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Weird Animals

Many friendly foxes carried a version of a gene that differed from their feral counterparts.

New Research

What the Fox Genome Tells Us About Domestication

After only a few decades of domestic breeding, friendly foxes have social behavior woven into their genes

These ephemeral puddles are the birthplace, home and grave of the killifish.

New Research

Meet the Fish That Grows Up in Just 14 Days

The turquoise killifish, which lives in ephemeral pools in Mozambique, progresses from embryo to sexual maturity faster than any other vertebrate

Dog urine conveys an array of information, including its owner's sex, age and reproductive status

Why Small Dogs Go Above and Beyond to Mark Their Territory

Tinier males tend to lift their legs at higher angles, perhaps to exaggerate size and competitive ability

Balding on the lemurs' lower backs indicated frequent itching and scratching associated with rashes caused by a common pesky parasite.

Lemurs Smear Bugs on Their Privates to Ward Off Infection

Lathering up with orange goo from millipede guts might relieve infections, expel parasites in lemurs

Researchers claim that they "defrosted" two ancient nematodes, which began moving and eating. If the claims hold up, it will be a scientific discovery for the ages

Ancient Roundworms Allegedly Resurrected From Russian Permafrost

Skeptics cite possibility of ancient samples’ contamination by contemporary organisms

The spider’s tastes are shifting away from springtails, triggering a cycle of events that could serve as a welcome deterrence to Arctic climate change

How the Wolf Spider’s Diet May Help Keep the Arctic Cool

As temperatures rise, the spider dines differently, resulting in a cascade of effects in the Arctic

No calves have been born over the past three years, and the current orca population is only 75

Pacific Northwest Orca Population Hits 30-Year-Low

Declining salmon population, pollution and noise disturbance pose largest threats to the killer whales’ survival

The two surviving northern white rhinos, a mother and daughter, are both infertile

New Research

With Hybrid Embryo, Scientists Are One Step Closer to Saving the Northern White Rhino

Hybrid embryos were created using northern rhinos’ frozen sperm, southern rhinos’ eggs

Koala populations are expected to drop by 50 percent over the next 20 years

New Research

Newly Mapped Koala Genome Unlocks Secrets of Marsupial’s Diet, Susceptibility to Chlamydia

The cuddly creatures can survive on a diet of high-toxin eucalyptus leaves thanks to detoxifying genes

Anemonefish, also known as clownfish, are born androgynous and can shift from male to female in one lifetime.

Alternatives to Heterosexual Pairings, Brought to You By Non-Human Animals

No one quite has this sex thing figured out, but these non-binary animals have some good ideas

The early life stages of these oceanic behemoths are a mystery to researchers.

Cool Finds

Teeming Manta Ray Nursery Discovered in the Gulf of Mexico

Almost all of the rays in the area are rarely seen juveniles, which can reach wingspans of 23 feet when they grow up

A narwhal being capture and tagged for the study

New Research

Researchers Record the Sounds of the Elusive Narwhal

Skreee—-click——whirrr.

Don't judge a bat by its cover ... of Barry White.

New Research

Like Birds, Some Bats Warble to Woo Their Mates

They join an elite club of mammals—including mice, whales and humans—whose melodies convey complex information

Why Rattlesnakes Are Just as Dangerous Dead or Alive

After receiving bite from decapitated Western diamondback, Texas man required 26 doses of antivenom

Trending Today

DNA Survey of Life in Loch Ness Will Hunt for Its Monster Resident

The goal is to catalog the lake’s diversity of life—including any oversized, prehistoric reptiles

Who needs fuzz and pudge when you have this slimy smile?

Future of Conservation

The Adorable Chinese Giant Salamander Is Slithering Toward Extinction

The amphibians could actually be five separate species, some of which may already be extinct

New Research

These Lizards Evolved Toxic Green Blood

The strange trait has developed four separate times and may protect the skinks from certain malaria strains

A pelagic snail ensnares food with with a mucous web.

These Strange Ocean Creatures Trap Their Food In a Net of Mucus

Biologists are finding that these invertebrate grazers can actually be picky eaters—and their choices might influence ocean food webs

Everyone knows about shallow coral reefs like this one, which Shepherd captured during a decompression stop up from a mesophotic dive. Far fewer know about the deep reefs that lie just below them.

Illuminating the Ocean’s Teeming Twilight Zone, Before It Disappears

Like underwater islands, these deep reefs harbor countless creatures that scientists have never heard of, and many they never will

Cool Finds

Why This Elephant in India Is Blowing Smoke

It’s likely the puffing pachyderm is eating ash-covered charcoal as a form of self-medication to flush out toxins

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