Wildlife

480 Otis, a beloved brown bear made popular by the Explore.org bear cams of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, hunts for salmon at a popular bear fishing spot known as “the jacuzzi” on July 20, 2014.

The Chonky Superstar of Fat Bear Week Is Missing, and the Competition Won't Be the Same Without Him

While other bears battled over fish in a prime spot, Otis would sit off to the side and wait for the fish to come to him. But so far this year, he hasn’t been spotted in Katmai National Park and Preserve

Scientists observed two bowhead whales synchronizing dive schedules whenever they were within earshot of each other.

How Did Two Bowhead Whales That Were 60 Miles Apart Sync Their Diving?

Researchers suspect the marine mammals may have been communicating across the vast distance

A wildfire burns in Quebec, Canada, in June of last year. Smoke from the fires drifted south to the United States.

Is Wildfire Smoke Causing Birds to Tend to Empty Nests?

New studies suggest smoke from western megafires may be damaging bird health and leading to strange behavior

Jellyfish are among the planet’s simplest creatures, made up of about 95 percent water and lacking brains, spines, blood or hearts.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Delight in These 15 Photos That Capture the Exotic Undersea Lives of Jellyfish

Despite their often dangerous stings, these creatures create serene scenes as they float through the deep sea

A rarely seen whiplash squid swims more than 3,500 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

See Ten Strange and Mesmerizing Creatures From the Deep Ocean, From Sea Toads to Frilled Sharks

Scientists who explore the depths using submersibles continue to discover amazing animals that inhabit dark waters

The Hinemoana Halo Waka Moana Initiative recruited 12 crew members from the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.

An All-Female Crew Sailed 1,000 Miles in a Traditional Voyaging Canoe to Help Save Humpback Whales

The team traveled from New Zealand to Tonga along a humpback highway to collect environmental DNA and raise awareness of the plight of the marine mammals

Fossil teeth are quite abundant in Southwest Florida.

Four Places to Find Fossilized Shark Teeth in the United States

Sharks have been losing teeth for 400 million years. Here’s a guide to uncovering some of these plentiful fossils across the country

With a white frame around its eye and green feathers, this Swinhoe’s white-eye is easily camouflaged when flying from flower to flower.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

See 15 Amazing Photos of Beautiful Birds

These Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest images celebrate our feathered friends

A young blackpoll warbler with a NanoTag on Borgles Island, Nova Scotia

Tiny Trackers Are Revealing the Secret Lives of Tens of Thousands of Birds

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System has put nearly 50,000 incredibly lightweight radio transmitters on birds, bats and insects. We caught up with an ornithologist to learn more about where these creatures are flying

Dotty, a female Bengal tiger, roams her territory in India’s Bandhavgarh National Park, where tigers are one of the biggest tourist attractions.

Learning to Live Beside Endangered Tigers May Be the Key to Saving Them

New programs in India are helping to reduce conflict between humans and the big cats by educating communities and helping those who have been affected by animal attacks

An unidentified fly from the order Diptera, which has more than 125,000 species and is one of the largest insect orders

These Stunning Portraits of Insects Reveal the Intricacies of an Amazing World

Photographer Thorben Danke combines hundreds of shots to create breathtaking images of the tiny creatures

Did Hawaiian dancers traditionally wear grass skirts? 

What's the History of Hawaiian Grass Skirts? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

A rusty patched bumblebee, the first bumblebee species to be listed as endangered in the United States, clings to a flower.

Can the Endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee Survive?

A new genetic study reveals secrets about the creature, which may help researchers make decisions to conserve the species

Namibia's brown hyenas live in small clans but often travel and hunt alone.

Artificial Intelligence Could Soon Match Footprints to the Animals That Made Them

Scientists are working on a machine learning tool that could turn anyone with a camera into an expert tracker

A sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Anemones eat prey that gets trapped in their sticky oral disk.

These Mesmerizing Anemones Have a Glowing Layer of Protection

Marine biologists discovered that a protein that boosts fluorescent output also enables an antioxidant property

Each day, elephants roam the dry riverbed in Amboseli National Park in search of water and food. 

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

15 Playful and Powerful Photos to Celebrate World Elephant Day

Never forget your favorite pachyderm with these memorable images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

A hazel-eyed tiger glares through a tangled web of branches in Satpura Tiger Reserve.

Feast on 15 Ferocious Tiger Photos From the Smithsonian Photo Contest

This majestic big cat is one of the world’s most recognizable

A jar containing Ascaris, a parasitic worm that affects over one billion people worldwide

Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study Them?

Aging parasitologists are working hard to inspire more students to enter the field

A rhesus macaque on Cayo Santiago, which is less than a mile east of Puerto Rico. Rhesus macaques spend upwards of 20 percent of their time engaged in cooperative behaviors like grooming.

How Do Animals Change Their Social Habits as They Age?

In patterns that may sound familiar, long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep and macaques are up to in their twilight years

A lesser flamingo feeds at Lake Bogoria, in Kenya.

How Will Climate Change Hurt Lesser Flamingos?

Their food supply in East African lakes could collapse as rains increase

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