Weird Animals

Unlike modern beavers, which use their sharp-edged teeth to chop up trees and build dams, mega-sized ones were unable to alter their environment to fit their needs

Why Did These Human-Sized Beavers Go Extinct During the Last Ice Age?

A new study suggests the giant beavers disappeared after their wetland habitats dried up, depriving the species of its aquatic plant-based diet

The prehistoric school seems to adhere to the laws of attraction and repulsion, with members maintaining enough distance between neighbors without straying too far from the group

Did This Fossil Freeze a Swimming School of Fish in Time?

The 50-million-year-old slab of limestone suggests that fish have been swimming in unison for far longer than previously realized

Bonobo Mothers Interfere in Their Sons' Monkey Business

They find suitable mates for their offspring and chase away intruders once the mating begins, boosting fertility rates

The study's authors outline three possible scenarios for the unusual fossil's formation

This 100-Million-Year-Old Squid Relative Was Entrapped in Amber

The ancient ammonite was preserved alongside the remains of at least 40 other marine and terrestrial creatures

A new study identifies the remains of two previously mislabeled species: a short-faced bear and wolf-like carnivore

Divers Find Ice Age Megafauna Remains in Underwater Mexican Cave

The animals include at least seven short-faced bears and one or two wolf-like carnivores

The 8.5-millimeter millipede had five-unit compound eyes and an unusually hairless rear end

This Petite, 99-Million-Year-Old Millipede Was Entrapped in Amber

The diminutive arthropod represents not only a previously unknown species, but an entirely separate Callipodida suborder

Hippos excrete 880 pounds of silica into Kenya’s Mara River every day

East Africa's Mara River Relies on Hippo Poop to Transport a Key Nutrient

Hippo droppings account for more than three-quarters of the ecosystem's silica

Yum?

This 1,500-Year-Old Chunk of Fossilized Human Poop Contains Remains of a Whole Rattlesnake

Researchers believe an ancient hunter-gatherer consumed the reptile whole as part of a ceremonial or ritualistic event

An artist's rendering of the extinct hypercarnivore

This Toothy Carnivore Was Bigger Than a Polar Bear

Some 22 million years ago, the apex predator ruled the forests of Africa and dined on the ancestors of hippopotamuses and elephants

Watch Live as a Rare Bald Eagle 'Throuple' Raises Their New Trio of Chicks

Starr, Valor I and Valor II are taking care of three eaglets seven years after their dramatic story began

Skippy, the author's cat, is generally an attentive listener.

Cats May Recognize Their Own Names—but It Doesn’t Mean They Care

In a study of 78 kitties, researchers concluded our feline friends can differentiate their names out of a series of random words

The squirrels measure up to 36 inches from head to tail

Yes, Giant Technicolor Squirrels Actually Roam the Forests of Southern India

The colorful creatures can measure up to three feet long from head to tail and weigh in at around four pounds

This is why we can't have nice things.

Indonesia Considers Closing Komodo Island Because Poachers Keep Stealing the Dragons

Komodo National Park may put the island off limits to restore degraded habitat and help its iconic giant lizards and their prey recover

Researchers analyzed blood samples taken from 43 great white sharks captured and released off of the South African coast in 2012

Great White Sharks Thrive Despite Heavy Metals Coursing Through Their Veins

The apex predators likely absorb these toxins by eating fish lower down on the food chain

Researcher Jack Ashby initially suspected a crow was responsible for the toad's skinning, but after examining the photo, he concluded that an otter was the more likely culprit

Why Otters Disembowel Toads Before Eating Them

The unfortunate amphibian likely fell victim to an otter, which skinned it to avoid ingesting the deadly toxins found in its glands

The Toad mountain harlequin frog is one of more than 500 species endangered by the fungal outbreak

World's Deadliest Pathogen On Record Devastates More Than 500 Amphibian Species—and We Don't Know How To Stop It

The powerful fungus essentially 'eats' its victim's skin alive, weakening the system before triggering cardiac arrest

Mini mum fits comfortably on a human's thumbnail

Meet 'Mini mum,' 'Mini scule' and 'Mini ature,' Three New Frog Species Among the World's Smallest

The newly discovered amphibians are all about the size of a thumbnail or smaller

Around 20 percent of the time, the bears returned a playmate’s expression within one second of seeing it

Sun Bears Mimic Each Other’s Facial Expressions to Communicate

Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas

Previously, the only known member of the genus spotted on Sulawesi was T. fulvicornis, a species described in 1885.

These 103 Beetle Species Have a Mix of Pop Culture-Inspired Names

Entomologists named the newly discovered species after Star Wars Jedi master Yoda, Greek goddess Artemis, French comic book character Asterix

Researchers crossed paths with a pod of Type D whales during a January expedition

A New Orca Species May Have Been Spotted Off the Coast of Chile

Until now, the so-called Type D killer whale has been the stuff of legends, eluding scientists while sneaking snacks off of fishermen's lines

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