Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Mammals

Nearly blind, Typhlomys cinereus thrives in the high forests of southeastern China and Vietnam—with a little help from another sense.

New Research

This Echolocating Dormouse Could Reveal the Origins of One of Nature’s Coolest Superpowers

Mice, moths and even humans use clicks and echoes to “see” the world around them

Ōkunoshima

The Dark History of Japan’s Rabbit Island

The heroes of the movie Kong: Skull Island prepare to encounter the 104-foot-tall ape King Kong.

Science in the Movies

How Big Can a Land Animal Get?

King Kong’s biggest enemy isn’t humans—it’s the laws of physics

How the Desert Oryx Stops Its Brain From Frying

How does the desert-dwelling oryx survive a body temperature that would kill other mammals? The answer lies in a panting mechanism

Incredible: A Cheetah Sprints to Catch a Springbok

A cheetah mother caring for her cubs stumbles across an opportunity too good to pass up: a herd of springbok, grazing casually nearby

Why Elk Calves Are Undetectable to Yellowstone’s Wolves

In Yellowstone, elk calves are left unprotected by their herd and are the easiest prey for wolves to catch. Luckily, the newborns have no scent

Tracking individual lemurs—such as the endangered red-bellied lemur pictured here—is no easy task. But researchers hope that facial recognition software can help in the fight for the survival of the bushy-tailed primates.

New Research

How Do You Pick a Lemur Out of a Lineup? This Software Makes the Leap

Facial recognition software can identify individuals, helping researchers conserve the endangered primate

Rothschild’s giraffes typically have five nubby horns, or ossicones, instead of the usual two.

Future of Conservation

To Save Giraffes, We May Need to Put Our Necks Out

With populations plummeting, researchers race to understand a beloved but enigmatic animal

Think human dating is hard? Try being a panda.

Pandamonium

Why Panda Sex Isn’t Black and White

Reproductive experts weigh in on panda porn, panda Viagra and other biological myths

New Zealand volunteers formed a human chain in the water at a remote beach on Friday as they tried to save about 100 whales after more than 400 of the creatures beached themselves in one of the worst whale strandings in the nation's history.

Trending Today

Hundreds of Pilot Whales Stranded on New Zealand’s Farewell Spit

Up to 300 have died and volunteers are scrambling to get the remaining creatures back in the water

Meet the Echidna, an Incredible, Fire-Proof Spiny Anteater

The echidna, or spiny anteater, is a marvel of defensive self-preservation, from its impenetrable spikes to its ability to breathe through bushfires

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!

An illustration of Australia's past megafauna.

New Research

Changing Climate, Not Humans, Killed Australia’s Massive Mammals

But that mass extinction could help us predict what today’s human-wrought climate change may bring

Earwax: Coming To a Home Air Filtration System Near You?

A clogged ear on a scuba trip led a Georgia Institute of Technology engineer to study the dust-filtering properties of the waxy substance

The doormouse hibernates to conserve resources in harsh conditions. Similarly, scientists envision humans hibernating to endure long-distance space travel.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Can Humans Ever Harness the Power of Hibernation?

Scientists want to know if astronauts can hibernate during long spaceflights. First, they need to understand what hibernation is

Colo died at age 60 in the zoo where she was so famously born.

Trending Today

Colo, the World’s First Gorilla Born in Captivity, Is Dead

The miracle baby turned matriarch was 60 years old

Nearly 100 false killer whales are currently stranded in the Everglades in the worst Florida stranding of its kind.

Trending Today

Scores of Dolphins Are Stranded in the Everglades

So far, at least 82 false killer whales have died

Ask Smithsonian

Why Were Electric Cars Once Advertised as ‘Ladies’ Cars’?

Your questions answered by our experts

Tusks from an $8 million shipment intercepted in Singapore

Future of Conservation

There’s a New Tool in the Fight Against Elephant Poaching

An American biologist wields an innovative weapon against the illegal trade in African ivory

Incredibly Cute Polar Bear Cubs See the World for First Time

After a long winter in their den, a polar bear mother and her cubs emerge at the first signs of spring.

Page 26 of 40