Animals

Noc (in 1995) strongly “wanted to make a connection,” says former naval trainer Michelle Jeffries. “I think that was part of the thing behind him mimicking speech.”

The Story of One Whale Who Tried to Bridge the Linguistic Divide Between Animals and Humans

While captive in a Navy program, a beluga whale named Noc began to mimic human speech. What was behind his attempt to talk to us?

The Clarion nightsnake, brought into the scientific light at last.

Written Off as a Figment, the Mysterious Clarión Nightsnake Reemerges after Nearly 80 Years

The snake was discovered on a remote Mexican island in the 1930s, but the notes of the famous naturalist who documented it were later called into question

A 20,000-Plus Room Resort Threatens This UNESCO Site in Mexico

For twenty years, conservation efforts have protected the beach and its coral reef; a new development could harm them both

Sober Fish Willingly Play Follow-the-Leader With Drunk Fish

Do not try these experiments at home

Whales And Dolphins Can Only Taste Salt

Almost all vertebrates enjoy five primary tastes, but not dolphins and whales

One of the two chicks hatched at Slimbridge

Newly Hatched Crane Chicks Carry the Hopes of Britain on Their Shoulders

If thes crane chicks survive, they will be the first wild born cranes to be raised in western Britain in 400 years

You Have Carbon Monoxide in Your Blood—But Not As Much As an Elephant Seal Does

Elephant seals have so much carbon monoxide in their blood, it's as if they're smoking 40 cigarettes a day

A common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) stretches out on a reef environment beneath the sea.

Why Don’t Octopus Suckers Stick To Their Own Skin?

A chemical excreted by octopus skin tells their severed arms, “Don’t grab me or eat me!”

Even Tiny Amounts of Radioactive Food Made Caterpillars Become Abnormal Butterflies

Even a tiny amount of radioactive food can turn caterpillars into mutated butterflies

A red-winged blackbird, the males of which (pictured) feature bright red spots. Females, on the other hand, are a mottled brown.

Drab Female Birds Were Once As Flashy As Their Male Mates

Biologists always assumed that sexual selection primarily drove differences in looks between male and female birds, but a new study challenges that notion

A different blue whale skeleton rests on Goudier Island, Antarctica.

The Whale That Didn’t End Up Exploding Is Being Chopped Up and Shipped Across the Country

Dismantling a blue whale, piece by piece

The sperm cells were found in Riversleigh, a remote spot in northwestern Australia that was once a teeming rainforest.

Giant Sperm Cells Belonging to 17 Million Year Old Shrimp Are the Oldest Ever Found

The sperm were longer than the male shrimp's entire body

Small, Quiet Drones Let Conservationists Peek Inside Bird’s Nests

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is using remote-controlled drones to monitor nests of endangered species

In an Emergency, We Act Like Ants

Like many animals, we tend to clump together when danger presents itself

France Is Spending 3 Million Euros to Save the Great Hamster of Alsace

There are only a few hundred left!

Butterflies And Bees Drink Crocodile Tears

To the delight of winged invertebrates, crocodiles cry when they eat

An overly alluring research subject.

Biologists Are Biased Toward Penises

Researchers interested in the evolution of animal genitalia tend to focus on the male side of that equation, often unjustifiably ignoring the female

In Mexico, parasitic corn fungus makes for a great tortilla filling.

Five Parasitic Species People Love to Eat

From tapeworms to lampreys, some people don't mind eating the bloodsuckers

What’s Killing the Sea Stars?

Scientists inch closer to the cause of the mysterious "sea star wasting syndrome"

Watch This Bear Cub Rock Climb!

You have time for one too-adorable-for-words video

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