Smithsonian Science Education Center

A Malayan tiger like this one was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the Bronx Zoo.

How Does a Disease Transfer from an Animal to a Human and Back?

COVID-19 has taken over world headlines since it first emerged in December of 2019. As the disease spread into a pandemic, scientists have scrambled to learn as much about it as quickly as possible. An early bright spot in the overwhelmingly negative news about COVID-19 was that it was believed pets could not get or carry the virus. However, recently a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19, which opened the questions: Can I infect my pet or another animal? And can an infected animal infect me?

Halloween crabs are known for their orange and black pattern.

7 Animals That Were Made For Halloween

Ghost bats, witch fish – it seems like animals all over the world are permanently dressed up for Halloween! Thanks to the Encyclopedia of Life, supported by the Smithsonian, we found seven of these ghoulish creatures in honor of October 31st. If you thought this holiday was just for bats and spiders, think again!

The most colorful, dazzling jewels in the National Museum of Natural History have wings, and they are in the Butterfly Pavilion!

The Best Things on Wings

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is home to some of the most valuable jewels on the planet. To me, the best ones in the museum aren’t in the Gems and Minerals exhibition. The most colorful, dazzling jewels in the museum have wings, and they are in the Butterfly Pavilion!

The Panamanian golden frog is in the toad family. Toads usually have dry skin compared to other frogs. (Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute)

Why Did Scientists Build an Amphibian Ark?

Endangered Species day is May 18! Learn why amphibians are so important and what Smithsonian scientists are doing to prevent amphibian populations from declining.

New evidence has made scientists rethink sauropods as being purely land dwellers. (dottedhippo/iStock/Thinkstock)

Scotland’s Jurassic Island: What Scientists Can Learn From Footprints

New evidence, in the form of footprints, has made scientists rethink sauropods as being purely land dwellers.

(moisseyev/iStock/Thinkstock)

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

Have you ever thought that the leaves changing color was the first sign of autumn? Actually, other factors trigger the leaves to change color!

A nocturnal Swallow-tailed Gull sneaks in an afternoon nap, purposefully placing its beak atop its back and under its feathers to rest its neck and stay warm. (Matthew Williams)

How Nature Keeps Cool and Handles the Heat

How do animals keep cool in warm weather? Learn how animals in the Galapagos regulate their temperature for survival.

Starfish and other echinoderms are extremely important to the biodiversity of our oceans. (Image: Comstock Images/Stockbyte/Thinkstock)

All About Starfish

Four facts you may or may not have known about starfish.

(Photo credit: Marjee Chmiel/Smithsonian Science Education Center)

Your Best Friends’ Genes

The friendship between humans and dogs began when our ancestors lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers and sheds light onto the reasoning behind why there are so many different breeds of dogs today.

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