Animals

An artist's rendering shows what a Tully Monster might have looked like 300 million years ago.

What Is a Tully Monster? Scientists Finally Think They Know

The oddball fossil that puzzled experts for almost 60 years is probably an ancient fish akin to today's bloodsucking lampreys

A nonvenomous Texas rat snake coils up in a defensive posture.

To Scientists' Surprise, Even Nonvenomous Snakes Can Strike at Ridiculous Speeds

The Texas rat snake was just as much of a speed demon as deadly vipers, challenging long-held notions about snake adaptations

Recently Discovered Spider Is Named After Physicist Brian Greene

About the size of the human palm, the "Brian" spider can swim and hunt fish

Elephants in Kenya's Tana River, Morgan's home territory

Epic Journey Brings First Elephant to Somalia in 20 Years

Meet Morgan, whose 3-week trek shows anti-poaching efforts could be working

Each year, FLAP lays out birds collected by volunteers in a bid to raise awareness about the dangers of bird/building collisions.

This Pattern Is Made of 2,100 Dead Birds

It’s all part of a bid to raise awareness of the plight of birds that crash into city buildings

Scientists studied Hydra vulgaris to determine how the animal opens its mouth

How Hydra Rip Open New Mouths at Every Meal

Scientists finally figured out how the tiny aquatic creature opens its mouth to eat

The Marine Corps Plans to Airlift Over 1,000 Desert Tortoises

Despite the positive intentions behind relocation, conservationists worry that it will hurt the tortoises more than it helps

Wading Birds 'Pay' Alligators for Their Protection

It's a give-and-take relationship: alligators may chow down on a few chicks, but they keep predators at bay

In this image, a chimp throws a rock at another chimp. But in West Africa, scientists think the animals may also ritualistically throw stones at hollow trees.

Chimps May Be Performing Rituals at “Shrine Trees”

Scientists think that chimps throwing and stacking stones at hollow trees may be evidence of early rituals

A mother bonobo and her offspring.

The Surprising Way Civil War Took Its Toll on Congo's Great Apes

Using satellite maps and field studies, scientists found that even small disturbances to the forest had big consequences for bonobos

A common wasp with the colony's brood comb in Germany.

Worker Wasps Sneak Out to Lay Their Eggs in Neighboring Nests

By cadging a free ride for their offspring, female workers may boost their chances of passing on their genes

Gibbons were among the endangered species discovered on illicit Facebook groups during a recent study of illegal animal trafficking.

Animal Traffickers Use Facebook to Boost Sales

There’s plenty to dislike about using social media to sell endangered species

Were these small prints left by Stone Age babies...or lizards?

“Baby Hands” on Rock Paintings Were Probably Lizard Prints

The prints could have held symbolic meaning for Stone Age humans

Shipworms are destructive to driftwood and sunken relics alike, chewing through any exposed planks and destroying entire wreck sites in just years. But until recently, none had been found so far north in such cold waters.

"Termites of the Sea" Found Munching Wood Near Arctic Shipwrecks

The shipworms found in Svalbard may signal an expansion due to ocean warming or be a new species

How to Tell if Fluffy Is in Pain, According to the Experts

A new study identifies 25 ways to tell if your kitty isn’t feeling well

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Thousands of Blacktip Sharks Are Hanging Out on Florida’s Coast Right Now

Experts say they're not dangerous, and are easy to spot

In Maryland, 13 bald eagles will soar no more.

What Killed 13 Bald Eagles in Maryland?

Officials want information on the strange die-off of a clutch of majestic birds

An African elephant wanders Hlane National Park in Swaziland. Now, 18 of the park's elephants may be airlifted to the United States due to drought.

Drought May Force 18 Elephants Out of Africa

As the driest rainy season in 35 years threatens southern Africa, elephants have become a flashpoint

High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, scientists and hunters are unlikely allies in an effort to protect the endangered snow leopard before it vanishes.

Hunters Become Conservationists in the Fight to Protect the Snow Leopard

A pioneering program recruits locals as rangers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where the elusive cat is battling for survival

Researchers Say Culling Koalas May Save Them From Chlamydia

A paradoxical solution to help protect the species

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