Weird Animals
Taco-Shaped Creature Had a 'Major Edge' in Evolution—and 30 Pairs of Spiny Legs
This shrimp-like arthropod was among the first to have a mandible, and it used a complex feeding mechanism during the Cambrian explosion, according to a new study
When It Comes to Romantic Gift-Giving, Humans Aren’t Alone. Snails, Birds and Flies All Woo Each Other With Presents
Throughout the animal kingdom, sweethearts bestow offerings with their amorous advances
Watch Blood-Sucking Leeches Leap From Leaves and Soar Through the Air
New videos may help settle scientists' long-standing debate over whether leeches can jump
Is This the First Recorded Footage of a Colossal Squid Living Freely?
The only sightings of the animals so far have come from corpses or creatures dragged up from the depths
Meet the 'Echidnapus,' an Extinct Creature That Resembles Both the Echidna and Platypus of Today
The species is among three newly identified monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, discovered from fossils in Australia that are shedding light on the odd animals' evolution
See the Rare, 2,000-Pound Hoodwinker Sunfish That Washed Ashore in Oregon
The species was only described in 2017 after "hiding in plain sight" for nearly three centuries
A Poisonous Diet Gives These Animals Their Own Toxic Defense
From monarchs to sea slugs, various creatures consume chemicals that keep predators at bay
Bizarre Sex Helped Anglerfish Diversify and Dominate the Deep Sea, Study Suggests
Some of these fish perform obligate parasitism, in which males attach to—and then fuse bodies with—the much-larger females
Inside the Wild Ways Many Creatures Make Milk
Mammals aren’t the only animals that provide nutritious secretions for their young
Dice Snakes Fake Their Own Deaths With Gory, Poop-Filled Theatrics
When attacked by a predator, the reptiles can play dead with convincing detail, employing blood and feces for the show
Move Over, Cicadas: These Living Things ‘Go Dark’ For a Long Time, Too
From frogs to orchids, many organisms go dormant or move underground for lengthy stints
Tiny and Rare, a Blind Mole That 'Swims' Through Desert Sand Is Spotted in Australia
Typically seen just five to ten times per decade, the elusive species has now been found for the second time in six months
Why Do So Many Beetle Species Exist?
Diet played a key role in the evolution of the vast beetle family tree
Florida Fish Are Mysteriously Dying After 'Spinning and Whirling,' and Scientists Can't Explain It
The abnormal behavior has raised special concerns about the endangered smalltooth sawfish, an odd-looking ray with chainsaw-like teeth, as 28 of them have died
Dive Into the Exotic World of Nudibranchs, the Spectacular Slugs of the Sea
Psychedelic hedgehogs, purple pineapples, living strawberries—these tiny creatures show off their big personalities off the Australian coast
14 Fun Facts About Parrots: They Can Sing, Use Tools and Live a Long, Long Time
And one species can even weigh as much as a house cat
Five Shocking Animal Hybrids That Truly Exist in Nature, From Narlugas to Grolar Bears to Coywolves
The now-famous “virgin” stingray Charlotte is not having hybrid babies, scientists say. But in nature, distinct species sometimes interbreed to produce surprising offspring
Ten Wild Facts About Octopuses: They Have Three Hearts, Big Brains and Blue Blood
These bizarre creatures have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and for humans, they’ve inspired horror, admiration and culinary prestige
Don't Look Up: Cicadas Produce High-Speed Jets of Urine
The noisy, winged insects produce pee the same way that much larger animals do, according to a new study
The World's Oldest Wild Platypus Shocks Scientists at 24 Years of Age
The animal was tagged in 2000, when it was estimated to be about one year old, and re-discovered alive in the wild last year
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