Animals

Beautiful Infographic Charts Ugly Reality of Species Loss

Chicken reigns in the 21st century.

How the Chicken Conquered the World

The epic begins 10,000 years ago in an Asian jungle and ends today in kitchens all over the world

Betty White’s new book details her life of loving animals and working with zoos to help endangered species around the world.

Betty White on Her Love for Animals

Everyone knows the "Golden Girls" actress for her long television career, but she is just as proud of her work with zoos

In his new book, Learning From the Octopus, Rafe Sagarin argues that we ought to look to nature for how to better protect ourselves from danger.

How Plants and Animals Can Prepare Us for the Next Big Disaster

Author Rafe Sagarin looks to the natural world for tips on how to plan for national emergencies

Greetings From the Land of the Make-Believe Species

Postcards provided proof of lake serpents, jackalopes and assorted curious monsters

The Mollusc Militia is Coming

I have glimpsed the future. And it is teeming with creepy crawly cyborgs

The land where the Clovis once hunted.

Clovis People Hunted Canada’s Camels

North American camels went extinct at the end of the last ice age. Were humans partly to blame?

The common marmoset may be a suitable model for human obesity.

How Marmosets Can Teach Us About Obesity

A new study indicates the small monkeys may help us understand what leads us to put on weight

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Wild Things: Yeti Crabs, Guppies and Ravens

Tree killers and the first beds ever round up this month in wildlife news

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Wild Things: Killer Whales, Spiders and Woodpeckers

Yellow saddle goatfish, mastodon ribs and more in this month’s summary of wildlife news

A white rhino in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Ten Great Science Stories You Might Have Missed

From zebras in the Kalahari to satellites pointed at the Sun, the magazine has covered a host of interesting science topics this year

Big Southern elephant seal bulls (Mirounga leonina) fighting for females on beach during breeding season in spring.

Wild Things: Piranhas, Nazca Boobies, Glowing Millipedes

Elephant Seals, Neanderthal evolution and more news from the world of science

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Meet Rosebud, the Zoo’s Black-Footed Ferret

Smithsonian readers help the zoo name a young creature

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Wild Things: Feathered dinosaurs, king crabs and spotted hyenas

Traveling snails, brainwashed rats and more updates from the world of wildlife

Smithsonian.com and the National Zoo have partnered to bring readers the opportunity to name one of the newest black-footed ferrets.

Help Name the National Zoo’s Baby Black-Footed Ferret

For 30 years the Zoo has helped breed hundreds of ferrets, but one of the most recent additions is in need of a name

What possesses some people to study the parenting skills of Atlantic puffins for decades?

Michelle Nijhuis: Why I Like Science

Science is not a list of facts but a method of asking questions, testing possible answers and asking yet more questions

The Chinese alligator now numbers fewer than 200 in the wild, mostly restricted to a small reserve in the Anhui province of China, along the lower Yangtze River.

Ten Threatened and Endangered Species Used in Traditional Medicine

The demand for alternative remedies has given rise to a poaching industry that, along with other factors, has decimated animal populations

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More...

Sea monster mamas, bat signals and opossum versus viper

Meet Pili and Damini, pictured here with their mother Shama.

Zoo’s Red Panda Cubs Get Their Names

The newest additions to the Zoo's red panda family are named for the stormy night they were born

A wild boar doing some damage

Inviting Writing: When Independence Means Self-Reliance

We were well on our way to a nice harvest when we noticed ominous signs, a presence that ravaged our homestead in the middle of the night

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