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Science / Wildlife

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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

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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

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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

"The Jellies Experience" is at the Monterey Bay Aquarium through September 2014

14 Fun Facts About Jellyfish

Number 8: One species may be immortal. It can play its lifecycle in reverse, transforming from an adult medusa back to an immature polyp

A gorilla in the Congo wading in a swamp

A New Aquatic Ape Theory

In his new book, Learning From the Octopus, Rafe Sagarin argues that we ought to look to nature for how to better protect ourselves from danger.

How Plants and Animals Can Prepare Us for the Next Big Disaster

Author Rafe Sagarin looks to the natural world for tips on how to plan for national emergencies

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A Debate Over The Best Way to Protect the Tiger

Experts battle each other over a $350 million plan to keep the tiger from becoming extinct

Tigers are thriving in and around India’s Nagarhole National Park, with a regional population of 250. “If we do everything right, we can have 500,” says big-cat biologist Ullas Karanth.

The Fight to Save the Tiger

Although chimpanzees usually walk on all fours, sometimes they walk on two legs. New research suggests chimps walk bipedally to carry valuable resources, which might explain why bipedalism evolved in hominids.

What Chimps Could Tell Us About How Humans Started Walking on Two Legs

A new study of chimpanzees suggests that early hominids evolved upright, two-legged walking to carry valuable resources away from competitors

The Mollusc Militia is Coming

I have glimpsed the future. And it is teeming with creepy crawly cyborgs

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The Sawfish is a Great Slasher

This ray uses its toothed rostrum not only to detect its next meal, but also to attack and impale its prey

The Gray Wolf: The Great Lakes’ Comeback Kid

How do scientists know how many wolves are out there? Listen to how they howl, and then count how many wolves howl back

The land where the Clovis once hunted.

Clovis People Hunted Canada’s Camels

North American camels went extinct at the end of the last ice age. Were humans partly to blame?

The bison may never leave Catalina Island.

The Isle Where Buffalo Roam

When filming for a 1924 silent Western was finished, the crew members abandoned several of their extras

Passer domesticus is one of the most common animals in the world. It is found throughout Northern Africa, Europe, the Americas and much of Asia and is almost certainly more abundant than humans.

The Story of the Most Common Bird in the World

Why do we love what is rare and despise what is all around us?

After ruling out diet, scientists discover the secret behind blue feathers lies inside how the feathers are made.

Why Are Some Feathers Blue?

New research into a long-puzzling feature of avian life shows there’s more to color than meets the eye

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