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Animals

New Research

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.

New Research

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.

Age of Humans

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.

New Research

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.

New Research

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?

New Research

“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.

Age of Humans

“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

New Research

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

None

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.

Trending Today

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.

Trending Today

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

Trending Today

Researchers Say Culling Koalas May Save Them From Chlamydia

A paradoxical solution to help protect the species

The skeleton of a Steller's sea cow hangs in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

“Mermaid Ivory” Stirs Controversy Over How Extinct Species Are Studied

The carved bones of marine mammals highlight the squishy regulations around their trade and what that means for science

U.S. species, like this red salamander, may be at risk as a new form of deadly amphibian fungus spreads.

A Ban on Salamanders Is Just Part of the Fight Against This Deadly Fungus

Scientists are deploying a variety of weapons as new clues emerge about the fungal diseases killing off amphibians

The sun rises over Joshua Tree National Park. The newlydesignated Castle Mountains, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow national monuments will connect Joshua Tree to other federally protected lands in a massive 1.8-million-acre preservation bid.

Trending Today

Obama Just Added Three More National Monuments

This time, the California desert was the president’s preservation focus

This kitten, though adorable, was not one of the post office cats.

Cool Finds

A Brief History of Post Office Cats

Mail used to come with a side of meow

One of Chef Bun Lai's recipes: A dish that features whole fried invasive lionfish at Fish Fish of Miami, Florida.

Bite Back Against Invasive Species at Your Next Meal

From seaweed to lionfish, invasive species are appearing on menus throughout the U.S.

Trainer Liz Seely and Tucker head out to search for scat on a research boat.

Meet the Dogs Sniffing Out Whale Poop for Science

Inspired by drug-detection programs, these canines scour the sea for samples that aid in conservation research

Cool Finds

The Only Known Jaguar in America Was Finally Caught on Video

“El Jefe” made a rare appearance in Arizona

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