Animals
- Animals
Piggyback rides and other crocodile fun
We don’t know the playful side of crocodiles perhaps only because we haven’t looked.
By Susan Milius - Anthropology
‘The Invaders’ sees dogs as key to modern humans’ success
Neandertals went extinct when Homo sapiens transformed wolves into hunting aids, author proposes.
By Bruce Bower - Animals
Conservationists should make friends with hunters
A survey of outdoor enthusiasts in rural New York finds that both hunters and birdwatchers are likely to engage in conservation behaviors, such as donating money.
- Animals
Why orangutans cup their mouths to sound an alarm
Orangutans might use their hands to lower the pitch of alarm calls, a study suggests.
- Animals
Parasites make cannibal shrimp hungry
Parasites make sometimes-cannibalistic shrimp more cannibalistic, a new study suggests.
- Paleontology
Fearsome croc called the Carolina Butcher once ruled the north
Early ancestors of crocodiles, not dinosaurs, may have been northern Pangaea’s top predator 230 million years ago, according to a new fossil find.
- Animals
How velvet worms slime their prey
Researchers have figured out the mechanics behind velvet worms’ wobbly slime jets.
- Ecosystems
Even fast-breeding rabbits can’t withstand Everglades python invasion
Even marsh rabbits in the Everglades can’t breed fast enough to keep their population going when Burmese pythons warm up for summer hunting.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Mudskippers use watery tongue to slurp up snacks on land
When mudskippers move from water to land, they use a tongue made of water to move food to the back of their throat and into their stomachs.
- Animals
Evidence of ‘yeti’ probably came from a Himalayan black bear
Last year, a genetic analysis revealed two hairs from an unknown species of bear in Asia. A new study finds that they belong to rare Himalayan black bears.
- Animals
Snail shell creates blue iridescence with mineral
Mollusk shines blue using calcium compound rather than organic molecule.
- Life
Cyborg beetles reveal secrets of insect flight
Remote controlled beetles swoop to the rescue in insect flight simulations.