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Animals

The newly described species, Gerrothorax maritimus, was around 30 inches long.

Paleontologists Discover the First Known Amphibian That Lived Entirely at Sea: a Flat, Armored Creature From 237 Million Years Ago

Two nearly complete fossilized skeletons of the strange new species were found in southwestern China. Scientists suspect its marine lifestyle was an evolutionary accident

Little housemates, mammals, highly commended: When walking home from school in Switzerland, photographer Marc Siegle spotted a young red fox. He found a family with four cubs living in a nearby barn and photographed them as they peered through the door. Siegle later learned that the barn’s owner eventually scared the foxes away, throwing stones at them so they would scatter. “Moments like these remind me how important it is to look out for the wild animals that share our world with us,” Siegle writes in a statement.

See 18 Captivating Images From the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

From tranquil landscapes to a thunderous flock of seabirds, the recognized photos reveal stunning scenes of often-hidden aspects of the natural world

A Japanese macaque

Some Monkeys Seem to Become Germophobic After Living Through a Disease Outbreak, Just Like Humans

Macaques that had gotten sick or seen others become ill were less likely to eat a tasty treat that looked like it was contaminated with poop than primates that didn’t witness the outbreak—even though they didn’t know how the infection spreads

Southern right whales—babies, juveniles and adults—have been washing up dead in unusually high numbers in Argentina's Chubut province this year.

Hundreds of Baby Whales Have Died in Argentina This Year—and Scientists Are Scrambling to Understand Why

Their leading hypothesis is that the young cetaceans are dying from a bacterial infection, but experts are still trying to figure out why this year’s mortality rates are so high. Adults have also been washing up dead, possibly because of a toxic algal bloom

Bats navigate in the dark using echolocation. Scientists are piecing together how the animals understand the world through the mix of echoes that bounces back.

Bats Thrive in a Messy, Noisy World. These Four Discoveries Reveal How They Can Listen and Chatter Through the Din

From eavesdropping to echolocation tricks, science is giving us an inside look into how various bat species weaponize sound

Bison gather for a recent feeding in the forest.

Bison Used to Roam Eastern Europe Before They Neared Extinction. Now Researchers in Poland Want to Create a Suitable Home Where They Can Thrive

Once nearly extinct, wisent adapted to life in the Bialowieza Forest. Human intervention kept them from disappearing, and now humans are trying to return them to their true habitat

Shamonda is most commonly detected in cattle.

Shamonda Virus Infected and Killed a Person for the First Time. Here’s What to Know About the Pathogen Usually Found in Livestock

The patient, a French man in his 60s with leukemia, died earlier this month. Health officials say the risk to the public is low

Coral reefs support roughly a quarter of all marine species.

Most of the World’s Shallow-Water Coral Reefs Have Been Deemed Critically Endangered, Meaning They Could Collapse Within 50 Years

The first-ever global assessment of these vibrant underwater ecosystems paints a grim picture: Climate change projections put 96 percent of shallow-water reefs at the highest level of threat

In Australia, southern cassowaries live primarily in the rainforests of Queensland. 

These Big, Fierce Birds Found Love in Australia—and Laid the First Southern Cassowary Eggs at the Adelaide Zoo in 34 Years

Zoo staffers don’t know whether the bright green eggs are viable and will ultimately hatch into chicks. However, the eggs themselves are a major win, because breeding the birds in captivity is tricky

The figure comes from the number of birds spotted by volunteers with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, and it likely represents an undercount.

More Than 1,000 Birds Were Killed or Injured in Window Collisions Around Chicago Over the Weekend

On the evening of October 16, more than five million birds are estimated to have flown through Cook County, which includes Chicago. They were propelled by favorable winds brought by a cold front

A female green turtle digs through sand to create a nest on Aldabra atoll.

Green Sea Turtles Are Making a Remarkable Comeback on the Remote Aldabra Atoll and Around the World. But Their Recovery Is Far From Complete

One year after the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “least concern,” green turtles in the western Indian Ocean exemplify that return—and the subtleties a global designation can miss

Elephant carcasses affect the local environment for at least eight years, according to a new study.

African Elephants Shape the Savanna Ecosystem—and Continue Doing So Long After They’ve Died, Study Suggests

At first, plants below an elephant carcass die. Soil microbes and plants grow back soon after, but only a few select species. Herbivores later come in to munch on the nutrient-rich greens

Researchers investigated several members of the Pseudorabdion genus in the study including P. saravacense, shown here.

These Snakes Can Cartwheel Away From Danger. Scientists Just Uncovered How the Slithering Creatures Perform Their Acrobatic Rolls

When they’re rolling, some snakes belonging to the Pseudorabdion genus can reach top speeds of 3.8 to 8.3 miles per hour, according to a new study

Bleached coral fragments touching healthy clones took as little as four weeks to recover fully.

Sick Corals Can Heal With the Help of a ‘Magic Touch’ From Healthy Ones, Offering Hope for Heat-Damaged Marine Ecosystems

A coral is often a colony of tiny, genetically identical animals. New research suggests that when a bleached coral fragment comes into physical contact with a colorful, thriving clone, the pale one can revive within weeks

Carpet sea squirt colonies threaten fisheries and native species.

This Dog Learned to Sniff Out a Slimy Marine Invader Called ‘Sea Vomit’—a Skill That Earned Her the Animal of the Year Award

Sgiath, a 6-year-old Labrador from the Scottish Highlands, received the honor from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. She’s believed to be the first pup trained to hunt for the invasive carpet sea squirt, which is threatening marine life along the British coast and elsewhere

Colorado's new $15 million wildlife overpass opened in December.

How Colorado’s Wildlife Mitigation Efforts—Including the Largest Animal Crossing Overpass in North America—Are Making Everyone Safer

Animals can now cross a dangerous stretch of Interstate 25 thanks to new infrastructure, including fences, underpasses and a massive overpass, which has led to a 91 percent reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions

Jackie was brought to the Ojai Raptor Center in July.

Wildlife Experts Stunned to Find That Bird Flu Killed Jackie, the Beloved, Internet-Famous Bald Eagle

Jackie died in August after receiving weeks of intensive care at the Ojai Raptor Center in California. The necropsy results are surprising, given that Jackie’s symptoms were unusual for bird flu and there is no ongoing outbreak among bald eagles

Two sperm whales come to the surface in the waters off Black River district in Mauritius on October 3, 2026

In the New Movie ‘Whalefall,’ a Cetacean Swallows a Diver Whole. The Sperm Whale’s Remarkable Anatomy and Feeding Habits Shape the Survival Thriller

The film, an adaptation of Daniel Kraus’ 2023 novel, tells the story of a young man with an extremely challenging task: make it out of a whale’s stomach alive

The rate of molecular aging differs between big dogs and small dogs, according to a new study.

Small Dogs Tend to Live Longer Than Big Dogs. Scientists Say They Might Finally Know Why—and It Goes to the Molecular Level

Larger breeds like Great Danes seem to accumulate changes to chemical tags on their DNA more quickly than tinier breeds, such as chihuahuas. These alterations allow potentially harmful ‘jumping genes’ to move around their genomes

An artistic representation of Megacauda sungei

This Ancient Animal Looked Like a Platypus-Otter Hybrid. It’s Providing Clues About the Origins of Mammalian Suckling and Swallowing

The roughly two- to four-pound predator lived alongside dinosaurs some 165 million years ago. A fossil found in northern China shows the strange creature had a surprisingly modern throat structure

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