Animals
Time Is Running Out for the Hudson Bay Polar Bears
The southern and western subpopulations are on track to disappear as sea ice becomes too thin amid rising global temperatures
How a Real Photo of a Flamingo Snuck Into—and Won—an A.I. Art Competition
The photographer entered the image into a contest's artificial intelligence category to "prove that human-made content has not lost its relevance"
Rare White Bison Calf Born at Yellowstone National Park
A photographer spotted the calf on June 4. White buffalo are sacred to some Native American tribes, and the birth has been called a "blessing and a warning"
Is This the First Recorded Footage of a Colossal Squid Living Freely?
The only sightings of the animals so far have come from corpses or creatures dragged up from the depths
Meet the 'Echidnapus,' an Extinct Creature That Resembles Both the Echidna and Platypus of Today
The species is among three newly identified monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, discovered from fossils in Australia that are shedding light on the odd animals' evolution
Endangered Wild Horses Return to Kazakhstan for the First Time in at Least 200 Years
The international effort, led by the Prague Zoo, released seven Przewalski’s horses to their native steppe habitat in central Asia
See the Rare, 2,000-Pound Hoodwinker Sunfish That Washed Ashore in Oregon
The species was only described in 2017 after "hiding in plain sight" for nearly three centuries
African Elephants May Call Each Other by Name
In a new study, a computer model was able to identify the recipient of an elephant's call more than a quarter of the time, which scientists say is significantly greater than chance
A Poisonous Diet Gives These Animals Their Own Toxic Defense
From monarchs to sea slugs, various creatures consume chemicals that keep predators at bay
Don't Call Wombats Heroes, but Their Burrows Do Provide Food, Water and Shelter for Other Animals
During Australia’s devastating bushfires in 2019 and 2020, misinformation spread about wombats welcoming animals into their underground homes—but a new study finds a kernel of truth in the viral story
When Did Humans Domesticate Horses? Scientists Find Modern Lineage Has Origins 4,200 Years Ago
A new study suggests people in the Eurasian steppe bred horses around 2200 B.C.E., challenging earlier ideas about the beginnings of horse husbandry
More Than a Century Ago, Flamingos Disappeared From Florida. Now, They're Coming Home
Likely transported by Hurricane Idalia last August, more than 100 of the pink birds were counted in a February census in the Sunshine State, where they are considered a native species
'Pregnant Virgin' Stingray Won't Give Birth After All—Here's Why
Charlotte, a female round stingray in North Carolina who has gathered a legion of online fans, is no longer pregnant due to a "rare reproductive disease"
Paleontologists Uncover Rare Skull of 500-Pound 'Thunder Bird' in Australia
The most complete skull of the extinct, flightless bird ever found has revealed adaptations that might have made the creature well-adapted for a life near water
These 28 Horses Were Buried in an Ancient Mass Grave. How Did They Die?
Archaeologists are puzzled by the 2,000-year-old burial site uncovered in central France
People Are Spotting Rare, Blue-Eyed Cicadas Around Illinois
As two broods of periodical cicadas emerge across the U.S. this spring, people have discovered a few of the bugs that don’t have their trademark red eyes
Between Dives, Orcas Take Only a Single Breath
A new study finds the black-and-white marine mammals tend to make shorter, shallower dives compared to humpback and blue whales, making orcas the "sprinters" of the ocean
Eerie Lampreys Hint at the Origins of Our 'Fight-or-Flight' Response and Sympathetic Nervous System
The jawless, parasitic fish largely haven't changed over the last 340 million years, but they might be better sources for studying our own evolution than thought, a recent study suggests
Crows Can 'Count' Up to Four Like Human Toddlers, Study Suggests
Three carrion crows engaged in a simplified version of counting when prompted, and the birds showed signs of planning out their responses
Giant Pandas Are Coming Back to Washington, D.C.
A pair of the bears will arrive at the Smithsonian's National Zoo by the end of 2024
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