Mammals

A male elephant at Etosha National Park in Namibia

Male Elephants Queue in Dry Times

Researchers believe the hierarchy helps elephants avoid injuries that could result from competing for water

Woolly rhinos may have used their flattened horns to sweep away snow and expose edible vegetation underneath.

Woolly Rhino May Have Been A Tibetan Native

When the Ice Age began, these large mammals spread out to northern Asia and Europe

A wild capybara by a lake in Brazil

What In The World Is A Capybara?

And why is one running loose in California?

One of Amani's five cubs at seven weeks age

Helping Older Cheetahs Become Moms

Researchers may soon be able to transfer embryos from older cheetahs into younger animals and give them a better chance of success

Kanzi the bonobo is quite the musician

Six Talking Apes

“Talking” apes are not just the stuff of science fiction; scientists have taught many apes to use some semblance of language

A vampire bat feeds on a pig

How Vampire Bats Find A Vein

They may not be Dracula in disguise, but vampire bats are still creepy nocturnal critters that need blood to survive

Still from Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Chimp Movies

Project Nim and Rise of the Planet of the Apes are very different movies, but both question the ethics of chimpanzee research

A baby Cavendish's dik-dik at the San Diego Zoo

What In The World Is A Dik-dik?

Unlike other African antelope species, there are no herds of dik-diks. They form monogamous pairs that stand guard over their own territory

The Vine With Its Own Bat Signal

Specially shaped leaves lure the flying mammals. The bats get a meal, and the flowers get pollinated

Several crocodile species are known to attack humans

What Preys on Humans?

Most of us never come in contact with a deadly predator, but there are still enough encounters to remind us that humans are not the top of the food web

A leatherback turtle is just one of many predators in the ocean

Where the Pacific’s Predators Go

Scientists have found that predator species trade off between prey availability and water temperature in their travels

A stuffed solenodon in a museum Feedloader (Clickability)

Solenodons: No Bark But Plenty of Venomous Bite

Solenodons are unusual predators; they are among the few venomous mammals

A snow leopard caught in a camera trap in Afghanistan

The Vanishing Cats

In a recent bit of good news, snow leopards have been spotted at 16 camera traps in northeastern Afghanistan

Naked mole rats from the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo

14 Fun Facts About Naked Mole Rats

Number 11: A mole rat's incisors can be moved independently and can even work together like a pair of chopsticks

Scientists are still trying to figure out why primates have excellent vision.

Snake-Spotting Theory Brings Primate Vision into Focus

Do camouflaged predators explain why monkeys, apes and other primates evolved superior eyesight?

The European hamster is bigger than the petstore variety and has a black belly

To Save a French Hamster

A European Union court has ruled that France should be doing more to protect the Great Hamster of Alsace

Feral cats can roam over great distances, a new study finds.

The Secret Lives of Feral Cats

Free-roaming, unowned kitties live differently from our beloved pets

Most fatal black bear attacks are carried out by hungry males

How To Avoid Being Eaten By A Black Bear

A recent study of fatal black bear attacks shows that hungry males are the ones to really worry about

Black-footed ferrets at the National Zoo

Black-Footed Ferrets and Other Endangered Critters

The subject of endangered species can be a depressing one, but there are also many reasons to be hopeful

Kemp's ridleys are the world's smallest sea turtles and are also the most endangered.

North America’s Most Endangered Animals

Snails, marmots, condors and coral reef are among the many species on the continent that are close to extinction

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