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Science / Wildlife

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

The baby kiwi, a member of an endangered species, emerged into the world this July.

Conservationists Hatch a Kiwi Cutie-Pie

For an endangered species, every kiwi counts

How the Narwhal Got Its Tusk

According to Inuit storytelling tradition, the narwhal was once an evil stepmother, who wove her hair into a tusk

The fin of a blacktip shark glides through the waters in the Bahamas.

New Research

Ten Things We’ve Learned about Sharks Since Last Shark Week

In light of Shark Week 2017, here are some revelations about the fearsome fish we’ve made in the past year

Christina Gebhard prepares to measure a condor's wingspan

Behind the Scenes: Skinning Condors in the Name of Science

One intrepid reporter documents the careful science, artistry and gross factor of a very strange party

The cheetah population almost halved since 1975 with only an estimated 7,100 left in the wild today.

Future of Conservation

How to Help Cheetahs Live Longer in Captivity

The key is in what we feed them, researchers surmise

Moonlight's cub was born on June 17.

Meet the Zoo’s Newborn Red Panda Cubs, Who Just Opened Their Eyes

The three cubs were born within days of each other at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

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