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Science / Wildlife

The Chinese alligator now numbers fewer than 200 in the wild, mostly restricted to a small reserve in the Anhui province of China, along the lower Yangtze River.

Ten Threatened and Endangered Species Used in Traditional Medicine

The demand for alternative remedies has given rise to a poaching industry that, along with other factors, has decimated animal populations

It only took five tries, but his version of Hamlet is much better.

Chimps Shouldn’t Be Entertainers

A new study provides evidence that seeing chimps in commercials makes us care less about them as a species

The St. Francis Satyrs now number around 1,000 and are found in an area of less than 20 acres.

Who Can Identify the World’s Rarest Butterfly

Two scientists are in a grim contest to document some of the animal kingdom’s most endangered species

There are 200 million European starlings in North America

The Invasive Species We Can Blame On Shakespeare

There are 200 million European starlings in North America, and they are a menace

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More…

Sea monster mamas, bat signals and opossum versus viper

Given a safe passage, jaguars will wander hundreds of miles to breed, even swimming across the Panama Canal.

The Jaguar Freeway

A bold plan for wildlife corridors that connect populations from Mexico to Argentina could mean the big cat’s salvation

Resembling a protective amulet, the Tibetan bunting charms Tashi Zangpo and the other monks he has trained.

A Buddhist Monk Saves One of the World’s Rarest Birds

High in the Himalayas, the Tibetan bunting is getting help from a very special friend

King of the Hill by photographer James Kasher

Photo of the Week: Anemone and Shrimp

One appeared on the very top of one of the highest fingers and grasped the tip in what appeared to be a moment of victory: King of the Hill

A long exposure of a Motyxia millipede highlights its greenish-blue glow

The Millipede That Glows In The Dark

The blind, nocturnal arthropod produces a deadly toxin when disturbed

Rock hyraxes in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

What in the World is a Rock Hyrax?

It’s the elephant’s closest living, land-based relative

Most orchid bees, like this Euglossa paisa, have metallic coloration.

The Evolution of the Orchid and the Orchid Bee

Which came first—the plant or its pollinator?

Toxoplasma gondii requires the cat digestive system for reproduction, so it hitches a ride in a rat

The Parasite That Makes a Rat Love a Cat

Toxoplasma gondii alters activity in a rat’s brain

The moose likely got drunk eating apples fermenting on the ground.

The Alcoholics of the Animal World

A drunken moose got stuck in a tree. But they aren’t the only ones who like the product of fermentation

About one-third of all corals are in threat of extinction, and some coral experts say that we could lose reefs as we know them by 2050.

Saving Coral…Through Sperm Banks?

Marine biologist Mary Hagedorn has learned to freeze and reanimate coral cells

A glowing kitty may help in the fight against AIDS

The Glow-In-The-Dark Kitty

A fluorescent green cat could help in the fight against AIDS

Without science, we wouldn't know that prehistoric creatures, like this short-necked plesiosaur (at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum) were real

Why I Like Science

It’s time to speak up: Why do you like science?

A male elephant at Etosha National Park in Namibia

Male Elephants Queue in Dry Times

Researchers believe the hierarchy helps elephants avoid injuries that could result from competing for water

Woolly rhinos may have used their flattened horns to sweep away snow and expose edible vegetation underneath.

Woolly Rhino May Have Been A Tibetan Native

When the Ice Age began, these large mammals spread out to northern Asia and Europe

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More…

Cleaner wrasse fish, black widow spiders and even bananas made the news recently as part of the latest wildlife research

Every day California sea otters spend 10 to 12 hours hunting and consume nearly a third of their body weight.

Otters: The Picky Eaters of the Pacific

Could the California sea otters’ peculiar dietary habits be impeding their resurgence?

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