Wild Things: Life as We Know It
Dog faces, the history of laughter, snakes, and bird warning calls
![Domestic Pug](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/LliZtxhvrfNMBhp1FcN0_8n7fYM=/1000x750/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/wild-things-domestic-dog-aug09-631.jpg)
Why Snakes Are So Gripping
![Slithering Snake](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/q7Cyr4zRMj2LNGzV4dSP4dOwbPE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/slithering-snakes-aug09-520.jpg)
Avian Warning System
![Siberian Jay](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/uRxpZZgV3NiZRQIA8f8fziGp7FQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/siberian-jays-aug09-520.jpg)
Learn more about Siberian jays at the Encyclopedia of Life.
New Plant Structure
![Snow Root (Corydalis conorhiza)](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/Ke0cWujbSyECABOWNw8J0b-ZR00=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/snow-roots-aug09-520.jpg)
Laugh Like An Ape
![Laughing Ape](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/LRHD9iBx5QqUwfbeYST8WFDJetc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/laughing-ape-aug09-520.jpg)
Learn more about great apes at the Encyclopedia of Life.
Observed
![Domestic Pug](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/h2h2HeKxm22pV5sR-PbRGW0NJ0w=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/wild-things-domestic-dog-aug09-520.jpg)
Looks: Guilty (e.g., avoids eye contact, drops its tail, lies down, rolls onto its back, slinks off).
Thinks: Who knows? But a dog's guilty look is a reaction not to whatever the dog did, but to its owner's scolding, according to a study by psychologist Alexandra Horowitz of Barnard College. One telltale bit of data: dogs gave the guilty look when their owners mistakenly thought the dogs had eaten a forbidden treat, even when the dogs were completely innocent. More study—a lot more—is required to establish whether dogs have a conscience.
Learn more about the domestic dog at the Encyclopedia of Life.