Animals

Maker’s Week at the Zoo is Business as Usual

When the right product doesn't exist for a fish ultrasound or other procedure, scientists build it themselves

A customs officer in Thailand examines specimens from a three ton ivory seizure, estimated to be worth $6 million.

DNA and Databases Help Untangle the Web of the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Two new data-driven approaches help identify key hotspots for poaching and trafficking

A wildlife camera captured this image of an adult Louisiana black bear foraging in a forest clearing.

Louisiana's Bears Are Making a Comeback

The state thinks the bears are doing well enough to merit removal from protected status. Others disagree

Kangaroos Are Lefties, and That Can Teach Us About Human Handedness

The discovery strengthens the case that upright posture drove the evolution of dominant hands in humans

Flamingos at the the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo in Israel, possibly contemplating their escape

Forget Llamas and Lions, Flamingos Are the Best Escape Artists

The pink birds are tougher than they look

U.S. Grants Captive Chimpanzees Endangered Species Status, Prohibiting Most Research on Them

Captive chimps now have the same protections as wild ones

Polar Bears are Eating Dolphins, Probably Thanks to Climate Change

A warmer winter lured a pod of white-beaked dolphins north but then ice trapped them, sealing their fate as a polar bear's meal

A wolf enters the Colosseum via the lift in the hypogeum.

A New Recreation Shows How Ancient Romans Lifted Wild Animals Into the Colosseum

An elaborate system of elevators and trap doors lifted ferocious beasts onto the Colosseum floor

Lions and Tigers are on the Loose After Floods in Tibilisi, Georgia

Wild animals escaped a Tibilisi, Georgia zoo when their enclosures were destroyed

The founders of NecropSynth use SketchUp Pro to design the external shell of a 3D printed model of a rat.

How a Cheap Plastic Rat Could Change Biology Class

With a couple of 3D printers, a husband and wife team is building accurate replicas of rats that could one day eliminate the need for dissection specimens

Ask Smithsonian: What Makes Skunk Spray Smell So Terrible?

When the omnivorous cat-size mammals take aim, the malodorous spray can hit with pin-point accuracy up to 20 feet away

West African Chimps Regularly Drink Alcoholic Palm Sap

Observations over 17 years show this isn’t just an experiment for the apes

Six Ways to See Bioluminescence in the World's Oceans

From shimmering squid in Japan to illuminated clams in France, here are some of the top spots for basking in nature's glow

An Oregon Town Tried (and Failed) to Scare Off Sea Lions With a Fake Orca

“Fake Willy" nearly drowned on its mission to drive sea lions out of Astoria, Oregon

Fossils of an ancient mini beaver suggest it may be related to the modern American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Mini Beavers Once Roamed Oregon

Fossils of a squirrel-sized from in eastern Oregon may be related to modern beavers

The attack on a female tourist should serve as a reminder that lions are not only wild animals, they're perceptive predators.

Yes, Lions Will Hunt Humans if Given the Chance

The tragic attack at a South AFrican park serves as a reminder that lions are predators and humans are prey

Chimpanzees Can Learn to Cook

Given a microwave-like tool, chimpanzees become chefs

The nose knows.

Mouse Noses Can Bypass the Brain to Make Females Blind to Males

Hormones direct the nose to signal when potential mates are about—and when to erase their scent

Male wolf spiders vibrate dead leaves to create purring noises and court females.

Listen to the Dulcet Purr of a Wolf Spider

Males seduce females by making leaves vibrate

The dusty white rock of the Las Vegas Formation, near the edge of Tule Springs National Monument, bakes in the midday heat.

Discover a Fossil Jackpot Off the Las Vegas Strip

Remains of mammoths, camels and other beasts of the Ice Age tempt visitors out of Sin City and into Tule Springs National Monument

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