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Mammals

The finished national anthem included the calls of 41 birds.

How Scientists and Composers Teamed Up to Create a Stunning Natural Version of Colombia’s National Anthem

A team trekked for two weeks and collected the sounds of birds, frogs, a jaguar and whales in order to make the song

Researchers tracked 71 common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) to parse their migration patterns.

Bats Hitch a Ride on Storm Fronts When Migrating, Saving Energy by ‘Surfing’ Through the Sky, Study Finds

Researchers tracking female bats in central Europe found they migrated much farther in a single night than previously thought. The findings could help protect bats from wind turbine collisions

A Surinam golden-eyed tree frog calls for a mate, puffing out its cheeks.

See 25 Incredible Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Cast your vote for your favorite of the photographs, which are all contenders for the People’s Choice award, through January 29

A baby pygmy hippo was born at Virginia's Metro Richmond Zoo in December in another viral birth for the endangered species.

A Virginia Zoo Now Has Its Own Moo Deng—See the ‘Adorable’ Baby Pygmy Hippo Born in December

The young female made her public debut this week, and the Metro Richmond Zoo is asking fans to vote on her name—a choice between Poppy and Hammie Mae

Though she faced many challenges—including the loss of her left eye—the gray wolf named 907F persevered and lived to be more than 11 years old.

The Iconic, One-Eyed ‘Queen of the Wolves’ Dies After Fight With Rival Pack in Yellowstone National Park

A beloved matriarch, 907F lived to be 11 years old, which is much longer than the average life span for gray wolves and a rare feat, even for those in the protected area of Yellowstone

Southern sea otters are making a comeback along the coast of California—and they're chowing down on invasive European green crabs.

Hungry Sea Otters Are Taking a Bite Out of California’s Invasive Crab Problem, New Study Finds

Researchers estimate southern sea otters eat up to 120,000 European green crabs per year at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

One in ten southern right whales lives past the age of 131, new research suggests.

Some Whales Live Much Longer Than Previously Thought, a Discovery That Could Change How We Protect Them

In a new study, researchers use novel techniques to uncover more accurate life expectancy estimates of southern and North Atlantic right whales

The Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulana) is not a new species, but it's one of the reptiles documented on a 2022 expedition to the Alto Mayo region of Peru.

Expedition Discovers 27 New Species in Peru, From an ‘Exceedingly Rare’ Amphibious Mouse to a Blob-Headed Fish

The hidden creatures were found in a densely populated region known for its successful—and controversial—conservation tactics

A California ground squirrel carries a vole in its mouth after hunting the rodent.

Squirrels Are Displaying ‘Widespread Carnivorous Behavior’ for the First Time in a California Park, New Study Finds

The familiar rodents, known for eating nuts and seeds, have been spotted hunting and decapitating voles in a gruesome dietary adaptation. Scientists say it might signal resiliency in face of future environmental pressures

Stories in a wide variety of scientific disciplines made our list this year.

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2024

From a total solar eclipse that captivated our continent to record temperatures that scorched the planet, these were the biggest moments of the year

A recently excavated mastodon tooth found in a backyard, still embedded in the jaw

Cool Finds

A Homeowner Found Huge, Fossil Teeth While Mowing the Lawn. Then, Excavations Revealed a Complete Mastodon Jaw

The new discovery is the first of its kind in New York state for at least 11 years and appeared in a county rich with mastodon remains

Last week, scientists conducted the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale, the rarest whale species on Earth.

Scientists Just Dissected the World’s Rarest Whale in New Zealand. Here’s What They Found

Only seven spade-toothed whales have ever been identified, and the species has never been seen alive. After one washed ashore last summer, researchers have made new discoveries—including that the animal had nine stomach chambers and vestigial teeth

Siberian tigers Boris and Svetlaya lounge together in the wild. Boris walked 120 miles to reunite with her after their release from a rehabilitation program.

Two Orphaned Siberian Tigers Reunite as Mates After a 120-Mile Trek Through Russian Wilderness

Conservationists hope the love story between Boris and Svetlaya might indicate a new, successful chapter in tiger repopulation efforts

The tail, or fluke, of a humpback whale is identifiable, like a fingerprint is for a human.

Humpback Whale Makes Record-Breaking 8,000-Mile Migration Across Three Oceans, but the Reason Is Still a Mystery

Biologists say mating, climate change or simply being confused might have driven the creature to swim great distances, between Colombia and Zanzibar

The genetic basis for orange cats' coloration has long been unknown to scientists.

Geneticists Solve the Mystery of Why Some Cats Are Orange—and Why They Tend to Be Males

Two new, preliminary papers identify a gene related to a cat’s coloration. The work also explains why tortoiseshell and calico cats tend to be females

New research suggests early humans hunted and ate mammoths, as well as elk and bison, to a lower degree.

An Ice Age Infant’s Bones Reveal Early Americans Ate Woolly Mammoths as a Protein Staple

New research examines chemical signatures to determine the diet of a prehistoric boy and his mother, suggesting the Clovis people relied on mammoths for a large portion of their menu

The hunting pod is led by Moctezuma, an adult male, named after an Aztec emperor.

New Research

A Pod of Orcas Learned to Target and Feast on Whale Sharks, the Largest Fish in the Sea

Photos and videos of the apex predators reveal how they engage in coordinated hunts in Mexican waters to take down juvenile whale sharks

An orca named L82 Kasatka swims in front of Mt. Rainier, with a strand of eelgrass trailing from her dorsal fin. She belongs to the Southern Resident orca population, a critically endangered group in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

No, Orcas Probably Aren’t Reviving the ‘Dead Salmon Hat’ Trend, Despite a Viral Photo, Experts Say. Here’s Why

A recent photo of an orca swimming with a salmon on its head has fueled speculation that the fad, first observed in the 1980s, has re-emerged off the coast of Washington state. But some experts are less eager to jump to that conclusion

An Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) licks nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa).

New Research

These Endangered Wolves Have a Sweet Tooth—and It Might Make Them Rare Carnivorous Pollinators

Ethiopian wolves like to lick up the flower nectar of red hot poker plants, and researchers have caught the behavior on camera

Researchers used a line array of hydrophones towed behind a ship for three weeks in the 1980s. They collected data nonstop, listening to all the sounds in the ocean. One such sound was the enigmatic "quacking" that one expert now says might represent a conversation.

Mysterious, Repetitive ‘Quacking’ Noise in the Southern Ocean May Have Been a Conversation Between Whales

During a 1982 experiment, researchers recorded the unusual sound, termed “bio-duck.” Now, a researcher suggests they may have been listening in on animals talking to each other

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