Wildlife

Seahorses build a strong pair bond—but if the couple is forcibly separated, they are more than willing to move on.

Seahorses Aren't as Committed as Previously Thought

Pair bonds between the fish aren't as strong as you think

A queen Oecophylla smaragdina ant

How Can Ant and Termite Queens Live So Long?

Scientists are working to understand the matriarchs, who can survive decades while investing huge amounts of energy into reproduction

The launch of new satellites later this year could make the job of identifying stranded whales from space even more effective.

Satellites Can Spot Beached Whales From Space

Very high resolution satellites give scientists a new way to find out when and where a large-bodied whale, such as a humpback or a sperm, is stranded

A tiger shark swims in the Bahamas. Over the past several decades, the predators ventured farther north in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Some Tiger Sharks Are Migrating Farther North Due to Climate Change

The predator’s movements in the Atlantic Ocean could scramble ecosystems and endanger the sharks by sending them outside marine protected areas

Little is known about most magnapinnid, or bigfin squid, species. The individual pictured here was spotted by the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer in the Gulf of Mexico. Recently, a magnapinnid was filmed in the Philippine Trench—the deepest ever sighting of a squid.

Scientists Find the World's Deepest-Dwelling Squid

Researchers went looking for a war wreck roughly 19,000 feet under the sea—and spotted the animal instead

Danish scientist Kristine Bohmann collects air samples in the Copenhagen Zoo’s tropical rainforest house.

Planet Positive

Scientists Pull Animal DNA Out of Thin Air

The new method, tested at two zoos, could revolutionize the study of biodiversity in the wild

Orange and lemon groves as well as the residence of the citrus pioneer William Wolfskill, c. 1882. 

The Bug That Saved California

The Golden State’s citrus industry faced a lethal threat. The solution would herald a new kind of pest control

The remarkable Hudsonian godwit.

Planet Positive

This Wonder Bird Flies Thousands of Miles, Non-Stop, as Part of an Epic Migration

The more scientists learn about the Hudsonian godwit, the more they’re amazed—and worried

A restoration of the extinct whale Phiomicetus, named by paleontologists earlier this year, preying upon a sawfish.

Whales Once Walked Along the Coasts of North America

Increasing fossil finds are helping researchers understand how such early whales made their way to the continent

A CT scan of the spiral intestine of a Pacific spiny dogfish shark (Squalus suckleyi). The organ begins on the left and ends on the right.

Innovation for Good

Ten Scientific Discoveries From 2021 That May Lead to New Inventions

From nanobots to cancer treatments, nature inspires a wide variety of innovations

Insects become part of beautiful patterns reminiscent of domestic textiles and wallpaper in the work of installation artist Jennifer Angus.

Art Meets Science

The Creepy, Crawling History of Insect Art

Through history and across cultures, bugs have inspired artists and challenged viewers to shift their perspective

From amazing firsts on Mars to the impacts of climate change on Earth, these science stories stood out as the most important of 2021

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2021

Thrilling discoveries, hurdles in the fight against Covid and advancements in space exploration defined the past year

A humpback whale and her calf swim underwater. A recent study in Nature found whales eat and poop way more than previously thought—and that feces plays an important role in fertilizing the ocean.

The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2021

From the discovery of a large bioluminescent shark to the use of an innovative drone to study hurricanes, these are the best marine stories of the year

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Five Places in the United States to See Carnivorous Plants in the Wild

These flesh-eating plants can be found in savage gardens from Oregon to Texas

A squid swims in the dark waters of the Mediterranean. Billions of aquatic animals, from krill to squid, travel to surface waters each night, a migration that scientists are only beginning to fully grasp.

What Drives Aquatic Animals to Make Vertical Migrations?

Researchers are trying to shed light on what leads many water dwellers—from plankton to large fish—to commute daily from the depths to the surface

Until recently, scientists knew relatively little about the lives of birds on the open North Atlantic. But a group of researchers has identified a habitat in the ocean teeming with great shearwaters and other seabirds.

Regulators Look to Protect a Seabird Hotspot in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean

Scientists have identified a key seabird feeding ground in need of safeguarding

A growing body of work shows that marine animals are attracted to the sounds of healthy environments.

Playing Recordings of a Healthy Ocean Can Help Restore Marine Ecosystems

Scientists are using a 'fake it til you make it' approach to attract animals to coral reefs and other degraded habitats

An eastern barred bandicoot explores its space in the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

How Australia’s Eastern Barred Bandicoot Came Back From Extinction

With help from a captive breeding program and the watchful eyes of sheepdogs, the small mammal has been reintroduced to the country’s plains

Jeffrey Peter, of Old Crow, Yukon, cleans a caribou hide during an autumn hunt. When camping, the hide is used as a mattress; at home, it’s clothing.

For the Gwich'in People, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Isn't a Political Issue, It's Home

Journey to the far north of Alaska, where the Indigenous communities hunt caribou, the backbone of the region's ecosystem

A Magdalena River turtle hatchling

Inside the Local Movement to Recover Colombia’s River Turtles

In river basins across the country, communities are working to protect the endangered and endemic reptiles

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