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Ecology

Honey bees, packed together in their hive, are vulnerable to infection from viruses.

New Research

Honey Bee Virus Tricks Hive Guards Into Admitting Sick Intruders

The virus tweaks bee behavior to infect new hives and may also spread other hive-killing pathogens and pests

An anole lizard holding on to a perch by its toepads during simulated hurricane-force winds.

Hurricanes Make Lizards Evolve Bigger Toe Pads

New study extends previous results limited to just two islands to 188 species of lizard across Caribbean as well as Central and South America

A new analysis of insect abundance surveys finds the decline may not be as dire as previously thought.

New Research

New Study Gives a More Complex Picture of Insect Declines

The researchers gathered data from 166 surveys of insect abundance around the world, mostly conducted since the 1980s

Young leatherback sea turtles.

Covid-19

COVID-19 Restrictions May Boost Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting

Beaches in Florida and Thailand have tentatively reported increases in nests, due to decreased human presence. But the trend won’t necessarily persist

Bald Eagles Found Nesting in Arizona Saguaro Cactus for First Time in Decades

The prickly perch is an exciting sign of success for the birds, which came off the endangered species list in 2007

Delicate blossoms might get knocked down, but they get up again.

New Research

How Flowers Marvelously Evolved Resilience

Blossoms contort and twist back into optimal pollination position after getting bumped and battered

Some eastern monarch butterflies travel about 3,000 miles to reach their overwintering sites in Mexico.

New Research

Hand-Reared Monarch Butterflies Are Weaker Than Their Wild Cousins

In the wild, only about one in 20 caterpillars grows up to be a butterfly

A rock samples collected during a 2010 drilling expedition in the South Pacific that found microbes in the sea floor.

Microbes Living in Deep Sea Rocks Spawn More Hope for Life on Mars

Starved of resources, these hardy bacteria still eke out a living, suggesting life forms could survive in the harsh habitats on other planets

Maratus azureus, a newly discovered species of peacock spider from Western Australia

See Seven New Dazzling, Dancing Peacock Spiders

Hailing from all over Australia, the spiders were identified by a scientist who used to fear them

Urban Coyotes Eat a Lot of Garbage—and Cats

A new study shows how city-dwelling coyotes thrive by feasting on human-linked food sources

Eucalyptus trees sprout "emergency foliage" after a wildfire while their leaves regrow.

How Australia’s Wilderness Is Recovering From Wildfires

Greenery is sprouting from scorched tree trunks as the forests regrow their canopies

Planet Positive

Meet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your Backyard

Fed up with invasive species and sterile landscapes, Douglas Tallamy urges Americans to go native and go natural

Pallid bats use relatively low-pitched sounds for echolocation, making them better at hunting in open spaces like grasslands.

New Research

California Bats Thrive in Forests Recovering From Wildfires

Wildfires leave behind a patchwork of forest densities that can give bats more room to fly and hunt

So-called 'watermelon snow' sounds better than it looks and tastes; do not eat pink snow.

This ‘Blood-Red’ Snow Is Taking Over Parts of Antarctica

After a month of record-breaking temperatures, a kind of snow algae that turns ruby-hued in warm temperatures thrives

Mo‘omomi Preserve on the north coast of the Hawaiian island of Moloka‘i protects a dune ecosystem that boasts rare coastal species.

Hawai‘i’s Last Dunes Are Home to Species Found Nowhere Else on the Planet

A nature preserve on Moloka‘i reveals rare life forms—some ancient and others just newly established

A bumblebee, barred from touching a sphere that's visible in lit conditions, learns about the object through sight alone.

Like Humans, Bumblebees May Create Mental Images in Their Brains

After touching an object in the dark, the insects can recognize it later through sight alone—a complex cognitive feat

Olms, also called "baby dragons" and "human fish," are blind, foot-long salamanders native to European caves.

New Research

A Cave-Dwelling Salamander Didn’t Move for Seven Years

The blind, eel-like amphibians called olms live deep in European caves and can go years without food

Most cat allergies are caused by a protein called Fel d 1 that's found in cat saliva and skin glands, and often gets wicked into fur.

What Does a Study of Slow Lorises Actually Say About Cat Allergies?

An unusual theory ultimately warrants skepticism under further research is conducted

A cat-eyed snake eats a toad in Panama. Many snakes depend on amphibians and their eggs for nutrition.

Tropical Snakes Suffer as a Fungus Kills the Frogs They Prey On

Surveys of reptiles in central Panama show the ripple effects of an ecological crisis

At Pablo Escobar's former hacienda, tourists are warned about the dangerous presence of an expanding hippo population.

Pablo Escobar’s Pooping Hippos Are Polluting Colombia’s Lakes

A new study suggests the hulking creatures are changing local water bodies with their bathroom habits

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