Endangered Species

Don't be fooled by this roly-poly furball. These mischevious creatures need constant attention and round-the-clock care.

Why Photographing Pandas Is More Challenging Than You Might Think

Photojournalist Ami Vitale describes her years of work capturing the lovable furballs

Hundreds of Blue Whales Are Permanent Residents Off New Zealand's Coasts

Survey and genetic data show the whales of South Taranaki Bight are a unique population of non-migratory blue whales

The striking Banggai cardinalfish is a popular collector's fish. It's also an endangered species in the wild.

Why You Can Walk Into a Store and Buy a Nearly Extinct Animal

By commercializing species, humans wield a far bigger influence than they think over the fate of wild plants and animals

Once Rare Nectar-Feeding Bat Removed From U.S. Endangered Species List

The move is a first for bat species

Massive Gathering of Mysterious Basking Sharks Found in Aerial Photos

In 2013, nearly 1,400 of the normally solitary filter feeders had a party off the coast of southern New England

Turtle That Breathes Through Its Genitals Lands on Endangered Reptiles List

Australia’s Mary River turtle was a popular pet in the 1960s and 70s, but raids of the animal’s nests have driven it towards extinction

Zoo curator Bryan Amaral expects Spike will play nice with the other elephants. "For a bull elephant," he says, "Spike's a pretty amenable guy."

Meet Spike, the Affable Asian Bull Elephant Trucked Up From Florida to Join the National Zoo

With a new male elephant in the mix, zookeepers are hopeful babies will soon be on the way

At the time of capture, the Smithsonian's coelacanth specimen weighed about 160 pounds and measured a little less than five and a half feet long.

How the Smithsonian’s Coelacanth Lost Its Brain and Got It Back Again

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the discovery of a fish believed to have gone the way of the dinosaurs 70 million years ago

White-naped cranes flying above the DMZ.

How Korea’s Demilitarized Zone Became an Accidental Wildlife Paradise

Hundreds of rare animal species take shelter in the 155-mile no man's land between North and South Korea

Critically endangered desert pupfish spawning in 2012.

Alaska's Earthquake Caused Endangered Desert Pupfish to Spawn

Nevada's critically endangered fish are in an unseasonable spawn after the earthquake set their home rippling

Climate Change Is Turning Green Sea Turtles Female. That's a Problem

Over 99 percent of turtle hatchlings in northern Australia are female due to increasing sand and sea temperatures

The black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) that sprayed venom into Wandege’s eye.

When Science Means Getting Cobra Venom Spat Into Your Eye

How a reptile mix-up and a fortuitous dose of breastmilk helped researchers tap into biodiversity in Africa’s eastern Congo

Scientists Go on a Mission to Save Sea Turtles

Over the past half century, Leatherback turtle numbers have suffered a disastrous decline of almost 70%

Discussion of our November Issue

Feedback from our readers

The Amur leopard twins Akeno, left, and Zivon, right, are being baptized at the zoo in Leipzig, Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The twin animals were born on 22 April.

Rare Amur Leopard Call Gets Caught on Tape

New footage of the cat making its distinctive roar offers a glimpse into the endangered species' behavior

Simply by pooping, the once-endangered cape zebra helps researchers measure its health and well-being.

How Stressed Out Are Zebras? Just Ask Their Poop

Scientists are scooping up the pungent piles of data to measure the health of once-endangered ungulates

Floating sea pen designed to hold captured vaquitas

Critically Endangered Vaquita Porpoise Dies After Capture in Latest Rescue Effort

Conservationists are attemping a risky last-ditch plan to move the remaining creatures to a sanctuary in the Gulf of California

Hundreds of Sea Turtles Found Dead Off the Coast of El Salvador

Authorities aren't sure what caused the die-off, but a prime suspect is a toxic algal bloom

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.

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

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