Animals
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AnimalsRising temperatures may cause problems for cold-blooded critters
Ectotherms cannot easily handle extreme temperatures, a new study finds.
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AnimalsCrows safeguard sticks to speed future food-finding forays
New Caledonian crows safeguard the sticks they use to find food. As the risk of losing the tool increases, the more protective the birds become.
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AnimalsPandas’ gut bacteria resemble carnivores’
Unlike other vegetarians, the bamboo eaters lack plant-digesting microbes.
By Meghan Rosen -
AnimalsVampire squid take mommy breaks
The vampire squid again defies its sensationalist name with a life in the slow lane.
By Susan Milius -
LifeMale stag beetles face weighty problem for flight
Male stag beetles need enormous mandibles to fend off other males and find a mate, but computer simulations show that the giant jaws make running and flying very difficult.
By Susan Milius -
PsychologyQuantity counts for baboons
Counting-like logic helps baboons track and compare accumulating sets of peanuts.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsA summer challenge: Observe nature
Opportunities for observing nature are plentiful, no matter where you live.
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AnimalsAnts snap jaws, shoot skyward, escape death
Emergency trap jaw launchings help some ants pass death tests.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsDeepwater dweller is first known warm-hearted fish
The opah, a deep-diving fish, can keep much of its body warmer than its surroundings, making it similar to warm-blooded birds and mammals.
By Susan Milius -
NeuroscienceFruit flies flee from shadows
Studying flies’ responses to an ominous shadow may lead to a deeper understanding of humans’ emotions.
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AnimalsEarly research asked whether cats dream
Early research asked whether cats dream; researchers still don’t know definitively.
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AnimalsNighttime light pollution sabotages sex pheromones of moths
Artificial lighting at night can trick female moths into releasing skimpy, odd-smelling sex pheromones.
By Susan Milius