Animals

Cool Finds

Museum of the Dog Takes Manhattan

After 30 years in St. Louis, the American Kennel Club museum is back in the Big Apple, with artifacts, portraits and a kiosk that matches people to dogs

February 11, 2019

Can Fish Recognize Themselves in the Mirror?

A new study has found that the cleaner wrasse is capable of self-recognition—but does that mean it is also self-aware?

February 11, 2019

The Reason These Poisonous Butterflies Don’t Mate Is Written in Their DNA

Wing color and mate preference seem to be genetically bound, leading these tropical butterflies to only choose mates that look like them

February 8, 2019

New Research

Honey Bees Can Do Simple Math, After a Little Schooling

Researchers trained 14 bees to add and subtract by one, suggesting their tiny brains have found novel ways of doing complicated tasks

February 7, 2019

Human Hunting Is Driving the World’s Biggest Animals Toward Extinction

A new analysis found that 70 percent of Earth’s largest creatures are decreasing in number, while 59 percent are at risk of extinction

February 7, 2019

A Horde of Elephant Seals Conquered a California Beach During the Shutdown

They shall leave when it pleases them

February 4, 2019

Pandamonium

Pandas Weren’t Always Picky Eaters

A new study suggests the all-bamboo diet was adopted in the recent past, not millions of years ago

February 1, 2019

Flying Squirrels Glow Fluorescent Pink Under Ultraviolet Light

The bubblegum pink coloring could help New World flying squirrels navigate, communicate or blend into their environments

February 1, 2019

New Research

Why Almost All of the West Coast’s Sunflower Sea Stars Have Wilted Away

A new study suggests most of the keystone predators have died off due to an unknown pathogen and increasing ocean temperatures

January 31, 2019

Rare Blue-Eyed Coyotes Spotted in California

Coyotes’ eyes are consistently golden-brown, so researchers have been surprised to learn of five California coyotes with piercing baby blues

January 30, 2019

New Research

Chickens Might Lay Your Future Prescriptions

Tests show cancer-fighting and immune-boosting proteins can be produced in the egg whites of genetically-modified cluckers

January 29, 2019

CDC Cautions Against Kissing Pet Hedgehogs

The prickly critters have been linked to a recent salmonella outbreak

January 28, 2019

Rocking Isn’t Just for Babies. It Helps Adults—and Mice—Fall Asleep, Too

Two new studies outline benefits including increased sleep quality, improved memory skills

January 25, 2019

Cool Finds

Gemologist Finds Insect Entombed in Opal Rather Than Amber

The unusual specimen appears to contain an open-mouthed insect complete with ‘fibrous structures extending from the appendages’

January 24, 2019

Complete Axolotl Genome Could Reveal the Secret of Regenerating Tissues

The aquatic salamander’s genome is one of the most complex sets of genetic instructions in the world

January 24, 2019

New Study Showcases Three-Toed Sloth’s Unsung Adaptability

Juvenile members of the so-called “specialized” herbivore species draw on a more diverse diet than previously believed

January 23, 2019

Cool Finds

Trove of Tiny Ancient Animal Remains Recovered From Depths of Antarctic Ice

The crustaceans and tardigrade, or water bear, were found around a kilometer below the surface of the subglacial Lake Mercer

January 22, 2019

The Last Wild Caribou of the Lower 48 Has Been Placed in Captivity

It will soon be released into another herd, but scientists do not know if caribou will even again inhabit the contiguous United States

January 22, 2019

New Research

Flowers Sweeten Up When They Sense Bees Buzzing

A new study suggests plants can ‘hear’ the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response

January 18, 2019

Trending Today

You Can Visit This Australian Island, but Only if You Pledge to Skip the Wombat Selfie

The marsupials on Maria Island are so docile, tourism officials are asking the public to stop getting so close

January 17, 2019