Articles tagged as Animals | Smithsonian Magazine

A kermode bear, also known as a spirit bear, explores a stream in the depths of British Columbia, Canada's Great Bear Rainforest.

It’s a victory for First Nations, loggers, and environmentalists

February 3, 2016

White rhinos graze in Nakuru National Park, Kenya.

Five Ways to Fight Wildlife Crime in the Digital Age

From GPS-tagged eggs to smartphone apps, these emerging technologies could help give endangered species a chance at survival

February 2, 2016

Microbeads and other tiny plastics could knock this aphrodisiac off the menu.

New Research

Your Cosmetics May Be Killing a Popular Aphrodisiac: Oysters

Microplastics from beauty products and other sources affected oysters’ ability to reproduce in laboratory experiments

February 1, 2016

Who wouldn't want to let these adorable critters pass through?

Cool Finds

British People Are Building Highways for Hedgehogs Through Their Yards

Hedgehog populations in England have declined since the 1970s due urban and suburban development

January 28, 2016

Those distinctive stripes might not be camouflage after all.

New Research

Zebra Stripes Might Not Be Camouflage

The animals’ distinctive appearance is still a beautiful mystery

January 25, 2016

Bei Bei had his first introduction to snow Jan. 21, 2016.

Zoo Keepers Hunkered Down with the Animals and Bei Bei Got to Play in the Snow (Photos)

A few animals got to play outside yesterday, while keepers watched over conditions and took extra precautions

January 23, 2016

A red squirrel from the Rocky Mountains, contemplating its next attack on the power grid, probably.

Cool Finds

Move Over Hackers, Squirrels Are the Power Grid’s Greatest Foe

Cyberattacks may loom large in peoples’ minds, but these fluffy rodents are the ones actually taking down the grid

January 18, 2016

A Hoplophoneus pseudo-cat skull in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Utah.

The Dakota Badlands Used to Host Sabertoothed Pseudo-Cat Battles

The region was once home to a plethora of catlike creatures called nimravids, and fossils show they were an especially fractious breed

January 15, 2016

A piebald horse is usually called a pinto or paint in the U.S.

New Research

Geneticists Figured Out How Animals Get Their White Spots

The answer could help people with certain genetic conditions and diseases

January 11, 2016

Keeper Jessica Jones with Lamas and Alpacas during the annual animal stocktake at ZSL London Zoo, UK.

Ensuring every animal is present and accounted for

January 7, 2016

This monitor lizard is definitely not thinking of eating poisonous toads.

New Research

Scientists Trained Monitor Lizards Not to Chow Down on Poisonous Toads

And they did it by feeding them smaller and less-poisonous toads

January 7, 2016

New Research

Leopard Sharks Navigate With Their Noses

After being kidnapped and dropped off at sea, the sharks picked up on olfactory cues to find their way back home

January 6, 2016

Scientists expect about 10,000 whales to visit Hawaii’s tropical waters this winter—but they’re taking their time

January 4, 2016

Romanian villagers dress up in real bearskins for ursul.

Cool Finds

Ring in the New Year by Dressing Up as a Bear

Romania’s famed bear dance scares away winter

December 31, 2015

Cow dung cakes hold a nostalgic place in the memories of many Indians who recall burning the cakes for ritual fires and to stay warm during festivals like Diwali and Lohri.

For recent migrants to the country’s booming megacities, nothing says nostalgia like a pile of cow poo

December 28, 2015

The Verreaux's sifaka is one of the unique mammals found only on Madagascar.

Tiny Fossils Reveal the Rise of Mammals on Madagascar

Recent finds are helping paleontologists piece together what happened after dinosaurs vanished from the island

December 28, 2015

Dogs, like humans, use mimicry to enhance social bonds.

New Research

Dogs Mimic Each Other’s Expressions, Too

The behavioral findings hint that dogs, like humans, might be capable of their own form of empathy

December 22, 2015

This photo of two short-nosed sea snakes alerted researchers to the species' survival, even though they were thought to be extinct for 15 years.

New Research

They’re Back: Supposedly Extinct Sea Snakes Have Been Found in Australia

Nearly 15 years later and about 1,000 miles away from the last sighting, the snakes could be making a comeback

December 22, 2015

Top Nine Ocean Stories That Had Us Talking in 2015

From fossil whales to adorable octopuses, here are some of the marine headliners that caught our attention this year

December 21, 2015

Divers approach a bull shark in the water off Mauritius. Though environmental conditions are much the same in Mauritius and neighboring La Réunion, the latter is one of the most dangerous shark-attack spots in the world.

Age of Humans

Why Is This Indian Ocean Island a Hot Spot for Shark Attacks?

La Réunion has seen way more attacks than its neighbor Mauritius, and scientists are struggling to figure out why

December 14, 2015