Wildlife

An illustration of German-born fossil collector Albert Koch's "Hydrarchos" as it appeared on display.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

How Did Whales Evolve?

Originally mistaken for dinosaur fossils, whale bones uncovered in recent years have told us much about the behemoth sea creatures

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Drought crises, Florida panthers, humpback whales and more...

The only great ape unique to Asia, orangutans are increasingly rare, with fewer than 50,000 in Borneo. Here, a male named Doyok moves through a reserve.

A Quest to Save the Orangutan

Birute Mary Galdikas has devoted her life to saving the great ape. But the orangutan faces its greatest threat yet

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Zoom in on a Daddy Longlegs

According to author Richard Conniff, "what really got the species seekers started was that a Swedish botanist named Linnaeus had invented a system of scientific classification."

Richard Conniff on The Species Seekers

The 18th century was an age of discovery when a frontiersman mentality yielded scientific breakthroughs in natural history

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Cats Defy Gravity to Take a Sip

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Where Little Fiddler Crabs Like to Hide

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Pink Flamingoes Attract Mates With Make-Up

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Caterpillars, Bonobos, European Songbirds and More...

At Namibia's Etosha National Park, male elephants form long-term friendships.

How Male Elephants Bond

Bull elephants have a reputation as loners. But research shows that males are surprisingly sociable—until it's time to fight

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Inside a Mosquito's Heart

Some of the most successful zombie-masters are fungi from the genus Ophiocordyceps. In the jungles of Thailand, their victims are Camponotus leonardi, or carpenter ants.

The Scariest Zombies in Nature

Parasites found in ant bodies tell us that Hollywood’s stories of the undead may be closer to truth than fiction

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Photo Contest Finalist: Chinstrap Penguins Climbing an Iceberg

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It's Hawk Watch Season

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Invasion of the Stinkbugs

Entomologist Gary Hevel answers questions about the brown marmorated stinkbug that is invading homes along the Mid-Atlantic

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Gargantuan Spider Webs Bridge Waters of Madagascar

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Caterpillars, Frogs, Big Birds and More...

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Why Some Kitties Meow and Others Roar

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Florida Panthers Helped by Texas Cats

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Hares Can Get Pregnant While Pregnant

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