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Animals

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

“One out of every four deer that you see on your lawn or in the woods is infected with malaria,” says Ellen Martinsen.

One in Four U.S. Deer Is Infected With Malaria

Scientists suspect the undetected blood parasite has been present in the animals ever since they arrived across the Bering Land Bridge

Could meatballs like these one day be made in a lab?

New Research

This Biotech Company Is Growing Meatballs in a Lab

In just a few years, lab-grown meat might make it to the market

Emperor penguin chicks huddle for warmth. New research shows that huddling behavior, or aggregation, may vary across penguin colonies.

New Research

Here’s the Latest on Penguins

From invasive “fairies” to huddling chicks, penguins are the perfect pick-me-up

A great reed warbler croons at his breeding grounds in the Netherlands.

New Research

These Birds Spend Winter Practicing Their Love Songs for the Ladies

Some migratory species may spend their time in Africa getting ready to woo mates in the spring

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

Trending Today

A Historic Conservation Agreement Will Protect Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

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

White rhinos graze in Nakuru National Park, Kenya.

Future of Conservation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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