Animals
- Animals
Meet the tarantula in black
Named for Johnny Cash, a new species of tarantula makes its home in the shadow of Folsom Prison.
- Animals
Microbes may help bears stay healthy when fat for hibernation
Brown bears fatten up for hibernation without suffering from weight-related problems. A new study shows that their gut microbes may help.
- Genetics
Bedbug genome spills secrets of violence, weird sex
Maps of bedbugs’ genetic material reveal clues to their success.
- Animals
Purpose of zebra stripes remains a mystery
Zebra stripes don’t help the animals disappear in the vision of predators, a new study finds.
- Animals
Behavior, body size impact bats’ fight against white-nose syndrome
Behavioral and physical traits buffer some bats against white-nose syndrome while leaving others vulnerable.
- Animals
Skin color changes reveal octopus drama
Shallow-water octopuses use changes in skin color to communicate aggression to their peers, study suggests.
- Animals
Feral dogs take a bite out of Andean wildlife
A survey of a remote park in Ecuador finds feral dogs are a problem for many species of native mammals.
- Animals
Devils Hole pupfish may not have been so isolated for so long
New genetic study questions Devils Hole pupfish’s supposed history of long isolation.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Climate change may be deadly for snowshoe hares
The mismatch between coat color and the landscape can be deadly for a snowshoe hare.
- Animals
Christmas tree worms have eyes that breathe, gills that see
Christmas tree worms and other fan worms have improvised some of the oddest eyes.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Tegu lizards warm up for mating season
The heat is on in tegu lizards during mating season, study suggests.
- Animals
Tegu lizards warm up for mating
Despite their cold-blooded reputation, tegu lizards boost their body heat while on the prowl for a mate, biologists report online January 22 in Science Advances.