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. Plants

    They’re All Part Fungus

    Hidden deep in their tissues, all plants probably have fungi that don't make them sick but still may have a big influence.

  2. Animals

    Sharpshooter threatens Tahiti by inedibility

    A North American insect is menacing Tahitian ecosystems by getting itself killed and proving surprisingly toxic to its predators.

  3. Animals

    Wary male spiders woo lifelessly

    When trying to court a cannibalistic female spider, males of a certain species play dead.

  4. Animals

    Hairy crab lounges deep in the Pacific

    A newly discovered deep-sea creature has the body of a crab, but with long, fluffy, blonde hair covering its legs.

  5. Plants

    Reality Botany: Data ease doubts about plant species

    Despite the doubts of some botanists, plant species aren't just some arbitrary human classification scheme, says a team of evolutionary biologists.

  6. Animals

    That’s One Weird Tooth

    The narwhal's distinctive spiral tusk has structures that could make it phenomenally sensitive, raising new questions about its functions.

  7. Animals

    Woodpecker video is challenged and defended

    The video released last spring as evidence that the ivory-billed woodpecker exists may show a common pileated woodpecker, some critics say.

  8. Animals

    Can You Hear Me Now? Frogs in roaring streams use ultrasonic calls

    A small frog living beside Chinese hot springs may be the first amphibian known to use ultrasound in its calls.

  9. Animals

    Cannibal Power: Mormon crickets swarm to eat and not be eaten

    What keeps the great swarms of Mormon crickets rolling across the landscape may be a combination of nutritional deficits and the risk of getting cannibalized.

  10. Animals

    Killer Flatworm: New species hunts with puffer fish toxin

    A newly described marine flatworm from Guam hunts with the same toxin that a puffer fish uses. With video.

  11. Animals

    Males as Nannies? First test for wasps’ hidden baby-care skills

    Young male wasps, in the absence of females, can care for larvae.

  12. Animals

    Hawk skin sends UV signal

    The patch of skin above a hawk's beak looks orange-yellow to us, but to another hawk, it may broadcast ultraviolet sex appeal.