Weird Animals

A horseshoe crab.

Forget Dinos: Horseshoe Crabs Are Stranger, More Ancient—And Still Alive Today

But now evolution’s ultimate survivors may be in danger

Every species lights up the night in its own unique sequence of patterns, colors and flashes.

Illuminating the Secret Language of Lightning Bugs

For these light-up lovers, each flash in the night could mean sex or death

The endangered blobfish, once named world's ugliest animal, has leveraged its unusual looks to win the Internet's adoration. Can other less-traditionally appealing creatures do the same?

When It Comes to Conservation, Are Ugly Animals a Lost Cause?

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but good marketing can do wonders

Pyrosoma atlanticum floating off of Santa Cruz Island.

Hordes of Gelatinous “Sea Pickles” Are Invading the West Coast

Usually a rare creature, no one yet knows the reason for the influx of the light-emitting creatures

The sun may get all the attention, but our lunar lodestar helps creatures navigate the swells and tides of ocean life.

How Moonlight Sets Nature's Rhythms

Lunar luster triggers mating orgies, guides travelers and even can even provoke magical transformations

A painting depicting a tribute giraffe and a handler sent to China in the 15th century.

The Peculiar Story of Giraffes in 1400s China

During China's short-lived golden age of exploration, two giraffes came to the imperial court

A spiny crab pulled up by the Investigator team

Australian Expedition Dredges Up Crazy Creatures From the Deep Sea

After a month exploring Australia's deepest ocean, researchers found over 300 new species of toothy, blobby and glowing animals

Louie, having one last drink at the bar before heading home.

132-Year-Old Lobster Earns a Pardon from the Pot

Louie, a 22-pound crustacean born during the Cleveland administration, returned to the sea after 20 years living at Peter's Clam Bar

Rare Two-Headed Porpoise Found in North Sea

Only nine other cases of conjoined cetacean twins have ever been documented

Eagles Adopt—Not Attack—a Red-Tailed Hawk Chick

Bird lovers are watching with bated breath to see if the eagles will keep feeding the little guy or turn him into dinner

Male deer grow these impressive face ornaments every year, in a cycle of life, death and itchiness.

Antlers Are Miraculous Face Organs That Could Benefit Human Health

There’s so much more to deer antlers than fighting and impressing the ladies

Fossilized skin from the neck of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers

The research dispels theories that the fearsome dino boasted a feathery plume

Black soldier fly larvae

Got Food Waste? Get Some Maggots

In just a few hours, these tiny crawlers can eat more than their weight in food

Meet the Ozark hellbender, an elusive creature that has become only more so as of late.

What the Heck Is a Hellbender—And How Can We Make More of Them?

Why the Saint Louis Zoo decided to invest in this slimy, surprisingly adorable amphibian

Typhlonus nasus, the Faceless Cusk

"Faceless" Fish Found off the Coast of Australia

The rare creature was dredged up from some 13,000 feet below the surface

Hyalinobatrachium yaku

This Glass Frog’s Heart Is Visible Through Its Skin

The new species of frog has a transparent underside, offering a glimpse of its beating heart inside

This celestial chart from 1687 is one of many illustrations from books, charts, and maps showing artists’ imaginings of polar bears.

How Polar Bears Became the Dragons of the North

Renaissance maps depicting the “white bears” say more about our own fears and fantasies than about the predators themselves

Jeremy the snail, with the baby of his unrequited lovers.

A Lonely Snail With an Unusual Shell Strikes Out in Love

Researchers brought Jeremy two potential partners who went on to mate with each other

Behold T. Rex the ant

T. Rex Ants Found Alive for the First Time

It is not nearly as formidable as its namesake

New Drone Footage Shows One Way Narwhals Use Their Tusks

The narwhals were observed using their signature appendages to hit and stun prey

Page 28 of 37