Zoology

Sparky, the electric eel, and his Christmas tree.

A Twinkling Christmas Tree, Powered by…an Electric Eel?

A Utah aquarium uses the charges emitted by an electric eel to trigger the lights on a nearby tree

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The Insane Amount of Biodiversity in One Cubic Foot

David Liittschwager travels to the world's richest ecosystems, photographing all the critters that pass through his "biocube" in 24 hours

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Why Do We Hiccup? And Other Scientific Mysteries—Seen Through the Eyes of Artists

In a new book, 75 artists illustrate questions scientists haven't fully answered yet

Beetles Invasion: One Artist’s Take on the Insect

A swarm of giant beetles, lovingly sculpted by Washington D.C.-based artist Joan Danziger, descends on the American University Museum

Black-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps)

Alan Dudley’s Wondrous Array of Animal Skulls

A new book delivers fascinating photographs of over 300 skulls from the British taxidermist's personal collection—the largest in the world

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Nikon Announces the Winners of its “Small World” Competition

See a selection of beautiful images captured by scientists gazing through light microscopes

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Scientific Illustrations: Your Go-To Guides for Halloween Costumes

The details are what separate a good outfit from an amazing one. The images in the Biodiversity Heritage Library can help you make the leap

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Winged Tapestries

Jim des Rivières' portraits of moths capture the insects' exquisite patterns

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Science Images that Border on Art

This year's Wellcome Image Award winners pull at your "art" strings. The curious seek out the science behind them

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Top 5 “Science Done Right” Moments in Movies

Directors take note: scientist and author David Kirby commends the accuracy in these popular films

All Ears! An Underwater Sculpture that Listens

A collaboration between sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and marine biologist Heather Spence aims to track the development of a new coral reef

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Collage of Arts and Sciences: Now In Session

Our newest blog explores the fertile ground where art and science meet

Considered a mere scavenger that robbed traps and ransacked cabins, the wolverine has recently earned respect and scientific attention.

The Way of the Wolverine

After all but disappearing, the mammals are again being sighted in Washington's Cascade Range

An adorable elephant shrew

A New Shrew at the Zoo

Small Mammals curator Bob King talks about the short-eared elephant shrew, a new addition to the National Zoo

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The Zoo's Baby Anteater Gets a Name, Chosen by Mom

The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is part of a rare African open wild land. The environment is so harsh that zebras have to cover a lot of ground to survive.

Nothing Can Stop the Zebra

A 150-mile fence in the Kalahari Desert appeared to threaten Africa's zebras, but now researchers can breathe a sigh of relief

Since 1977, Tetsuro Matsuzawa has been studying a chimpanzee named Ai. Her mind, he says, can help us understand our own.

Thinking Like a Chimpanzee

Tetsuro Matsuzawa has spent 30 years studying our closest primate relative to better understand the human mind

James T. Tanner's photographs of the ivory-billed woodpecker with guide J.J. Kuhn were believed to be the only pictures of a living nestling.

A Close Encounter With the Rarest Bird

Newfound negatives provide fresh views of the young ivory-billed woodpecker

The discovery of new species is driven by new technologies, targeted surveys of little-studied ecosystems and a determined effort to identify plants and animals before their habitat is lost. The kipunji is one of 300 mammal species discovered in the past decade; it is thought to be Africa’s rarest monkey.

Meet the New Species

From old-world primates to patch-nosed salamanders, new creatures are being discovered every day

A view upriver on the lower Congo River.

Evolution in the Deepest River in the World

New species are born in the turbulence of the Congo River

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