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Wildlife

Chinese mitten crabs had never been found in the Pacific Northwest, until now.

Invasive Crab With Furry, Mitten-Like Claws Detected for the First Time in the Pacific Northwest

A commercial fisherman nabbed a large male Chinese mitten crab in the lower Columbia River late last month, putting biologists on high alert

Eastern quolls went extinct on mainland Australia in 1963.

See Eastern Quolls Get Released on Mainland Australia in a New Bid to Re-establish the ‘Magic Little Animal’

Conservationists recently introduced 15 of the polka-dotted marsupials into a protected area of New South Wales

New research suggests that land-based echidnas descended from semi-aquatic mammals. 

A Single Prehistoric Bone Might Rewrite the History of the World’s Strangest Mammals

Analysis of the fossil suggests that the only two egg-laying mammals, platypuses and land-based echidnas, both descended from a semi-aquatic creature

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There's More to That

Looking Back on the L.A. Wildfires Through the Lens of Two Photographers

As wildfire becomes an increasingly lethal force that’s remaking broad swaths of California, people and animals alike are in the hot seat

Human wounds take longer to heal than the wounds of other mammals, researchers find. That could be because we have fewer hair follicles, and stem cells in hair follicles help regrow skin after an injury.

Human Evolution Traded Fur for Sweat Glands—and Now, Our Wounds Take Longer to Heal Than Those of Other Mammals

Even compared to chimpanzees, one of our closest relatives, humans’ scrapes and cuts tend to stick around for more than twice as long, new research suggests

Blood type, metabolism, exercise, shirt color and even drinking beer can make individuals especially delicious to mosquitoes.

Ask Smithsonian

Why Do Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others? Your Blood Type, Sweat Contents and Even Alcohol Consumption May Make You More Attractive to the Pesky Insects

Scientists are working hard to discover the factors that drive the blood-sucking insects to target certain individuals

Birds glide above the forests that surround Anacapa Island, California.

What Free Diving in a Kelp Forest Taught Me About an Overlooked but Incredibly Valuable Ecosystem

A photographer shares the epiphanies she has had while chronicling underwater jungles off the California coast

The mosasaur vertebra measured more than seven inches wide.

Geologists Stumble Upon Remains of Giant ‘Sea Monster’ in Mississippi, Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in the State

Researchers uncovered one vertebra, and based on its size, they estimate the massive creature was at least 30 feet long when it roamed the shallow seas that covered the region roughly 66 million years ago

Before she went missing on Kangaroo Island, Valerie slept in bed with her human parents and enjoyed spending time indoors.

Good News

Valerie the Miniature Dachshund Has Been Rescued After Surviving for 529 Days on a Rugged Australian Island

The eight-pound pup is now decompressing after her epic adventure in the wilderness, a feat rescuers say was “just incredible”

A "bone collector" caterpillar sits in a cobweb with a spider and its egg sac. The newly discovered moth species disguises itself as a larva by covering itself with insect parts.

Researchers Discover a Rare, Carnivorous Caterpillar That Wears Dead Insect Parts to Fool Spiders

The species, dubbed the “bone collector,” belongs to an ancient lineage of moths older than the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which is the only place it’s known to live today

Officials say they made the decision to euthanize hundreds of koalas for the creatures' welfare after a bushfire in Victoria.

Authorities Snipe Hundreds of Koalas From Helicopters in Controversial ‘Aerial Cull’ in Australia

Between 600 and 700 of the marsupials were killed from the air, likely for the first time in the country’s history. Officials say the decision, which has prompted backlash, was made to minimize the animals’ suffering after a bushfire

Bleached coral on the Great Barrier Reef

The Worst Bleaching Event on Record Is Hitting Most of the World’s Coral Reefs

Scientists are alarmed by the ongoing crisis, with deteriorating conditions harming marine life in the tropics and beyond

European gray wolves in Germany

Why Have European Wolves Recovered So Much in the Past Decade?

The predators have increased by almost 60 percent on the continent

Trevelyan is a former puppet maker, so making the curlew costume was relatively easy for him.

A U.K. Man Just Walked 53 Miles Wearing a Giant, Handmade Bird Costume. Here’s Why He Did It

As he trekked across the English countryside, 46-year-old Matt Trevelyan caused quite a stir with his attention-grabbing outfit

For the first time known to scientists, a team has documented chimps sharing alcoholic fruit.

Watch Wild Chimpanzees Share Alcoholic Fruit, a Behavior Just Captured on Video for the First Time

Though the reason behind this action is unclear, researchers suggest socially consuming alcohol may have offered evolutionary benefits to a common ancestor of both humans and chimps

A variety of marine creatures and unique features can be found in the deep sea off Norway, including the dumbo octopus, colorful anemones and venting chimneys.

As Norway Considers Deep-Sea Mining, a Rich History of Ocean Conservation Decisions May Inform How the Country Acts

In the past, scientists, industry and government have worked together in surprising, tense and fruitful ways

Northern snakeheads were first discovered in American waters in 2002.

These Large, Snake-Like Fish Are Invading the United States—and Authorities Want You to Kill Them

Invasive northern snakeheads can “walk” on land, breathe air and survive out of water for several days, and they also compete with native species in waterways

Last year, nine million viewers tuned in to watch “The Great Moose Migration” in Sweden.

Watch Majestic Moose Meander North With This Popular Live Stream From Sweden

“The Great Moose Migration” shows the antler-adorned ungulates making their annual spring trek

Caught on Lake Livingston near Houston using a two-pound line, the massive alligator gar weighed 153 pounds.

Angler Catches 153-Pound Behemoth in Texas Using Ultra-Light Tackle, Likely Setting a New World Record

Art Weston and Kirk Kirkland reeled in and released the enormous freshwater fish, known as an alligator gar, after a four-hour battle on Lake Livingston

Elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park huddled together, facing outward, in a behavior called an "alert circle" after an earthquake hit.

Watch These Elephants Form an ‘Alert Circle’ as an Earthquake Shakes San Diego, Protecting Their Young at the Center

Footage from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park shows the large mammals huddling together around the herd’s calves

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