Animals

Cool Finds

Japan Plans to Halve the Number of Young Bluefin Tuna It Catches

Sushi might get more expensive, but tuna populations need the break

March 12, 2014

Cool Finds

In the Animal Kingdom, Couples Are Often More “Monogam-ish” Than Monogamous

That an animal “mates for life” doesn’t often mean what you think it means

March 11, 2014

New Research

Flying Snakes Glide Through the Air Like Mini-Tornadoes

Researchers are getting closer to understanding the physics behind this impressive reptilian feat

March 10, 2014

New Research

There’s New Evidence That Communist Leaders Secretly Airlifted Bears to Bulgaria in the ‘70s and ‘80s

Some of these Bulgarian bears are not genetically like the others…

March 7, 2014

New Research

Owners, Not Breeds, Predict Whether Dogs Will Be Aggressive

Researchers suggest training your dog well and early on to avoid any problems with aggression—regardless of what breed you’ve got

March 4, 2014

New Research

Neanderthal Hunters Probably Didn’t Herd Mammoths Off Cliffs

Not that it’s impossible, in general; it just probably didn’t happen at this one particular spot

March 4, 2014

Cool Finds

This Aerial Footage of Reindeer Herds Is Weirdly Hypnotic

Go on, take a minute to watch these aerial shots of reindeer herding in action

March 3, 2014

Cool Finds

Can You Hypnotize a Chicken?

Well, sort of—you can scare it into a catatonic state

March 3, 2014

New Research

Here’s What Might Happen to Local Ecosystems If All the Rhinos Disappear

African landscapes may become very different places if rhinos aren’t there to diversify plant life and create prime grazing spots for other animals

February 27, 2014

New Research

Congo’s Civil Wars Took A Toll On Its Forests

Conflicts drove the human population deep into protected areas, satellite maps reveal

February 26, 2014

New Research

Camels Have Been Carrying Around a Deadly, Contagious Virus For At Least Twice As Long As Anyone Realized

Over the past twenty years, cases of the MERS virus might have gone undetected in infected humans

February 25, 2014

As the Planet Warms, What Happens to the Reindeer?

Ecologists are racing across the ice to find out how climate change will affect the Arctic natives

March 2014

500,000 Cranes Are Headed for Nebraska in One of Earth’s Greatest Migrations

At the end of March, 80 percent of the world’s cranes will converge upon one 80-mile stretch of land

March 2014

Which Animal is the Smartest, How Did Fingernails Evolve and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

March 2014

New Research

Your Dog Can Tell From Your Voice If You’re Happy or Sad

New fMRI research shows that dogs’ brains are specially equipped to process human voices, and respond differently based on our emotions

February 20, 2014

New Research

Like Humans, Elephants Console One Another When Times Get Tough

In the animal kingdom, only primates, dogs and smart birds like ravens were previously known to do this

February 20, 2014

New Research

Earth’s First Animals May Have Lived in a Dead Zone

Breadcrumb sponges show how Earth’s first animals may have got by with barely any oxygen

February 19, 2014

Cool Finds

To Avoid Deer Strikes, Finland Is Painting Deer Antlers With Reflective Paint

Attempts to keep motorists from hitting animals usually center around making cars and roads safer, but the Finns are heading straight to the source

February 18, 2014

Cool Finds

Vietnam’s Black Market Is Selling Dogs With Rabies To Meet Demand for Dog Meat

The Vietnamese government, however, is pledging to start better regulating the predominately illegal industry

February 13, 2014

New Research

Satellites Spot Whales From Space

This new method could help researchers remotely count and keep track of whale populations

February 13, 2014