Wildlife

The way a fruit fly fires neurons could inform machine learning.

How Fruit Fly Brains Could Improve Our Search Engines

Fruit flies have a unique way of matching data, which could teach scientists to create better, faster search algorithms

Tigers Use Urine to Figure Out If They Have Chemistry

Young tiger Kumal is spellbound by a female tiger he encounters in a local stretch of forest. If she's interested, she'll signal her intent

There are good reasons why you won't see a Siamese fighting fish swimming this way in the wild.

The Evolutionary Reason Why Fish Don't Swim Upside Down

It’s a natural question for animals that float, but few scientists have delved into the details

This Lion Couple Mates Over 100 Times a Day

A newly coupled lion and lioness head to the relative solitude of the higher grounds in their new kingdom of Rwanda

Crested pigeons make an awful racket when they take off—but where's it coming from?

New Research

Australian Pigeons Have a Specially Evolved Feather to Better Annoy the Heck Out of You With

Pinpointing the birds’ noisemakers could help researchers better understand why urban avians make so much dang noise

Why Male Lions Need Lionesses to Help Them Survive

They might be earmarked as future kings of the jungle, but young male lions are lazy and lack survival skills. Their only hope is to attract a female

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Armenia

Spot the Ultra-Rare Caucasian Leopard in Armenia's Caucasus Wildlife Refuge

Impressive local fauna is thriving again in Southern Armenia's new Caucasus Wildlife Refuge

Since commercial harvesting of sea cucumbers began in British Columbia, indigenous people have grown more worried about the long-term sustainability of catching them.

Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?

The slimy, tasty enigmas have long been over-harvested. An indigenous community in Canada could be close to finding a sustainable solution

Gelada Baboon Reacts to Being Cheated on With Fury

If a gelada queen doubts her king's influence, she'll happily play the field. But when she gets caught, it's up to the alpha to fight for what's his

African Lionesses by Lakshitha Karunarathna, 2017 Grand Prize

These Breathtaking Images Are the Cat’s Meow in Nature Photography

Sixty incredible outdoor scenes are now on view at the National Museum of Natural History

These Female Geladas Consider Replacing Their Lazy King

Braveheart is the undisputed alpha male of this band of gelada baboons. But he's been displaying a passive attitude toward his queen

Out of five vaquita found dead this past spring, three were killed in illegal gill nets.

There Are Possibly Only 30 of These Rare Porpoises Left on the Planet

The fascinating vaquita is heading for oblivion, the victim of a ravenous black market for a dubious remedy

In the 20th century, humans exterminated the gray wolf population of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, the largest island on the west coast of North America. The animals repopulated the island by the end of the century, and now live side by side with people.

Future of Conservation

No One’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf—And That’s a Problem

On Vancouver Island, habituation to humans has made wolves aggressive, fearless and more prone to clashes with people

A Paradise for Grizzly Bears Gets an Up-Close Look

This unique North American sanctuary lets a few lucky observers see the besieged species in its wildest state

The Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan, have fought Japanese domination for centuries. As this century unfolds, their efforts are finally paying off.

How Japan's Bear-Worshipping Indigenous Group Fought Its Way to Cultural Relevance

For a long time, Japanese anthropologists and officials tried to bury the Ainu. It didn't work

Mike deRoos and Michi Main rebuild skeletons of marine mammals for their company Cetacea. Here, deRoos adjusts a blue whale chevron bone placement.

Art Meets Science

How to Give Dead Animals a Second Life: The Art of Skeleton Articulation

Mike deRoos and Michi Main build beautiful models from the remains of Pacific sea creatures

Art Meets Science

Explore the Secret Lives of Animals With These Marvelous Maps

A new book considers how sophisticated tracking technology and the data it collects can improve conservation strategies

Having shown that it’s possible to identify whale species from baleen, Solazzo says, “Now we have a new tool to study those collections.”

The Innovative Spirit fy17

These Ancient Whale Baleen Artifacts Can Now Tell New Stories

How an innovative protein analysis technique helped solve a decades-old mystery

Rock lobster tail at a Red Lobster

Rock Lobster From a Farm Could Soon Be Coming To a Menu Near You

Rock lobster isn't just a B52's song, it's a beloved meal around the world. And now scientists have figured out how to raise them on a farm

The elusive Vangunu giant rat lives in trees, a habitat under attack from deforestation in the Solomon Islands.

New Research

Fall in Love With This Newly Discovered Giant Island Rat

The Vangunu rat is the first rodent species to come to light on the Solomon Islands in 80 years—and it’s already endangered

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