Animals

Animals

Neonicotinoids are partial contraceptives for male honeybees

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

Genetics

Dolly the Sheep’s cloned sisters aging gracefully

Cloning doesn’t cause premature aging in sheep.

Animals

To prevent cannibalism, bring chocolate

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

Animals

New books deliver double dose of venomous animal facts

In Venomous and The Sting of the Wild, researchers delve into the world of venomous creatures and the scientists who study them.

Animals

Getting rid of snails is effective at stopping snail fever

For the tropical disease snail fever, managing host populations is more effective than drugs.

Anthropology

Humans, birds communicate to collaborate

Bird species takes hunter-gatherers to honeybees’ nests when called on.

Animals

To douse hot hives, honeybee colonies launch water squadrons

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

Animals

Some primates prefer nectar with a bigger alcohol kick

Aye-ayes and slow lorises may be able to discern the alcohol content of boozy nectar and go for more potent drinks.

Animals

Tiny ants move a ton of soil

For the first time, scientists have quantified how much soil ants move underground.

Genetics

Herbicide no match for fruit flies’ gut microbes

Friendly gut bacteria team up to break down herbicide that might otherwise harm fruit flies.

Animals

For jaguars, armored prey is no obstacle

With big heads, thick teeth and strong muscles, jaguars have evolved to take on dangerous prey, often animals covered with thick armor.

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.