual benefits artists and researchers in subterranean biology can derive from collaboration. In doing so, we pose two important questions: How can we effectively bridge the cultural divide between subterranean scientists and artists? And how can we assess the effectiveness of art in enhancing science communication about subterranean ecosystems and their conservation? By addressing these questions, we envision a future where art and science intersect to safeguard the rich and diverse subterranean biological and cultural heritage.

In the current era of rapid online information growth, distinguishing facts from sensationalized or fake content is a major challenge. Here, we explore the potential of large language models as a tool to fact‐check fake news and sensationalized content about animals. We queried the most popular large language models (ChatGPT 3.5 and 4, and Microsoft Bing), asking them to quantify the likelihood of 14 wildlife groups, often portrayed as dangerous or sensationalized, killing humans or livestock. We then compared these scores with the “real” risk obtained from relevant literature and/or expert opinion. We found a positive relationship between the likelihood risk score obtained from large language models and the “real” risk. This indicates the promising potential of large language models in fact‐checking information about commonly misrepresented and widely feared animals, including jellyfish, wasps, spiders, vultures, and various large carnivores. Our analysis underscores the crucial role of large language models in dispelling wildlife myths, helping to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts, shaping a more just and harmonious coexistence, and ultimately aiding biological conservation. 在当前网络信息快速增长的时代，区分事实与耸人听闻或虚假的内容是一项重大挑战。本文探讨了大型语言模型作为一种工具在检查关于动物的假新闻和耸人听闻的内容上的潜力。我们对最流行的大型语言模型（ChatGPT 3.5 和 4，以及 Microsoft Bing）进行了查询，要求它们量化 14 种野生动物群体杀害人类或牲畜的可能性，这些动物群体通常被描述为危险的或耸人听闻的。然后，我们将这些分数与从相关文献和/或专家意见中获得的 “真实 “风险进行比较。我们发现，大语言模型得出的可能性风险得分与 “真实 “风险之间存在正相关关系。这表明，大型语言模型在核对有关水母、胡蜂、蜘蛛、秃鹫和各种大型食肉动物等普遍被误传和令人广为恐惧的动物的信息方面具有广阔的潜力。本文的分析结果展现了大型语言模型在消除野生动物流言、帮助缓解人类与野生动物冲突、塑造更加公正和谐的共存关系以及最终助力生物保护方面的关键作用。【审阅:孟义川】 In today's digital age, distinguishing accurate information from misinformation, sensationalized, or fake content is very challenging. We investigated the effectiveness of large language models, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing, in fact‐checking fake news about animals. We asked these large language models to evaluate the likelihood of wildlife, often portrayed as dangerous, killing humans or livestock. We selected 14 wildlife groups, including jellyfish, wasps, spiders, vultures, and various large carnivores. The scores from the large language models were then compared to data from scientific literature and expert opinions. We found a clear positive correlation between the risk assessments made by the large language models and real‐world data, suggesting that these models may be useful for debunking wildlife myths. For example, the large language models accurately identified that animals like vultures pose no measurable risk to humans or livestock, while some large carnivores are more dangerous to livestock. By accurately identifying the true risks posed by various wildlife species, large language models can help reduce fear and misinformation, thereby promoting a more balanced understanding of human–wildlife interactions. This can aid in mitigating conflicts and ultimately promote harmonious coexistence. 在当今的数字时代，区分准确的信息与错误的、耸人听闻的或虚假的内容非常具有挑战性。我们研究了大型语言模型（如ChatGPT和Microsoft Bing）在检查关于动物的假新闻方面的有效性。我们选取了通常被描述为危险的，会杀死人类或牲畜的14个野生动物类群，包括水母、胡蜂、蜘蛛、秃鹫和各种大型食肉动物。然后使用这些大型语言模型来评估野生动物对人与牲畜产生伤害的可能性，并将大型语言模型的得分与科学文献和专家意见的数据进行比较。 我们发现大型语言模型的风险评估与现实世界数据之间存在明显的正相关关系，这表明这些模型可能有助于揭开野生动物的流言。例如，大型语言模型准确地识别出像秃鹫这样的动物对人类或牲畜没有可测量的风险，而一些大型食肉动物对牲畜更危险。通过准确识别各种野生动物带来的真实风险，大型语言模型可以帮助人们减少恐惧和错误信息，从而促进对人类与野生动物交互的更平衡的理解。这有助于缓解人与野生动物的冲突，最终促进和谐共处。 Large language models, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing, can provide accurate and balanced assessments of the true risks posed by wildlife to humans and livestock. Large language models correctly classified animals that pose no threat to humans and wildlife from others that are more dangerous, aligning well with real‐world data. By providing accurate risk assessments, these models can help promote coexistence between humans and wildlife. 大型语言模型（ChatGPT和Microsoft Bing）可以准确和均衡地评估野生动物对人类和牲畜造成的真实风险。 大型语言模型能够正确分类那些对人类和牲畜不构成威胁的动物与其他更危险的动物，其分类结果与真实世界数据高度吻合。 通过提供准确的风险评估，这些模型可以帮助促进人类和野生动物之间的共存。

摘要 在当前网络信息快速增长的时代，区分事实与耸人听闻或虚假的内容是一项重大挑战。本文探讨了大型语言模型作为一种工具在检查关于动物的假新闻和耸人听闻的内容上的潜力。我们对最流行的大型语言模型（ChatGPT 3.5 和 4，以及 Microsoft Bing）进行了查询，要求它们量化 14 种野生动物群体杀害人类或牲畜的可能性，这些动物群体通常被描述为危险的或耸人听闻的。然后，我们将这些分数与从相关文献和/或专家意见中获得的 “真实 “风险进行比较。我们发现，大语言模型得出的可能性风险得分与 “真实 “风险之间存在正相关关系。这表明，大型语言模型在核对有关水母、胡蜂、蜘蛛、秃鹫和各种大型食肉动物等普遍被误传和令人广为恐惧的动物的信息方面具有广阔的潜力。本文的分析结果展现了大型语言模型在消除野生动物流言、帮助缓解人类与野生动物冲突、塑造更加公正和谐的共存关系以及最终助力生物保护方面的关键作用。【审阅:孟义川】

Subterranean ecosystems (comprising terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic components) are increasingly threatened by human activities; however, the current network of surface-protected areas is inadequate to safeguard subterranean biodiversity. Establishing protected areas for subterranean ecosystems is challenging. First, there are technical obstacles in mapping three-dimensional ecosystems with uncertain boundaries. Second, the rarity and endemism of subterranean organisms, combined with a scarcity of taxonomists, delays the accumulation of essential biodiversity knowledge. Third, establishing agreements to preserve subterranean ecosystems requires collaboration among multiple actors with often competing interests. This perspective addresses the challenges of preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas. Even in the face of uncertainties, we suggest it is both timely and critical to assess general criteria for subterranean biodiversity protection and implement them based on precautionary principles. To this end, we examine the current status of European protected areas and discuss solutions to improve their coverage of subterranean ecosystems.

Mass media plays an important role in the construction and circulation of risk perception associated with animals. Widely feared groups such as spiders frequently end up in the spotlight of traditional and social media. We compiled an expert-curated global database on the online newspaper coverage of human-spider encounters over the past ten years (2010–2020). This database includes information about the location of each human-spider encounter reported in the news article and a quantitative characterisation of the content—location, presence of photographs of spiders and bites, number and type of errors, consultation of experts, and a subjective assessment of sensationalism. In total, we collected 5348 unique news articles from 81 countries in 40 languages. The database refers to 211 identified and unidentified spider species and 2644 unique human-spider encounters (1121 bites and 147 as deadly bites). To facilitate data reuse, we explain the main caveats that need to be made when analysing this database and discuss research ideas and questions that can be explored with it. Measurement(s) Newspaper articles on human-spider encounters Technology Type(s) Manual extraction Sample Characteristic - Organism Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) Sample Characteristic - Environment Online Sample Characteristic - Location Global