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Science / Wildlife

The silver spotted skipper butterfly is one of the most common butterflies caught during the census.

Name That Butterfly

Citizen scientists on a sharp learning curve are carrying out an important census in fields and gardens across the country

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A Cat-Like Crocodile from the Cretaceous

The Australian Dragonfish

Weird Creatures From the Deep

A massive census of the oceans has turned up a trove of strange marine wildlife, from jellyfish to octopuses to anemones

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Smithsonian Implements Sticky Solution to Aid Energy Conservation

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Extreme Jellyfish

There are some 2,000 species of jellyfish. Some are tasty, others will kill you with the tap of a tentacle. Here are nine varieties that really stand out

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Five Species Likely to Become Extinct in the Next 40 Years

Experts estimate that one-eighth of all bird species, one-fifth of mammal species and one-third of amphibian species are at risk

Common Thresher Shark

Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Cobras, sharks, lemurs, hermit crabs and more…

The discovery of new species is driven by new technologies, targeted surveys of little-studied ecosystems and a determined effort to identify plants and animals before their habitat is lost. The kipunji is one of 300 mammal species discovered in the past decade; it is thought to be Africa’s rarest monkey.

Meet the New Species

From old-world primates to patch-nosed salamanders, new creatures are being discovered every day

Nancy Knowlton is a marine biologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and a leading authority on coral reefs.

By the Numbers: A Marine Advisory

Scientists say the outlook for the world’s oceans is bleak—unless we stop overfishing and reduce air and water pollution

Jellyfish such as these Northeast Pacific sea nettles in Monterey Bay Aquarium, are brainless, bloodless and mostly aimless.

Jellyfish: The Next King of the Sea

As the world’s oceans are degraded, will they be dominated by jellyfish?

A long-anonymous college student in New York City reflected both the gravity and zaniness of that first Earth Day protest.

An Earth Day Icon, Unmasked

The 1970 photograph became an instant environmental classic, but its subject has remained nameless until now

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Koalas and Kangaroos Have South American Roots

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On the Trail of Elephants in Mali and Kenya

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Ants Use Velcro to Catch Large Prey

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50 Years of Chimpanzee Discoveries at Gombe

Fifty years ago today, Jane Goodall arrived at Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve (now Gombe National Park) in Tanzania

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Animal Hybrids: Ligers and Tigons and Pizzly Bears, Oh My!

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Is That Man a Bonobo or a Chimp?

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Dolphins Are Efficient Eaters

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Rhinoceroses in Romania

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Should Oiled Birds Be Cleaned?

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