Weird Animals

A mosquito larva launches its head to capture prey dangled in front of it.

Mosquito Larvae Launch Their Heads to Capture Prey

Advances in technology allowed researchers to film these cannibalistic insects hunting for the first time

A wax worm on a piece of plastic with holes

Wax Worm Saliva Is the Unlikely Hero of Fighting Plastic Waste

Their enzymes can break down plastic in a matter of hours

An artist's renditon of the "alien goldfish." Scientists identified a toothy structure in the animal's gut, suggesting it was some kind of mollusk.

Mysterious ‘Alien Goldfish’ May Have Been a Mollusk

The bizarre creature’s anatomy had stumped scientists for decades

Barnaby Domigan with the giant earthworm

Nine-Year-Old Finds a Three-Foot-Long Earthworm in His Backyard

The New Zealand boy named the creature “Dead Fred”

Immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) are smaller than the nail on your pinky finger.

‘Immortal Jellyfish’ Could Spur Discoveries About Human Aging

After reaching maturity, these deep-sea creatures can revert to a juvenile stage and repeat their life cycle

A new species of giant isopod, Bathynomus yucatanensis

New Species of Deep Sea Isopod Discovered

The giant crustacean was originally mistaken for a different species at an aquarium in Japan

Brooding requires a significant sacrifice for a mother Bathyteuthis berryi. Though she can't feed or quickly escape from predators while carrying her eggs, she can ensure her young stay in water that has the right temperature, salinity and oxygen levels.

Watch a Deep-Sea Squid Carry Hundreds of Pearl-Like Eggs

Footage taken 56 miles off California's coast documents rarely-observed brooding behavior

A cat chews up and rolls around in the leaves of the silver vine plant.

When Cats Chew Catnip, It Works as a Bug Spray

Plant leaves that repel mosquitoes release a more effective repellant after being crushed up by felines

The skydiving wandering salamanders are native to northwestern California.

Wandering Salamanders Skydive From Some of the World's Tallest Trees

The amphibians stretch their limbs and tails to glide in a smooth style

The behavior has not previously been seen, and it was the first time an interaction between a Bolivian river dolphin and a Beni anaconda has ever been recorded.

River Dolphins Spotted in Rare Playful Interaction With a Beni Anaconda

Researchers suspect that the dolphins were playing with the boa, but many questions about the behavior remain

A male Philoponella prominens spider (top) mates with a female.

This Male Spider Catapults Itself Into the Air to Avoid Sexual Cannibalism

The arachnids propel themselves to safety at breakneck speeds after they’ve mated to avoid being eaten alive

An artists's take on the insect

The Quest to Find the World's Largest Bee

The rediscovery of Wallace’s giant bee uncovers disheartening truths about the tenuous fate of hidden insect species

A rare sighting of a northern spring salamander on migration night. These nocturnal creatures spend their days hiding under logs and stones.

Why Did the Salamander Cross the Road?

To reproduce, of course. And a band of volunteers gathers at night to help it—and countless other amphibians—get to the other side

Boas constrict their prey to death.

How Boa Constrictors Breathe While Squeezing the Life Out of Their Prey

Researchers outfitted the snakes with electrodes and scanned them using X-rays to see how the flexing predators managed to take in air

The lady-bug-sized spiders live in colonies of thousands are rarely leave the safety of their web.

These Spiders Hunt in Packs to Catch Prey Hundreds of Times Their Size

New research reveals how some arachnids use a coordinated stop-and-start approach to find a meal

A fossil of a Diegoaelurus jawbone was recovered from a construction site in Oceanside, California.

Paleontologists Uncover the Oldest Sabertoothed Predator

Fossil jaw shows earliest evidence of a specialized carnivore with scimitar-shaped fangs

Red pandas are classified as endangered and are legally protected in their home countries.

Before Seeing 'Turning Red,' Learn These Amazing Red Panda Facts

Delight your friends with these eight surprising details about the furry creatures

A greater horseshoe bat can use echolocation to target an insect meal.

Five Amazing Adaptations That Help Animals Thrive in the Dark

From snakes that use infrared radiation to find prey to deep sea fishes that communicate via bioluminescence, these creatures flourish without light

A ram's thick skull protects its brain from serious injury.

Ten Reasons Rams Might Be the Perfect Football Mascot

They're light on their feet, and they aren't afraid to butt heads

African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were able to regrow a functional limb within 18 months of the novel treatment.

Frogs Can Regrow Lost Legs in the Lab. Now, Researchers Say Human Limb Regeneration Could Happen 'in Our Lifetime'

A 24-hour treatment using a five-drug cocktail kickstarted a yearlong regrowth process in the amphibians

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