Animals

Geckos Can Control the Movement of Their Toe Hairs

Geckos take advantage of van der Waals forces to run across ceilings, but a simple shift allows them to drop to the ground

Some Zoo Grass Is Electrified

Some zoo landscaping is designed to keep the animals within their cages, not for them to interact with

Changila, a male elephant who was later killed by poachers near Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.

Surprise! Science Shows That Elephant Poaching Is Unsustainable

For the first time, scientists have made a comprehensive tally of illegal killing rates across Africa

David Graham, rear, with John Tee-Van, front, with one of the young pandas.

How an American Missionary Helped Capture the First Panda Given to the U.S.

"Missionaries sometimes have to tackle strange and unusual jobs," David Graham wrote.

An artist's interpretation of what Hallucigenia sparsa looked like.

This Weird, 500 Million-Year-Old Spiky Worm With Legs Actually Has a Descendant

Modern-day velvet worms' jaws are repurposed former claws

How to Charm Worms Out of the Ground

The art of worm grunting

An olinguito in Tandayapa, Ecuador

One Year After Discovery, Crowdsourcing the Olinguito

A year ago, researchers discovered a rare new species. That was just the beginning

A mountain lion kitten in Malibu Creek State Park.

The Real Cougars of Malibu Have Lives Full of Murder, Bad Sex and Poison

But a simple bridge over the freeway could help save the charismatic big cats

Why Everyone From Conservationists to Yao Ming to Andrew Cuomo Supports Banning Ivory Sales

Because of corruption and laundering, any system of legal ivory trade threatens the continued existence of elephants

A blue shark near the Azores islands.

Bizarre Blue Shark Nursery Found in the North Atlantic

Rather than emerging in protected coves, baby blue sharks spend their first years in a big patch of open ocean

Concept art for Zootopia by Bjarke Ingels Group

Is It Wise to Build a Zoo Without Cages?

Being able to mingle with the animals sounds nice, but is it?

Crawfish Can Convert Blood Cells into Neurons

This neat invertebrate trick could help researchers eventually figure out how to do the same for human cells

A similar species of Irukandji jellyfish, but with the tentacles (and a fishy lunch inside).

A New, Potentially Deadly Species of Jellyfish Was Discovered Floating Around Australia

The new species' sting can cause Irukandji syndrome, which sometimes leads to stroke and heart failure

The contested self-portrait.

If a Monkey Takes a Photo, No One Owns Copyright

The contested photo likely belongs to neither monkey nor man, but to the public domain

A critically endangered European eel.

Eels Are Victims of Noise Pollution

Critically endangered European eels get distracted by man-made noise, making them more likely to get eaten by a predator

A pig appears to enjoy a refreshing bath.

From Panting to Pooping, 8 Weird Ways Animals Keep Cool

While you (and horses) are busy sweating buckets, some animals have evolved bizarre ways to keep cool

Send Your Pets’ Remains To Space

A new service offers to launch your pet's ashes into space

This hardware innovation will make it easier for conservationists to identify where illegal deforestation efforts are happening and stop them before the trees have been taken down.

How Solar-Powered Recycled Smartphones Could Save the Rainforest

A Silicon Valley non-profit is ready to give the forests of Africa and the Amazon ears to listen for loggers—and the ability to phone the authorities

Buff-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) in flight through Heather flowers

Sometimes Bumblebees Just Want to Do Their Own Thing

Bumblebees are strong communicators, but they don't always listen

A prairie dog group scans for predators in South Dakota.

Social Networking Prairie Dog Style

Prairie dog kisses might help spread the plague, and stopping the most promiscuous rodents could curb that disease’s reach

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