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Science / Wildlife

The elusive Vangunu giant rat lives in trees, a habitat under attack from deforestation in the Solomon Islands.

New Research

Fall in Love With This Newly Discovered Giant Island Rat

The Vangunu rat is the first rodent species to come to light on the Solomon Islands in 80 years—and it’s already endangered

Herding the bison into the corral.

Family Travel

Witness a Real-Life Wild West Buffalo Roundup

For one day only, the old West lives on in South Dakota’s Custer State Park

Two tree frogs share an intimate moment. The eye-popping yellow of the male only emerges in mating season.

The Color-Changing Marvel of Tree Frogs Looking for Love

A new study sheds light on the wild world of “dynamically dichromatic” amphibians

Yes, oysters can get herpes.

Oysters Can Get Herpes, And It’s Killing Them

A deadly virus threatens to decimate oyster populations around the world

Damai's son will be named at the San Diego Zoo following a period of consultation with his original caretakers. A Sumatran tiger, the little guy is an important member of an endangered species.

Baby Tiger Travels by Southwest Jet, in Search of a Better Life in San Diego

Incompatible with his birthmother, a National Zoo cub seeks friendship in San Diego

Tapeworms, like this one imaged using a scanning electron micrograph, weaken their victims but don't typically kill them.

New Research

The World’s Parasites Are Going Extinct. Here’s Why That’s a Bad Thing

Up to one-third of parasite species could vanish over the next few decades, disrupting ecosystems and even human health

Since 2016, it has opened up its expeditions to the public.

Family Travel

You Can Help Scientists Study Great White Sharks Off the Coast of Cape Cod

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is offering boating expeditions open to the public now through October

Connexus Energy's SolarWise garden in Ramsey provides habitat for pollinators.

Solar Power and Honey Bees Make a Sweet Combo in Minnesota

The Pollinator Friendly Solar Act has solar companies and commercial beekeepers working together

It's too early to know the sexes of the baby armadillos, but one thing is clear: they're darling.

Once You See These Brand New “Screaming Armadillo” Pups, You’ll Be Screaming Too

No armor is impervious to this cuteness now at the National Zoo

A member of the Myrmoteras genus of trap-jaw ants, with mandibles deployed.

Prying Apart the Mighty Bite of a Malaysian Trap-Jaw Ant

Its mandibles strike in a fraction of a blink of an eye, but how does it do it?

Bei Bei noshes on some bamboo in his "Birthday Boy" box as spectators look on. His "cake," shaped like a numeral 2, is visible to his right.

Pandamonium

Bei Bei the Panda Cub Celebrates his Second Birthday in Style

The notorious sleepyhead manages to rouse himself for fans

Humpback whales sounding in Windham Bay, Alaska.

What Humpback Whales Can Teach Us About Compassion

Are these orca-fighting, seal-saving good Samaritans really just in it for themselves?

Monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed leaves and dropping their feces (taken in the laboratory facility).

How Insect Poop Could Solve All Our Problems

Bugs use their feces for weapons, navigation and gardening. Can we tap into this poop party?

Like humans, individual tigers react differently to sedatives, says Minnesota Zoo veterinarian Rachel Thompson.

The Big Unsexy Problem With Tiger Selfies

Why drugging and caging the cats for Tinder photos is even more messed up than it sounds

Park Ranger Leonard Landa with the bear that killed Michele Koons.

The Deadly Grizzly Bear Attacks That Changed the National Park Service Forever

Visitors to Glacier National Park had long conditioned the predators to seek food from humans, making the maulings somewhat inevitable

Jenks' mice, preserved at Harvard in alcohol in a 12-inch tall glass jar, are each tagged with critical information.

A Scholar Follows a Trail of Dead Mice and Discovers a Lesson in Why Museum Collections Matter

A former Smithsonian curator authors a new book, Inside the Lost Museum

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