Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Science / Wildlife

Steven Amstrup has studied polar bears in the arctic for decades and seen the impacts of climate change firsthand.

Interview With Indianapolis Prize Winner and Polar Bear Researcher Steven Amstrup

Recognized for his role in animal conservation, Amstrup explains what climate change is doing to the arctic and what he’s doing to stop it

Pigs were domesticated in several different regions of the world.

Old McHominid’s Farm

Where and when did humans domesticate dogs, pigs, cows and other animals?

A new study uses high-speed videography to examine how mosquitoes survive the impact of raindrops.

How Do Mosquitoes Fly in the Rain?

Bathynomus

The Sea Monster Bathynomus

The hulking crustacean has razor-sharp mandibles and eyes that catch the light like a cat’s. Now it has turned into a high-tech saboteur

The ocean sunfish is the heaviest bony fish in the world; it can grow more than 10 feet long and pack on a whopping 5,000 pounds, and yet its flat body has no real tail to speak of.

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Ocean Sunfish

Marine biologist Tierney Thys and researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium are learning more about one of the largest jellyfish eaters in the sea

Some fossil evidence indicates the common ancestor of gorillas (shown), chimpanzees and humans came from Europe.

Did Africa’s Apes Come From Europe?

Fossil evidence hints that the common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans evolved in Europe

An artist's depiction of Afrotarsius (upper left) and other early primates from Africa

Out of Asia: How Monkey and Ape Ancestors Colonized Africa

A new fossil discovery suggests that anthropoid ancestors originated in Asia and then rafted across the ocean to Africa

A new study shows that over-the-counter products sold to eradicate the bed bug, shown feeding above, are relatively ineffective

Bed Bugs Are Even Peskier Than We Thought

A new study reveals that common over-the-counter bed bug eradication products are essentially ineffective

Scientists are racing against time: 100,000 species of flora-imperiled by habitat destruction, overharvesting and climate change—are threatened with extinction.

The Noah’s Ark of Plants and Flowers

Scientists at a British laboratory are racing to preserve thousands of the world’s threatened plants, one seed at a time

Sometimes sleeping on the ground is cooler and more comfortable for chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees Sleep in Trees to Escape the Humidity

Making nests in trees keeps chimps comfortable and safe from nighttime predators

Someone painted this rhinoceros on a wall in France's Chauvet Cave about 30,000 years ago.

The Top Four Candidates for Europe’s Oldest Work of Art

The discovery of 37,000-year-old cave art showing female genitalia adds to the list of contenders

Betty White’s new book details her life of loving animals and working with zoos to help endangered species around the world.

Betty White on Her Love for Animals

Everyone knows the “Golden Girls” actress for her long television career, but she is just as proud of her work with zoos

Adult male orangutans have large cheek pads and a big throat pouch, but it can take decades to develop such traits.

Why Some Orangutans Never Want to Grow Up

Some males take decades to fully mature; this arrested development can improve their odds of mating success

None

Ten Extremely Rare Seeds on the Brink of Extinction

The Millennium Seed Bank has set out to collect 25 percent of the world’s plant species by 2020—before it is too late

This modern-day assassin bug stacks dead ant bodies on its back to confuse predators.

This Insect Uses Its Victims’ Carcasses As Camouflage

Acanthaspis petax, a type of assassin bug, stacks dead ant bodies on its back to confuse predators

An Aguilla Bank skink, one of the 24 new species discovered

24 New Lizard Species Discovered, Half Close to Extinction

The discoverer of the world’s (then) smallest frog, snake and lizard does it again with new species of Caribbean skinks

The species could self-destruct because of its biting behavior.

What is Killing the Tasmanian Devil?

The island’s most famous inhabitant is under attack by a diabolical disease

None

How Do Birds Find Their Way Home?

Birds must be geniuses because they use quantum mechanics to navigate

The rare all-white orca whale was spotted swimming with its pod.

Rare Sighting of All-White Orca Whale

Earlier this week, photos were released of an extremely rare killer whale off the eastern coast of Russia

None

Snoozing Chimps Offer Glimpse of Hominid Sleeping Habits

Most chimpanzees build tree nests when it’s time to go to bed, but some prefer sleeping on the ground; the same was probably true for early hominids

Page 105 of 143