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Animals

Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) fight. Infanticide in baboons is driven by a mating structure built on male competition.

Why Some Mammals Kill Babies of Their Own Kind

Male mammals that commit infanticide developed the behavior in response to their species’ mating style

A wallaby in the mist on the Irish island of Lambay.

What the Heck Are Wallabies Doing in Ireland?

Normally spotted in Australia, the marsupial species is thriving on a remote island off the Irish coast

New Research

A Single Smelly Compound Sparks Carnivores’ Lust for Blood

When given scented wooden blocks soaked in this single chemical, captive carnivores go wild

New Research

How Cats Transformed From Wild Animals to Cuddly Companions

Genetically, there’s not that much separating feline pets from jungle beasts

An algae bloom off the coast of Maryland. Such blooms help create low-oxygen areas called dead zones as the algae respire or decompose.

Anthropocene

Ocean Dead Zones Are Getting Worse Globally Due to Climate Change

Warmer waters and other factors will cause nearly all areas of low oxygen to grow by the end of the century

New Research

Arctic Squirrels Use Steroids to Bulk Up But Don’t Suffer the Consequences

Fat alone couldn’t get these squirrels through hibernation in burrows that get almost as chilly as -10 degrees Fahrenheit

Mexican free-tailed bats can be real jerks to their friends.

New Research

On Summer Nights, Some Bats Like to Jam

Mexican free-tailed bats “jam” each others’ echolocation calls to discombobulate competitors

A gray wolf, not the animal spotted at the Grand Canyon

Trending Today

A Lone Gray Wolf May Have Wandered Into the Grand Canyon

Officials haven’t confirmed whether the canine is a full-blooded gray wolf, but wolf advocates are pretty convinced

Cool Finds

Humans Outnumber Rats in NYC

There’s actually about one rat for every four people

Moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) drift in dark waters at the Sunshine International Aquarium in Tokyo.

Anthropocene

Big Moon Jelly Blooms Tied to New Dock Construction

A floating pier installed off Japan led to a four-fold increase in baby jellies, offering a solid link between structures and blooms

Admire Rakti exercises on November 3rd, getting set for the fatal race.

Trending Today

A Horse Racing Favorite Died Minutes After Completing the Melbourne Cup

Admire Rakti wasn’t even the only horse to die at the races

A Siberian musk deer two-month old stands next to his father at the Edinburgh zoo — they are closely related to the species just spotted

Cool Finds

Fanged Deer Not Extinct, Still Roaming the Mountains of Afghanistan

The Kashmir musk deer was last spotted in 1948 but now researchers report five recent sightings

A baby penguin and its parent greet the disguised rover.

New Research

Rovers Disguised as Baby Penguins Can Quietly Infiltrate Penguin Colonies

Normally wary penguins seem unfazed when there’s a smartly dressed robot in their midst

Cool Finds

Australia’s Koalas Have Chlamydia, But a New Vaccine Could Save Them

The sexually transmitted disease threatens the health of one of Australia’s iconic marsupials

Introducing Rana kauffeldi, a newly recognized New York City resident.

New Research

New Leopard Frog Found in New York City

The unique species, discovered near the Statue of Liberty, is the first amphibian found in the region in 150 years

An Espanola Galapagos giant tortoise under an arboreal prickly pear cactus. The cactus is a vital part of the tortoise's diet, but the surrounding woody plants - a leftover problem caused by goats - prevent the cactuses from regrowing.

New Research

Giant Tortoises Have Made a Comeback From 15 to 1,000

Española giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Galapagos National Park and are breeding on their own

Cool Finds

We’re Terrible at Distinguishing Real And Fake Schools of Fish

You can test your fish school savviness in a free online game created by scientists

A "Sea Devil" as depicted by Conrad Gessner in Historia Animalium, 2nd ed, 1604.

Halloween

Five “Real” Sea Monsters Brought to Life by Early Naturalists

From kraken to mermaids, some monsters are real—if you know how to look for them

A juvenile reticulated python in Malaysia

Cool Finds

A Zoo Python Had Six Babies in a “Virgin Birth”

The 20-foot-long reptile hadn’t had a chance to meet a mate, but she still laid 61 eggs

Cool Finds

Your Cat Has No Idea What You Want And Is Kind of Scared of You

Cats don’t do social skills

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