Weird Animals

Ming at Noah's Lost Ark, Inc., a non-profit exotic animal sanctuary in Ohio.

A Farewell to Ming, the Siberian-Bengal Tiger Who Spent Three Years in a Harlem Apartment

Antoine Yates, Ming’s owner, once said that the tiger was his ‘only friend, really’

Artists reconstruction of Phoebodus sharks.

This Ancient Shark Looked Like an Eel and Swallowed Its Prey Whole

Scans of a rare 360-million-year-old shark skeleton shows the beasts used hunting techniques similar to modern sharks and fish

Mother walruses like this one on a waterfront near Svalbard, Norway, are very protective of their young.

An Angry Walrus Mother Derailed a Russian Naval Expedition

The hulking marine mammal was likely trying to protect her calves

Good luck, Tira! You've surely earned your spots.

Spotted in Kenya: A Baby Zebra With Polka Dots

Tira, as the foal has been named, appears to have a condition known as “pseudomelanism”—and it may threaten his survival

The only exceptions to the Ayam Cemani's black coloring are its cream-colored eggs and red blood

These Chickens Have Jet-Black Hearts, Beaks and Bones

The Ayam Cemani owes its unusual coloring to a genetic mutation

Komodo Dragons Have Skin That Looks Like Chain Mail

CT scans show layered bone covers the adult reptile's body, likely to protect them when fighting for mates and food

Massive 'Ice Dragon' Ruled the Skies Above Ancient Alberta

The newly described pterosaur with a wingspan over 30-feet was one of the largest flying creatures to ever exist

A prairie dog eats a bait containing a plague vaccine.

Plague-Infected Prairie Dogs Cause Parks to Close Near Denver

Prairie dog burrows are being dusted with insecticide to stop the spread of the disease transmitted via fleas

Black squirrels are seen across North America and England

Interspecies Breeding Is Responsible for Some Squirrels’ Black Coloring

Color-changing mutation originated in fox squirrels but spread to eastern gray squirrels via mating

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A New Species of Leech Is Discovered Near Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian researcher describes a previously unknown species of olive-green bloodsucker that has three jaws with up to 59 teeth

An adult Goliath frog caught by a local frog hunter.

How Did the World’s Largest Frog Get So Big? Possibly by Building Its Own Ponds

A new study documents the unique nest-building habits of the Goliath frog

Nom, nom, nom.

Researchers Think They Know Why Cats Eat Grass

Contrary to popular belief, grass only occasionally makes cats vomit

The Scientists Who Stared at Gulls

A new study suggests that watching the birds as they approach will slow them down or scare them off

Warmer temperatures yield more female hatchlings, while colder temperatures yield more males

Turtle Embryos May Be Able to Influence Their Sex by Moving Around Inside the Egg

When embryos found the so-called 'Goldilocks' temperature zone, sex selection was randomized, producing a nearly even split between males and females

Female (left) and male (right) black widow spiders

Male Black Widow Spiders Find Potential Mates by Following Other Suitors’ Trails

Although this strategy may seem counterintuitive, researchers say speedy tracking is an important factor in successful courtship

Grasshoppers swarm a light a few blocks off the Strip on July 26, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Swarms of Grasshoppers Invading Las Vegas Are Visible on Radar

Experts say the insects are migrating north in response to unusually heavy rainfall in the region

It may seem like an ugly duckling story, but it's so cute!

Empty-Nester Loons Adopt a Mallard Chick in Northern Wisconsin

For two months the duckling has learned to eat fish, dive and just hang out on on mom and dad's backs

A baby croc is held up in front of the Turkey Point wildlife preservation area in 2008.

Why Florida Crocs Are Thriving Outside a Nuclear Power Plant

But is the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station the reptilian utopia that it seems?

Members of the control group showed none of the behavioral and physiological changes seen among the experimental clutches

Unhatched Bird Embryos Communicate With Siblings by Vibrating Their Shells

Baby seabirds exposed to nestmates' warnings exhibit behavioral and physiological adaptations designed to help avoid predators

After a queen ant successfully mates with multiple males, she chews off her wings, returns to the ground and starts a new colony

Swarms of Flying Ants Overtaking Great Britain Show Up as Rain on Radar

Once a year, the winged insects take to the skies and engage in mating rituals

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