Susan Milius

Susan Milius

Life Sciences Writer

Life sciences writer Susan Milius has been writing about botany, zoology and ecology for Science News since the last millennium. She worked at diverse publications before breaking into science writing and editing. After stints on the staffs of The Scientist, Science, International Wildlife and United Press International, she joined Science News. Three of Susan's articles have been selected to appear in editions of The Best American Science Writing.

All Stories by Susan Milius

  1. Animals

    Study ranks Greenland shark as longest-lived vertebrate

    Radiocarbon in eye lenses suggests mysterious Greenland sharks might live for almost 400 years.

  2. Animals

    Betty the crow may not have invented her hook-bending tool trick

    Textbook example of Betty the crow’s proposed insight into toolmaking is now called into question by observations of similar hook bending by wild New Caledonian birds.

  3. Animals

    These lizards bleed green

    Blood and bones turn naturally green in island lizards. Their evolutionary history still needs explaining.

  4. Science & Society

    FDA OKs first GM mosquito trial in U.S. but hurdles remain

    The FDA has concluded that test releases of Oxitec GM mosquitoes on a Florida key poses no significant problem for the environment, but local officials still have to agree

  5. Animals

    Diversity of indoor insects, spiders adds to life’s luxuries in high-income neighborhoods

    A massive survey of indoor spiders and insects in town finds dozens of different scientific families in homes, more in high-income neighborhoods.

  6. Animals

    Neonicotinoids are partial contraceptives for male honeybees

    Male honeybees produce less living sperm if raised on pollen tainted with neonicotinoids, tests show.

  7. Animals

    Neonicotinoids are partial contraceptives for male honeybees

    Male honeybees produce less living sperm if raised on pollen tainted with neonicotinoids, tests show.

  8. Animals

    To prevent cannibalism, bring chocolate

    If a date goes bad for a nursery web spider, a romantic gift can serve as a shield.

  9. Life

    Yeasts hide in many lichen partnerships

    Yeasts newly discovered in common lichens challenge more than a century of thinking about what defines the lichen symbiosis.

  10. Animals

    To douse hot hives, honeybee colonies launch water squadrons

    The whole superorganism of a honeybee colony has sophisticated ways of cooling down.

  11. Science & Society

    GM mosquitoes succeed at reducing dengue, company says

    GM mosquito releases in Brazil have helped cut dengue cases 91 percent in a year.

  12. Animals

    Organisms age in myriad ways — and some might not even bother

    There is great variety in how animals and plants deteriorate (or don’t) over time.