Weird Animals
Ten Wild Facts About Octopuses: They Have Three Hearts, Big Brains and Blue Blood
These bizarre creatures have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and for humans, they’ve inspired horror, admiration and culinary prestige
Don't Look Up: Cicadas Produce High-Speed Jets of Urine
The noisy, winged insects produce pee the same way that much larger animals do, according to a new study
The World's Oldest Wild Platypus Shocks Scientists at 24 Years of Age
The animal was tagged in 2000, when it was estimated to be about one year old, and re-discovered alive in the wild last year
A Female Stingray That Hasn't Had a Mate in Eight Years Is Mysteriously Pregnant. Is a Shark the Father?
Though the round stingray, named Charlotte, shares her aquarium tank with two male sharks, experts say it is impossible for a shark to impregnate a ray
Hermit Crabs Are Using Trash as Shells Across the World, Scientists Find
Researchers analyzed photographs of the crustaceans online, identifying nearly 400 examples of artificial shells, which were often plastic bottle caps
Mysterious Bass Sounds Irking Florida Residents Might Just Be Fish Mating Loudly
The Tampa community raised money to fund an investigation, and now, a local scientist will install underwater microphones to look for the source of the racket
These Parrots Use Their Beaks to Swing Across Branches Like Monkeys
Scientists have documented the unusual movement, dubbed "beakiation," for the first time
How Are Tardigrades So 'Indestructible?' Scientists Finally Have an Explanation
The tiny animals nicknamed "water bears" can endure extreme conditions by entering a deep hibernation with a switch at the molecular level, a new study finds
Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2023 That Could Lead to New Inventions
Biologists learned lots about animals and plants this year, and their findings could inspire better robots, medicine and environmental technologies
These Ten Brilliant Portraits Illuminate Ocean Creatures' Nighttime Antics
Blackwater photographer Steven Kovacs takes spectacular shots of marine animals, helping scientists study tiny larval fish
Eels Can Genetically Modify Nearby Fish With Their Electrical Pulses
In laboratory experiments, gene transfer occurred in 5 percent of zebrafish larvae that were near eels when they discharged electricity
Giant Goldfish Are Bad News for the Great Lakes
Researchers are tracking invasive goldfish—which, often, were once kept as pets—in Lake Ontario to determine how best to manage them
Rare White Alligator Born at Florida Wildlife Park
The baby gator, which doesn't have a name yet, was born with leucism, a condition that affects pigmentation
See the First-Ever Photographs of a Rare Giant Rat That Lives Only on One Pacific Island
The elusive and critically endangered Vangunu giant rats are at least twice the size of common rats
An Invasive Tick That Can Clone Itself Is Spreading Across the U.S., Threatening Livestock
Researchers documented three cows in Ohio killed by Asian longhorned ticks, which can lay up to 2,000 eggs without needing to mate
This Bat Uses Its Extra Long Penis Like an Arm While Mating
Serotine bats are the first mammals known to mate without penetration, new research suggests
Does Vanilla Flavoring Actually Come From Beaver Butts?
Despite internet claims, castoreum—a substance found in beaver glands—is rarely used today as a food flavoring
Puking Bird Wins New Zealand's Bird of the Century Contest After John Oliver Campaign
The comedian launched an “alarmingly aggressive” global effort on behalf of the pūteketeke to shore up its victory in the annual popularity competition
Scientists Find 'Lost' Echidna Species for the First Time in 60 Years
An expedition team in Indonesia spotted the elusive, egg-laying mammal, which is named after David Attenborough and had not been documented since 1961
Rare Deep-Sea Anglerfish Washes Up on a California Beach
The finding marks the second time in three years that an elusive Pacific footballfish has been found on the sand at Crystal Cove State Park
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