Zoology | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/zoology/RSS feed for ZoologyenWed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000Double Puggles: See the Adorable 'Twin' Echidnas Born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Parkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/The two babies hatched this year to one mother during the same breeding season—an extremely rare occurrence, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceWed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/Poop From Southern Right Whales Reveals That the Animals Might Be More Resilient to Climate Change Than We Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/Scientists long believed that these whales, which swim throughout the Southern Hemisphere, mainly feasted on krill and small crustaceans called copepods, which are disappearing from the warming ocean. A new study suggests that the cetaceans have a more varied, flexible dietMon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/Meet the Orange-Lipped 'Likweli' Monkey, a New Species That Was Discovered in the Congo Rainforesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/The creatures, which weigh about the same as a small dog, have spiky black hair, orange-cream skin around their mouths and a white patch on their rear ends. Scientists say that they're probably endangeredFri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/Giraffes Might Be Even Smarter Than We Thought. Some Can Solve Simple Math Problems, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Two of four tested giraffes seemed to be able to mentally combine numbers to get one of their favorite treats: carrots. But all the animals failed at tasks involving subtraction or multiple calculationsThu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Scientists Ranked Hundreds of Spider Species by Running Speed. Australia's Huge, Hairy Brown Huntsman Came Out on Tophttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-ranked-hundreds-of-spider-species-by-running-speed-australias-huge-hairy-brown-huntsman-came-out-on-top-180989132/The brown huntsman can sprint at a maximum speed of eight miles per hour, although it can only maintain that pace for a fraction of a second. The research will lead to a better understanding of the evolution and biomechanics of arachnidsWed, 15 Jul 2026 20:02:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-ranked-hundreds-of-spider-species-by-running-speed-australias-huge-hairy-brown-huntsman-came-out-on-top-180989132/Scientists Just Learned That This Bat Eats Birds Midflight. A Renaissance Painter May Have Known About It Hundreds of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/Last fall, scientists reported the first known recordings of greater noctule bats hunting and feasting on songbirds during night flights. But a 17th-century artwork by Jan Brueghel the Elder seems to depict the species flying with feathered prey in its mouthThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:17:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/This Newly Discovered Spider Builds a Unique Web That Catapults Ants Through the Airhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Flung prey can reach speeds of up to 14.4 feet per second, or a little less than ten miles per hour. An insect will land in the spider's main web about a foot above the spring-loaded trapWed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Female Dolphins Seem to Remember Which Males Were Aggressive During Mating Season—and May Try to Avoid Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the soundsTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/These Devoted Dads Across the Animal Kingdom Will Warm Your Heart This Father’s Dayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/these-devoted-dads-across-the-animal-kingdom-will-warm-your-heart-this-fathers-day-180988987/From foxes that bring home dinner to fish that keep watch over their young, male animals across several species take an active role in building nests and caring for their babiesThu, 18 Jun 2026 20:53:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/these-devoted-dads-across-the-animal-kingdom-will-warm-your-heart-this-fathers-day-180988987/Scientists Discover a New Species of 'Walking' Shark in Papua New Guinea. They Suspect It's at Risk of Going Extincthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/The creature belongs to a unique group of sharks whose members can use their strong pectoral fins like legs to get aroundWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:41:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/See the First-Ever Photographs of Cozumel’s Elusive Dwarf Fox, One of the Rarest Canids in the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/No one had seen the creatures in more than two decades, leading scientists to wonder whether they'd gone extinct. That changed in September 2023Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/'Ugliest Shark on the Planet': See the Elusive Goblin Shark, Filmed for the First Time in Its Deep-Sea Habitathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/Scientists spotted the enigmatic creatures in 2019 and again in 2024, marking the first times they've been observed alive in the wild. The sightings drastically expand the animals' known geographic and depth rangeMon, 15 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/Scientists Discover the World's Largest, Deepest Whale Graveyard, Where Cetacean Remains Have Been Piling Up for Five Million Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/The massive necropolis, located deep in the southeastern Indian Ocean, is teeming with marine life supported by the whale carcasses, including many suspected new speciesFri, 12 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/Bumblebees Can Solve Problems on the Fly, Adding to the Insects' List of Impressive Cognitive Abilitieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/In a series of experiments, the fuzzy pollinators figured out how to use a ball as a tool to access a sugary treat. The study further highlights that the critters are quite clever despite their tiny brainsWed, 10 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/Scientists Have Been Studying Fire Salamanders for More Than 250 Years. They Just Discovered That the Creatures Glow Under UV Lighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-been-studying-these-salamanders-for-more-than-250-years-they-just-discovered-the-creatures-glow-under-uv-light-180988900/Fire salamanders—one of Europe's most well-researched amphibians—are biofluorescent, which means they can absorb light from an external source at one wavelength, then re-emit it at anotherFri, 05 Jun 2026 15:09:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-been-studying-these-salamanders-for-more-than-250-years-they-just-discovered-the-creatures-glow-under-uv-light-180988900/How Do Pigeons Find Their Way Home? New Research Suggests That the Birds' Remarkable Navigational Skills Come From Their Livershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-new-research-suggests-the-birds-remarkable-navigational-skills-come-from-their-livers-180988884/The birds might use the organs' iron-rich immune cells as internal compasses on overcast days, when they must rely on Earth’s magnetic field, instead of the sun’s light cues, for navigationTue, 02 Jun 2026 21:21:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-new-research-suggests-the-birds-remarkable-navigational-skills-come-from-their-livers-180988884/'Playful Youngster': See the Rare, Endangered Przewalski's Horse Born at the Bronx Zoohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playful-youngster-see-the-rare-endangered-przewalskis-horse-born-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988873/The foal was born on April 21 and is now romping around with the rest of the herd in the zoo's seasonal Wild Asia Monorail exhibit. It belongs to a species whose members are often considered the last truly wild horsesMon, 01 Jun 2026 21:32:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playful-youngster-see-the-rare-endangered-przewalskis-horse-born-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988873/Daddy Longlegs Seem to Hunt Frogs in South America, Revealing the Gangly Arachnids as Overlooked Predatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/daddy-longlegs-seem-to-hunt-frogs-in-south-america-revealing-the-gangly-arachnids-as-long-overlooked-predators-180988810/A new study suggests that harvestmen actively attack the slippery amphibians, rather than just scavenging them. The findings hint that the spineless creatures have a more complex relationship with vertebrates than previously thoughtWed, 27 May 2026 13:00:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/daddy-longlegs-seem-to-hunt-frogs-in-south-america-revealing-the-gangly-arachnids-as-long-overlooked-predators-180988810/The Mere Presence of Humans—Not Just Our Changes to the Land—Can Alter Wild Animals' Behaviors, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-mere-presence-of-humans-not-just-our-changes-to-the-land-can-alter-wild-animals-behaviors-a-new-study-suggests-180988793/Researchers examined GPS tracking data from thousands of animals representing 37 species and anonymized cellphone location data from 2020, a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, and the previous yearTue, 26 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-mere-presence-of-humans-not-just-our-changes-to-the-land-can-alter-wild-animals-behaviors-a-new-study-suggests-180988793/