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Animals

An artists's take on the insect

The Quest to Find the World’s Largest Bee

The rediscovery of Wallace’s giant bee uncovers disheartening truths about the tenuous fate of hidden insect species

Biologists of the past often explained the vast spectrum of animal genitalia with "lock-and-key": the hypothesis that vaginas and penises had primarily evolved to fit into each other mechanically. Today, there is a growing appreciation for the myriad of forces acting on genitals.

Why Have Female Animals Evolved Such Wild Genitals?

From ducks to dolphins, females have developed sex organs that help them deter undesirable suitors and derive pleasure from non-reproductive behavior

Male Svalbard walruses cluster by the shore. Each weighs an average of about 3,000 pounds and is up to ten feet long.

Planet Positive

A Welcome Comeback for Norway’s Walruses

A hunting ban has fostered the return of a nearly extinct species

Lions spritzed with the hormone oxytocin stayed closer together.

Planet Positive

Can Spraying Lions With the ‘Love Hormone’ Help Them Live Together?

Researchers administered oxytocin to captive animals, and preliminary results showed the big cats were less hostile towards strangers

The offering consisted of 164 starfish, chunks of coral, seashells, pufferfish, a resin figurine, animal bones and the skeleton of a female jaguar holding a spear in its claw.

Cool Finds

Trove of Starfish Deposited as Offering to Aztec War God Found in Mexico City

Researchers discovered 164 sea stars placed in the Templo Mayor around the turn of the 16th century

When corals are stressed, they will expel their algal partner in a process called coral bleaching.

Mass Coral Bleaching Hits Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Unusually warm waters are stressing sensitive corals, causing the fourth major bleaching event in the last seven years

"The Mice at Work: Threading the Needle," The Tailor of Gloucester artwork, 1902; watercolour, ink and gouache on paper.

Leap Into the Surprising, Art-Filled Life of Beatrix Potter in a New Exhibition

The beloved author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” also wrote diaries in code, sketched fungi and raised prize-winning sheep

A captured fisher is released after undergoing sedation and physical examination, a part of the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s longstanding efforts to monitor the culturally important species.

Inside the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Quest to Understand a Rare Carnivore

The tribe maintains some of the most detailed documentation of fishers in North America

Boas constrict their prey to death.

How Boa Constrictors Breathe While Squeezing the Life Out of Their Prey

Researchers outfitted the snakes with electrodes and scanned them using X-rays to see how the flexing predators managed to take in air

Most of Wyoming's collisions with wildlife are with mule deer.

Wyoming Now Has an App for Collecting Roadkill

Locals can use a new feature on the state’s 511 app to claim and report carcasses to wildlife officials

A female Bornean orangutan carrying her son in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Orangutan’s Vocabularies Are Shaped by Socializing With Others, Just Like Humans

A new study reveals apes have distinct and flexible ‘vocal personalities,’ opposed to a fixed repertoire of calls

Utah state officials set out two barrel traps to capture an elusive wolverine that was spotted from an aircraft. 

Utah Captures and Collars First Wolverine in State History

The state has only confirmed eight wolverine sightings in 40 years. Data from the GPS collar will provide invaluable insights about the elusive species

A feral fox in Australia.

Cats and Foxes Kill 2.6 Billion Animals Per Year in Australia

A new study is the first to quantify the impact the two non-native predators have on local wildlife in the country

Bottlenose dolphins swim in the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation off Scotland. The photo was taken by an aerial drone.

In a First, Scientists Use Drones to Detect Pregnant Dolphins

Researchers say the new tech will help them better understand bottlenose dolphin reproduction

For decades, researchers and divers have observed curious and intelligent octopi utilize oceanic pollution as tools or taking up residence in glass bottles.

Octopuses Are Reusing Human Trash as Shelter

In crowdsourced images, the cephalopods were observed making refuse their home, even using the junk as a place to lay eggs

The lady-bug-sized spiders live in colonies of thousands are rarely leave the safety of their web.

These Spiders Hunt in Packs to Catch Prey Hundreds of Times Their Size

New research reveals how some arachnids use a coordinated stop-and-start approach to find a meal

A fossil of a Diegoaelurus jawbone was recovered from a construction site in Oceanside, California.

Paleontologists Uncover the Oldest Sabertoothed Predator

Fossil jaw shows earliest evidence of a specialized carnivore with scimitar-shaped fangs

Red pandas are classified as endangered and are legally protected in their home countries.

Before Seeing ‘Turning Red,’ Learn These Amazing Red Panda Facts

Delight your friends with these eight surprising details about the furry creatures

A flashy jewel bug butt. 

Science Twitter’s ‘InverteButt Week’ Puts Backsides on Display

The behinds of spineless organisms are diverse among species and serve a multitude of purposes beyond expelling waste

David Bennett Sr. with his son

Patient Who Received a Genetically Modified Pig Heart Dies After Two Months

The procedure marks the first time that a genetically-modified, non-human cardiac organ functioned without immediate rejection by the human body

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