Animals

Ambitious Project to Sequence Genomes of 1.5 Million Species Kicks Off

The Earth BioGenome Project promises to revolutionize biology

India is now home to about 2,500 tigers—over half the world’s population.

Man-Eating Tigress Killed in India, Lured by Calvin Klein Cologne

Indian officials say the hunters initially attempted tranquilizing the animal, but killed her, reportedly in self-defense, in the end

This is the face of a cold-hearted killer...right?

This Petite Cat Is the World's Deadliest. Mini-Series 'Super Cats' Shows You Why

The African black-footed cat weighs roughly 200 times less than the average lion, but it has a predation success rate of 60 percent

Baby bats are born tipping the scales at a third of their adult weight, and since mama bats have to carry them until they can fly, at which point they are nearly full-grown, it’s no wonder they start to get a bit physical.

Mama Bats Literally Nudge Their Babies Out of the Roost

Researchers observed mother bats repeatedly prodding their young to motivate them to fledge

Freya, a Springer Spaniel, who has been trained to detect malaria parasites in sock samples taken from children in The Gambia. Freya did not participate in the initial study but was trained afterwards to help sniff out malaria in the future.

Good Dogs Could Help Identify Malaria Carriers

In a small proof-of-concept study, trained dogs neared the accuracy rate recommended by the World Health Organization for detecting the malaria parasite

Meet Africa's Newest Crocodile Species

The African slender-snouted crocodile has been split into two species and both of them are critically endangered

A crow named Mango successfully assembled three- and four-part compound tools

Crafty New Caledonian Crows Can Assemble Tools

The brainy birds successfully navigated feat previously accomplished by just two other species: humans and chimps

Nyack was known for his vocal roars and laid back personality

A Lioness Killed the Father of Her Cubs in Rare Attack at Indianapolis Zoo

Prior to the incident, 12-year-old Zuri had never shown signs of aggression toward 10-year-old Nyack

Europe's First Dogs Disappeared After Neolithic Farmers Arrived With Their Own Pups

Genetic analysis shows ancient canines from the Near East slowly replaced indigenous dog populations of that period

Hormone signals help ready worker mole-rats to treat pups as their own.

Eating the Queen's Poop Makes Naked Mole-Rats Better Parents

Hive-minded naked mole-rats work together to care for the queen's offspring, and eating her poop gives them hormones to boost nurturing instincts

To Mourn Beloved, 17-Year-Old Cat, Artist Made Genre-Spanning, Star-Studded Tribute Album

Pharrell, Bono, Laurie Anderson, Michael Stipe, The National and others penned songs for Souris, artist Sophie Calle's animal companion

Urban rats appeared to enjoy a steady diet of high-quality food, including protein-rich meat, while rural rats struggled to get by on limited, often meat-free meals

Urban Rats Enjoy Richer, More Reliable Diet Than Their Rural Counterparts

Researchers analyzed the remains of 86 brown rats that roamed Toronto between 1790 and 1890

Asian elephants have less than a 33 percent chance of lasting beyond the 21st century

Earth Lost 2.5 Billion Years’ Worth of Evolutionary History in Just 130,000 Years

Even if humans curbed destructive actions within next 50 years, it would take between five to seven million years for mammal biodiversity to fully recover

Feast your eyes on the blind Somalian cavefish, which has—like mammals—mysteriously lost the ability to use light to fix damaged DNA.

Blind Cavefish Shed Light on the Dark Days of Mammalian Evolution

Like mammals, these cave-dwelling creatures have discarded a solar-powered system that repairs UV-damaged DNA

Scientists used modified egg and stem cells to create female mice with two mothers. These fatherless mice grew up to have babies of their own (through more typical means of conception).

Scientists Break the Rules of Reproduction by Breeding Mice From Single-Sex Parents

By tinkering with the genes of sperm and egg cells, it's possible to breed mice from two females—and even from two males

A blue whale, the largest known creature in Earth's history, dives into the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, Canada.

Today's Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren't They Huger?

Most giant cetaceans only got giant in the past 4.5 million years, suggesting they could have room to grow

Polar bears are shown scavenging on the carcass of a dead bowhead whale that washed ashore on Wrangel Island, Russia.

Polar Bears May Soon Feast on Whale Carcasses. Global Warming is to Blame.

This scavenging strategy saved sleuths of bears in the past, but it’s not sustainable as temperatures climb at unprecedented rates

Forgive us, we're just the messenger: When it comes to animal intelligence, canines are clever, but they're not at the top of the class.

Dogs Are Smart, But Not Exceptional

A new study has found that a host of similar animals match, or even exceed dogs’ intellectual abilities

The intricate network of crevices seen on the African elephant's skin helps it retain moisture and stay cool

How African Elephants Get Their Wrinkles

The animal's crevice-filled skin helps keep it cool and shares a surprising set of similarities with the human skin disease ichthyosis vulgaris

Researchers Studied Cute Pictures of Baby Giraffes to Learn About Their Spots

A new study shows giraffes' iconic puzzle-piece markings aren't random, and the size and shape may help little ones survive their first months of life

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