Animals

The biodiversity map predicted that amphibians and reptiles have the most undiscovered species to date. Pictured: blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus")

This Map Shows You the Odds of Finding a New Species in Your Neighborhood

The 'Map of Life' predicts where undiscovered birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals could be found around the world

The intricately crafted ornament, which depicts a knight emerging out of a snail shell perched atop of a goat, measures less than an inch long.

Was This Ornament of a Knight Emerging From a Snail Shell a 'Medieval Meme'?

The unusual image "may be a satirical reference to cowardly or non-chivalric behavior of opponents," says curator Beverly Nenk

This cow was fed a small amount of seaweed along with its feed to reduce methane emissions from its burps.

Seaweed-Fed Cows Burp Less Planet-Warming Methane

Researchers report an 82 percent reduction in methane emissions in cows fed 1.5 to 3 ounces of seaweed a day for 21 weeks

Bulls, like horses, were important animals to the ancient Greeks.

Rare Bronze Bull Sacrificed to Zeus Found at Site of the Ancient Olympic Games

The 3,000-year-old figurine was probably a votive offering made at the Greek god's altar in Olympia

The researchers found that 3D tracking tags picked up circling movements in various animals including, king penguins, tiger sharks, whale sharks and a Cuvier's beaked whale.

Researchers Are Investigating Why Marine Animals Swim in Perplexing Circles

Sea creatures may exhibit the spiraling behavior to navigate the ocean, for mating rituals, or to track prey

Ocean creatures are noisier than scientists first thought.

Biologist Marie Fish Catalogued the Sounds of the Ocean for the World to Hear

Scientists once thought marine life kept quiet. Then the Navy tapped an aptly named researcher with an open mind

When suburbanites want to limit the number of deer in their area, it can be easier said than done.

How Can Suburbs Control Deer Populations? And More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions. We've got experts

Across the globe, culling has become the default strategy for the egg industry to eliminate the unwanted hatchlings.

Can New Technologies Eliminate the Grim Practice of Chick Culling?

As the U.S. egg industry continues to kill male chicks, scientists are racing to develop accurate and affordable ways to sex a chick before it hatches

Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, where Aboriginal Warlpiri ranger Christine Ellis hunts feral cats to help protect native species

Australia's Cats Kill Two Billion Animals Annually. Here's How the Government Is Responding to the Crisis

A new report from the federal parliament recommends cat registration, nighttime curfews and spaying and neutering

The lights of the Philadelphia skyline at night.

Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds

A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1

Satellite images comparing bull kelp canopy cover (gold shading) 2008 and 2019 off the coast of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties in Northern California.

Satellite Imagery Shows Northern California Kelp Forests Have Collapsed

Researchers say they're not sure these iconic coastal ecosystems will be able to make a comeback anytime soon

Foster mother, BD, feeds her adopted vampire bat pup in a captive bat colony at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Gamboa, Panama.

Baby Vampire Bat Adopted by Mom's Best Friend

The strong relationship formed between two female adult vampire bats may have motivated one of the bats to adopt the other’s baby

The head and the body of the sea slug Elysia marginata, a day after the animal decapitated itself.

Sea Slug's Decapitated Head Crawls Around Before Regrowing a Body

Researchers think that lopping off its own noggin could help the critter rid itself of parasites

A blowfly on lavender flowers. Flies are the unsung heroes of pollination. They visit flowers to stoke up on energy-rich nectar and protein-rich pollen and transport pollen from flower to flower in the process.

How Much Do Flies Help With Pollination?

The much-maligned insect could be the key to ensuring future supplies of many of the world’s favorite foods

Some of the animals—including this dog—were buried in pieces of pottery.

Is This 2,000-Year-Old Egyptian Burial Site the World's Oldest Pet Cemetery?

Excavations show how humans treated cats, dogs and monkeys in first- and second-century Egypt

Photos of the kitefin shark glowing in the dark.

Nearly Six-Foot-Long Glowing Shark Discovered in Deep Sea Off New Zealand

The kitefin shark is one of three species of glowing sharks described in a new paper

Cephalopods like cuttlefish have donut-shaped brains with dozens of lobes

Cuttlefish Show Impressive Ability to Exert Self-Control

The clever cephalopods ignored so-so food for up to 130 seconds in order to get their favorite snack, live grass shrimp

A male green tree frog calls out to females.

This Frog's Lungs Work Like Noise-Cancelling Headphones

When the green tree frog inflates its lungs, its eardrums become less sensitive to the calls of other frog species

The first cheetah cub born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute celebrated his 10th birthday last year, marking a decade of the facility's successful cheetah breeding program.

Five Cheetah Stories From the National Zoo

Take a look back at some of the milestones the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah team has celebrated since the program began

Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan captured a black-browed babbler in October 2020, took photos of it for identification, and released it safely.

Long-Lost Babbler Bird Documented in Borneo for the First Time in Over 170 Years

The animal was last recorded between 1843 and 1848, when a scientist collected the first and only museum specimen

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