Animals

Smithsonian.com and the National Zoo have partnered to bring readers the opportunity to name one of the newest black-footed ferrets.

Help Name the National Zoo’s Baby Black-Footed Ferret

For 30 years the Zoo has helped breed hundreds of ferrets, but one of the most recent additions is in need of a name

What possesses some people to study the parenting skills of Atlantic puffins for decades?

Michelle Nijhuis: Why I Like Science

Science is not a list of facts but a method of asking questions, testing possible answers and asking yet more questions

The Chinese alligator now numbers fewer than 200 in the wild, mostly restricted to a small reserve in the Anhui province of China, along the lower Yangtze River.

Ten Threatened and Endangered Species Used in Traditional Medicine

The demand for alternative remedies has given rise to a poaching industry that, along with other factors, has decimated animal populations

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More...

Sea monster mamas, bat signals and opossum versus viper

Meet Pili and Damini, pictured here with their mother Shama.

Zoo’s Red Panda Cubs Get Their Names

The newest additions to the Zoo's red panda family are named for the stormy night they were born

A wild boar doing some damage

Inviting Writing: When Independence Means Self-Reliance

We were well on our way to a nice harvest when we noticed ominous signs, a presence that ravaged our homestead in the middle of the night

Red foxes get no love in Bulgaria.

How to Recover From Two Bike Spills

Plovdiv is studded with rocky hills and features mosques, art galleries, parks, museums, neutered dogs, bridges, a cherished old town and a Roman stadium

Without science, we wouldn't know that prehistoric creatures, like this short-necked plesiosaur (at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum) were real

Why I Like Science

It's time to speak up: Why do you like science?

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More...

Cleaner wrasse fish, black widow spiders and even bananas made the news recently as part of the latest wildlife research

The Eastern Tiger Salamander has managed to survive in an inhospitable and unlikely habitat in Wisconsin.

The Salamanders that Refuse to Grow Up

In a Wisconsin reservoir, these normally terrestrial animals have managed not only to survive but to thrive underwater

California Academy of Sciences botanist and moss expert Jim Shevoc inspects a collected specimen on Mt. Isarog.

A New Species Bonanza in the Philippines

Sharks, starfish, ferns and sci-fi-worthy sea creatures have been discovered in a new massive survey

A pig-nosed turtle at the Shedd Aquarium

The Decline of the Pig-Nosed Turtle

Saving the turtle from extinction could be complicated, scientists find

Rhinos and pigs wallow and coat themselves in mud, which protects them from the sun and helps to keep moisture in their skin.

Ask an Expert: Do Animals Get Sunburned?

Staffers at the National Zoo clue us in to how animals like elephants and hippos protect themselves from harmful UV rays

Chimpanzee Yawning

Wild Things: Yawning Chimps, Humpback Whales and More...

Leaping beetles, Pacific salmon, prehistoric mammals and other news updates in wildlife research

Llamas can still be found at Machu Picchu today.

The Secret to Machu Picchu’s Success: Llama Poop

The Incas used llama dung as fertilizer to grow maize, and fuel an empire

Spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) hangs by tail with mouth open.

Wild Things: Spider Monkeys, Fire Ants, Hagfish and More...

Dinosaur "thunder thighs" and fast-flying moths

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains vital habitat for polar bears who rely on the border of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Fifty Years of Arctic National Wildlife Preservation

Biologist George Schaller on the debate over ANWR conservation and why the refuge must be saved

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Wild Things: Giant Pandas, an Ancient Ibis and More...

Panda-friendly forests, one bizarre bird and foxes on junk food

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Wild Things: Great Whites, Tree Snakes, Drongos and More

These animals redefine life as we know it

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Giant Crayfish Species Found in Tennessee

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