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. Life

    Just ain’t natural

    Monster data crunch strengthens case that climate is disrupted.

  2. Life

    Good night, Sloth

    First EEG of free-roaming animals finds less sleeping in the real world.

  3. Life

    Risky nests

    Invasive species misleads birds picking a home.

  4. Life

    Brittle arms lose muscle

    In lab simulations of future ocean conditions, brittle stars grow extra-calcified but puny arms.

  5. Trouble with truffles

    A Chinese truffle species has invaded Italy, raising fears that the newcomer could overgrow the Italian black truffle on its home territory.

  6. Animals

    Twee Twee Tweetle

    Bird brains have a separate pathway for the babbling nonsense of baby talk.

  7. Animals

    Sexy side of UV-B

    The first evidence of ultraviolet-B courtship in animals comes from jumping spiders.

  8. Life

    Bat that roared

    Although the human ear can't detect it, bats make astonishingly loud noises while hunting.

  9. Humans

    Bear deadline

    Court calls for the already overdue decision on listing polar bears as a threatened species.

  10. Ecosystems

    Beetle attack overturns forest carbon regime

    Ravaged Canadian region switches from carbon sink to net carbon source.

  11. Climate

    Researchers rethink fate of celebrity plankton

    A poster-species for the hazards of greenhouse gas accumulation thrives in carbon dioxide-rich waters.

  12. Animals

    First Frog without Lungs

    An aquatic frog in fast-flowing water in Borneo turns out to be the first frog species with no lungs.