Carnivores

Though considered a whale, Phiomicetus anubis had legs with webbed feet to pursue prey on both land and sea with its powerful jaws and sharp teeth 43 million years ago.

New Research

'God of Death' Whale Was Scourge of Land and Sea 43 Million Years Ago

The prehistoric mammal possessed a powerful jaw and likely had a raptor-like feeding style

A Wolverine atop a tree log.

Wolverine Captured on Yellowstone Trail Cameras for the First Time

The species’ numbers in the United States were diminished by predator control efforts and trapping

Subtle changes in genetics can have major effects on how leaves grow into a wide variety of shapes.

Deciphering the Weird, Wonderful Genetic Diversity of Leaf Shapes

Researchers craft a new model for plant development after studying the genetics of carnivorous plants’ cup-shaped traps

A melanistic Indian leopard in Nagarhole National Park.

Why Are Black Leopards So Rare?

Several species of cat have members with all-black coats, but the evolutionary advantages and disadvantages are just starting to be understood

An artist’s rendering of ancient Arctic hyenas belonging to the genus Chasmaporthetes. A new study reports that two enigmatic fossil teeth found in Yukon Territory in Canada belonged to Chasmaporthetes, making the teeth the first known fossils of hyenas found in the Arctic.

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

Prehistoric Hyena’s Teeth Show Bone-Crushing Carnivore Roamed the Arctic

The only hyena to live in North America, <i>Chasmaporthetes</i>, had the stature of a wolf and the powerful jaws of its modern relatives

Pandamonium

Bamboo Is Basically 'Fake Meat' for Giant Pandas

A new study shows the bears have a nutritional profile looks more like that of wolves and cats rather than herbivores

Transient killer whales, hunters extraordinaire, cruise by a sea lion haulout in the northeast Pacific.

A Tale of Two Killer Whales

Orca whales actually comprise two distinct types—and one may soon be destined to rise above the other

New Research

Why Wolves Work Together While Wild Dogs Do Not

Contrary to popular belief, domestication has made dogs less likely to cooperate to get food than wolves

Even top predators like pumas flee in our presence. Worse, they might be disrupting entire food chains as they go.

New Research

How Fear of Humans Can Ripple Through Food Webs and Reshape Landscapes

Predators like pumas cower in our presence. And these big cats aren’t the only ones

A Coconut Octopus Uses Tools to Snatch a Crab

Coconut octopuses are among the most intelligent invertebrates around: They use tools, carry their shelters around for when they need them

This Terrifying Worm Snatches Fish from the Ocean Floor

Sand strikers, also known as bobbit worms, are primitive-looking creatures that lack eyes, or even a brain

It may not be pretty, but meat eating has been a critical factor in creating the fossil record.

Why Paleontologists Should Love Meat-Eaters

… Particularly the ones that feasted on human flesh. Thanks, guys!

The Carnivorous Plant That Feasts on Mice

While the carnivorous cravings of most flesh-eating plants are limited to small insects, one exception is the pitcher plant

A black and white ruffed lemur in Madagascar's Vakona Forest Reserve. Worldwide, primates are particularly prone to overhunting, according to the first global assessment of bush meat hunting trends.

A New Report Says We're Hunting the World's Mammals to Death. What Can Be Done?

Solutions are multifaceted and region-specific, but conservation researchers have some ideas

Marián Cueto, author of a new study on fossilized cave lion claws, working in La Garma.

New Research

Humans May Have Hunted Cave Lions to Extinction—For Throw Rugs

Dear cave lions: We're so, so sorry.

Expanding human populations in India have pushed tigers into small, isolated habitats—and resulted in some unusual behaviors.

Anthropocene

Sorry, Tiger Dudes: Your Ladies Are Faking It

India’s tigresses may be feigning interest in sex as the result of shrinking habitat and overlapping territories

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), the world’s largest carnivorous bat, feeds on small birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals—including other bats.

The World’s Carnivorous Bats Are Emerging From the Dark

Meat-eating evolved multiple times among these mysterious species, yet all of the winged carnivores share similar physiological fixes

Eurasian lynx playing in the snow in Germany.

New Research

Europe Is a Great Place to Be a Large Meat-Eater

In a rare success story for wildlife, bears, lynx, wolverine and wolves are increasing in numbers across the continent

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

Cougars Survived the Pleistocene Extinction Because They’ll Eat Just About Anything Meaty

Eating everything that's in front of you is key to eking by when times are tough

loading icon