Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Wildlife

Some researchers think that two varieties of orcas are so different that they should be considered separate species. 

Do These Severed Orca Fins Covered in Tooth Marks Mean Killer Whales Are Cannibals? It’s Complicated, Scientists Say

Researchers suggest that predation by a subspecies called Bigg’s orcas might explain why members of another one, called resident orcas, stay in such large family groups

Common eastern bumblebee queens use underwater breathing and anaerobic metabolism to survive when submerged.

Bumblebee Queens Breathe Underwater to Survive Drowning, Revealing How They Can Live Submerged for a Week

After scientists accidentally discovered that the common eastern bumblebee can withstand flood conditions, they wanted to investigate what makes that super-ability possible

An artistic representation of Sonselasuchus cedrus, which may have lived in the forests in what is now Arizona around 215 million years ago

This Ancient Reptile Started Life on All Fours. As It Grew, It Stood Upright and Started Walking on Two Legs Instead

Scientists have identified a strange early crocodile relative that may have looked somewhat like a flightless bird

When photographer Elliot McGucken heard about a possible superbloom in Death Valley this spring, he drove around 1,000 miles from Montana to California.

Vibrant Wildflowers Are Blanketing Death Valley National Park, Resulting in the Most Breathtaking Bloom in a Decade

Parts of the park are awash in wildflowers, from the cheery yellow blooms of desert gold to the bright purple clusters of sand verbena, along with many other species

Between 500 and 1,000 koalas were estimated to live in Victoria, Australia, in the 1920s.

These Koalas Bounced Back From the Brink of Local Extinction Extremely Fast. Surprisingly, So Did Their Genetic Resilience

Conservationists saved the fuzzy creatures in Victoria, Australia. Now, the animals are showing remarkable signs of genetic recovery

The pygmy long-fingered possum uses its specialized ears and long digits to hunt for grubs in rotting wood.

Scientists Thought These Marsupials Went Extinct 6,000 Years Ago. They Just Found the Animals Alive

The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider are rare examples of “Lazarus species”

Researchers dubbed one experiment involving a roughly one-foot-tall crystal "The Monolith" in honor of Stanley Kubrick's iconic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Chimps Seem to Love Crystals. Their Attraction Might Help Explain Humans’ Obsession With the Shimmering Stones

Hominins have been collecting calcite and quartz for at least 780,000 years. A new study hints at why

Punch with his stuffed animal

Why Has Punch, an Adorable Baby Monkey, Struggled to Fit in With His Troop? Scientists Explain the Lives of Japanese Macaques

Experts say the other monkeys’ aggressive behaviors toward Punch are pretty normal

The new “American Bison” Forever stamp is slated to debut in May.

See the New U.S. Postage Stamp Honoring the Bison, America’s National Mammal

The stamp features a modern image by Montana-based wildlife photographer Tom Murphy alongside a historic bison stamp design from 1923

Mature adults have just one verticle stripe behind their eyes.

These Clownfish Lose Their Baby Stripes in Response to Peer Pressure, New Research Suggests

Tomato clownfish perform a dramatic underwater wardrobe change based on the social dynamics of their environment

Coyote jumps high after a fresh October snowfall in Yellowstone National Park.

Rooted in the American West: Food, History and Culture

See 15 Wild and Wondrous Photographs of Yellowstone National Park

Take a virtual tour of the nation’s first—and some say most beautiful—national park

One of the birds is known as A1, or ‘Hlow Hoo-let,’ which means “At last I (or we) fly!”

These California Condors Might Be Tending to the Species’ First Egg in the State’s Northern Region in More Than a Century

Experts haven’t confirmed the existence of an egg, but the nesting birds’ behaviors suggest one was laid in early February

Jaguars in Porto Jofre, Brazil, support a lucrative tourism industry, leading conservationists to argue that the big cats are most valuable when they’re alive.

In the World’s Best Place to See Wild Jaguars, Residents Are Using the Big Cat’s Appeal to Reach Conservation Goals

Brazil’s Pantanal region has the highest jaguar density on Earth, drawing camera-toting visitors to its riverbanks. Despite overtourism concerns, one enclave may offer a model for how to protect the charismatic apex predator

The annual "catastrophic" molt of the emperor penguin makes the birds especially vulnerable to climate change.

Emperor Penguins’ Annual Molt Might Put Them in Peril. The Sea Ice They Rely on During This Vulnerable Period Is Disappearing

The birds’ already risky molting strategy—in which they shed and regrow all their feathers at once—is becoming even more hazardous due to climate change

New research finds a genetic link between modern Old Irish goats and goats living in Ireland during the Late Bronze Age.

These Majestic Goats Have Been Traipsing Around Ireland for at Least 3,000 Years, Research Suggests

Goat bones dating to between 1100 B.C.E. and 900 B.C.E. were a close genetic match for modern Old Irish goats, a historic breed with declining numbers

Researchers collected chimp urine from leaves and puddles on the forest floor in Uganda.

Wild Chimpanzees Love to Eat Boozy Fruit. Scientists Say the Proof Is in Their Pee

The work further hints that humans may have inherited our penchant for alcohol from our ape ancestors

Female caribou grow antlers, which they shed just a few days before giving birth.

Caribou Are the Only Deer Species in Which Females Grow Antlers. Scientists Just Figured Out Why

New research suggests female reindeer antlers serve as postpartum snacks, with new moms munching on them after giving birth to get a much-needed boost of protein, calcium and phosphorus

Researchers are collecting observational data to learn more about the outbreak. 

Northern Elephant Seals Test Positive for Deadly, Highly Infectious H5N1 Bird Flu for the First Time

About 30 seals at a California state park have died, and seven of them had the lethal virus. Lab results for the other animals are pending

Tiger Kingdom facilities are popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

Seventy-Two Captive Tigers in Thailand Die From Dangerous Infections, Sparking Concerns Over Animal Welfare

An animal foundation asks why the big cats weren’t vaccinated against a well-known virus

New research suggests horses are singing and whistling at the same time when they whinny.

How Do Horses Whinny? Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out How the Majestic Animals Make This Distinctive Sound

An equine makes the low-pitched part of its whinny by vibrating its vocal cords—similar to how humans speak and sing—and the high-pitched part by whistling

Page 4 of 57