Science / Wildlife

A Valentine for Sci-Art Lovers

A clever print by designer Jacqueline Schmidt pays homage to 12 different species with one thing in common—they mate for life

February 14, 2013

Flushing Your Anti-Anxiety Pills Down the Toilet Could Affect the Behavior of Wild Fish

A study shows that wild perch are less fearful, eat faster and are more anti-social when exposed to a common pharmaceutical pollutant

February 14, 2013

Outrageous Taxidermy, the Subject of a New Show on AMC

Former Smithsonian taxidermist Paul Rhymer is a judge on “Immortalized,” a TV competition that pits up-and-comers against superstars in the field

February 14, 2013

Meet Indonesia’s New Owl Species

The new species of owl makes a distinctive “pwok” call and is unique to just one island in Indonesia

February 13, 2013

Is It Love? Why Some Ocean Animals (Sort Of) Mate For Life

A look at the mating systems of some monogamous ocean animals show that finding life partners helps species protect themselves and their young

February 13, 2013

Critter Cupids: Animals in Love

Ever wonder how a giant panda says I love you? Or how a sea lion bonds with a best friend?

February 13, 2013

This Sea Slug Discards Its Penis After Sex and Grows Another

Chromodoris reticulata, native to the Pacific, engages in mating behavior previously unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom

February 13, 2013

What Makes the Trout in Ecuador Look Like Salmon?

Aiming to catch a few trout for dinner, the author decides to try his luck at one of the region’s many “sport fishing” sites

February 12, 2013

Can Birds Survive Climate Change?

Predicted increases in torrential rain and severe drought will force birds in Asia to relocate in search of food and viable habitat, a new study finds

February 8, 2013

Salmon Swim Home Using Earth’s Magnetic Field as a GPS

Their intuitive sense of the magnetic field surrounding them allow sockeye salmon to circumnavigate obstacles to find their birth stream

February 7, 2013

The Year’s Most Outstanding Science Visualizations

A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way

February 5, 2013

Why Cockroaches Meticulously Groom Their Antennae

Just as humans scrub off to remove dead skin cells, sweat and dirt from the day, insects also busy themselves to keep clean

February 4, 2013

Honey, I Blew Up the Bugs

Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti created 16 enormous sculptures of giant insects, all scientifically accurate, now on display at an Oklahoma museum

February 4, 2013

Solving the Mystery of Owls’ Head-Turning Abilities

New research shows how owls can swivel their heads around without cutting off blood supply to their brains

February 1, 2013

Evotourism ®

The Komodo Dragon is an All-Purpose Killing Machine

A visit to one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations could be your last

February 2013

VIDEO: See a Thought Move Through a Living Fish’s Brain

By using genetic modification and a florescent-sensitive probe, Japanese scientists captured a zebrafish’s thought in real-time

January 31, 2013

How the Star-Nosed Mole ‘Sees’ With Its Ultra-Sensitive Snout

The utterly strange-looking creature sees the world with one of the most sensitive touch organs in the animal kingdom

January 30, 2013

Feral Cats Kill Billions of Small Critters Each Year

A new study shows that cats—especially feral ones—kill far more birds and small mammals than scientists previously thought

January 29, 2013

African Dung Beetles Navigate At Night Using the Milky Way

A new study shows the tiny feces ball-rolling insects orient themselves by the stars

January 24, 2013

The Gory Details of Artist Katrina van Grouw’s Unfeathered Birds

A British artist, with experience in ornithology, explains how she created anatomical drawings of 200 different species of birds for a new book

January 18, 2013