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

    Cat History: DNA study finds domestic-cat kin

    DNA evidence shows that the Near Eastern lineage of the wildcat, one of five lineages of Felis silvestris, gave rise to today's domestic kitty cats.

  2. Animals

    West Nile virus hits bird populations

    West Nile virus has hammered populations of five common North American birds.

  3. Animals

    Profiles in Courtship: Flirting male fish show their best sides

    Courting male guppies that sport a tad more orange on one side of their bodies than on the other tend to flash that brighter side at females.

  4. Animals

    Clownfish noisemaker is new to science

    Clownfish make "pop-pop-pop" noises at each other by clacking their teeth together in a novel way.

  5. Animals

    Moths mimic ‘Don’t eat me’ sounds

    Moths that make clicking noises at predatory bats are mimicking a defensive signal made by other moths that click and also taste bad.

  6. Plants

    Easy There, Bro: A plant can spot and favor close kin

    A little beach plant can recognize its siblings as long as their roots grow in nearby soil.

  7. Earth

    Wildfire, Walleyes, and Wine

    An international panel's latest report on the impacts of climate change highlights an overlooked need: preparing for droughts, floods, heat waves, and other disasters.

  8. Animals

    Scary Singing: Precise birds signal, ‘Don’t mess with us’

    A pair of magpie-larks can advertise their toughness by the precision of the duets they sing.

  9. Animals

    Pothole Pals: Ants pave roads for fellow raiders

    By throwing their bodies into tiny potholes on rough trails, army ants enable their comrade to race over them, improving the colony's overall foraging success.

  10. Animals

    Virgin Birth: Shark has daughter without a dad

    DNA testing of two sharks confirms an instance of reproduction without mating, adding a fifth major vertebrate lineage to those known for occasional virgin births.

  11. Animals

    Low Life: Cold, polar ocean looks surprisingly rich

    The first survey of life in deep waters around Antarctica has turned up hundreds of new species and a lot more variety than explorers had expected.

  12. Animals

    Face it: Termites are roaches

    Termites are just cockroaches with a fancy social life.