Weird Animals

An artist's illustration of Patagotitan mayorum, the latest and possibly most gargantuan in a series of recent giant dino finds.

Did Scientists Just Unveil the Biggest Dinosaur of All Time?

The jury's still out—but if you can get over the size contest, far more fascinating patterns about these giants emerge

How the Narwhal Got Its Tusk

According to Inuit storytelling tradition, the narwhal was once an evil stepmother, who wove her hair into a tusk

An arachnid in the trapdoor spider family, a group known for its snug and potentially even ocean-going burrows.

How One Brave Spider Floated Thousands of Miles to Colonize a New Continent

Improbably, new genetic analysis shows that trapdoor spiders may have ridden ocean currents from Africa to Australia

On Earth, creatures from sharks to snails to these coral polyps light up the darkness. Are glowing aliens really that far-fetched?

Could We See Glow-in-the-Dark Aliens From Earth?

Extraterrestrial life might make its own light to protect itself from harmful radiation

The Pleistocene world was filled with megafauna like woolly mammoths and saber-tooth cats. Did humans kill them all off?

Are Humans to Blame for the Disappearance of Earth’s Fantastic Beasts?

100,000 years ago, giant sloths, wombats and cave hyenas roamed the world. What drove them all extinct?

Ramazzottius varieornatus, a species of tardigrade, photographed with scanning electron microscope

Why Are Tardigrades the World's Hardiest Creature? DNA Offers Clues

They may be tiny, but don't let their stubby stature fool you

The fin of a blacktip shark glides through the waters in the Bahamas.

Ten Things We've Learned about Sharks Since Last Shark Week

In light of Shark Week 2017, here are some revelations about the fearsome fish we’ve made in the past year

Little does it know, but getting eaten by a great tit is the least of this grub's worries.

Meet the Supervillain Worm That Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends

This deadly nematode and its sidekicks reveal the power of bacterial symbiosis

Here, wildebeest find themselves trapped by high cliffs while crossing the Mara River in Africa's Serengeti. Every year thousands of wildebeest die while crossing the river due to strong currents or crossing at dangerous sites.

The Upside of Rotting Carcasses

Large animals dying en masse are crucial to the the Serengeti—and they aren’t the only ones

Marianne Nyegaard poses next to a beached hoodwinker sunfish near Christchurch, New Zealand.

Found: New Species of Ocean Sunfish, the World’s Largest Bony Fish

After identifying genetic traces of the creature, one researcher spent years searching for the aquatic beast

For some animals, romance goes more smoothly when it comes with gifts.

Why Snail Sex Is Like a Box of Chocolates

To up the romance factor, some animals pair amorous advances with tasty gifts

The pale tiger found in Tamil Nadu

Stunning Images Capture Rare Pale Tiger in India

An unusual genetic combination likely led to the creature's exceptionally light coloration

A horseshoe crab.

Forget Dinos: Horseshoe Crabs Are Stranger, More Ancient—And Still Alive Today

But now evolution’s ultimate survivors may be in danger

Every species lights up the night in its own unique sequence of patterns, colors and flashes.

Illuminating the Secret Language of Lightning Bugs

For these light-up lovers, each flash in the night could mean sex or death

The endangered blobfish, once named world's ugliest animal, has leveraged its unusual looks to win the Internet's adoration. Can other less-traditionally appealing creatures do the same?

When It Comes to Conservation, Are Ugly Animals a Lost Cause?

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but good marketing can do wonders

Pyrosoma atlanticum floating off of Santa Cruz Island.

Hordes of Gelatinous “Sea Pickles” Are Invading the West Coast

Usually a rare creature, no one yet knows the reason for the influx of the light-emitting creatures

The sun may get all the attention, but our lunar lodestar helps creatures navigate the swells and tides of ocean life.

How Moonlight Sets Nature's Rhythms

Lunar luster triggers mating orgies, guides travelers and even can even provoke magical transformations

A painting depicting a tribute giraffe and a handler sent to China in the 15th century.

The Peculiar Story of Giraffes in 1400s China

During China's short-lived golden age of exploration, two giraffes came to the imperial court

A spiny crab pulled up by the Investigator team

Australian Expedition Dredges Up Crazy Creatures From the Deep Sea

After a month exploring Australia's deepest ocean, researchers found over 300 new species of toothy, blobby and glowing animals

Louie, having one last drink at the bar before heading home.

132-Year-Old Lobster Earns a Pardon from the Pot

Louie, a 22-pound crustacean born during the Cleveland administration, returned to the sea after 20 years living at Peter's Clam Bar

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