Animals

  1. Animals

    Insect form of sexual frustration takes toll

    Smelling female fruit flies but not mating with them can actually shorten males’ lives.

    By Susan Milius
  2. Ecosystems

    Cannibalistic mantis invades New Zealand, eats natives

    Native male New Zealand mantises try to mate with females of an invasive species, only to find out the hard way that those females eat their mates.

    By Erika Engelhaupt
  3. Animals

    To study turkey instincts, consider robot turkeys

    In 2004, Australian researchers built robot turkeys to study the instincts of Australian brush turkey chicks. Robots can be a useful way of learning more about animals, but the use of robots has yet to take over in animal behavior studies.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  4. Animals

    Odd head of seahorse cloaks its sneak attacks

    Head shape creates hydrodynamic fake-out for stealth hunting.

    By Susan Milius
  5. Genetics

    DNA changes may show how whales adapted to water

    Comparing the genetic material of whales has revealed DNA changes that may have helped the animals adapt to aquatic environments.

    By Ashley Yeager
  6. Agriculture

    Probiotics may protect piglets from E. coli infection

    Beneficial bacteria could replace antibiotics in pig feed.

    By Beth Mole
  7. Animals

    Malformed frogs rarer than thought

    Frogs with skin cysts or shortened or missing legs make up only 2 percent of the amphibians collected during a 10-year study.

    By Ashley Yeager
  8. Animals

    Green sea slugs aren’t solar powered after all

    Several species of sea slugs hold on to algal chloroplasts, digesting them weeks or months later. Scientists assumed the creatures were able to use these chloroplasts to make their own food in lean times. A new study finds that at least two of the species aren't solar powered after all.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  9. Animals

    Comb jelly immune system can spot old enemies

    Animal at base of family tree could help researchers understand the evolution of immunity.

    By Susan Milius
  10. Animals

    Mothballs, rubbing alcohol score poorly in tests of DIY bedbug control

    Mattress encasement, dry ice in bags, hot clothes dryers do help control infestation.

    By Susan Milius
  11. Animals

    Migration is a deadly time for raptors

    For a bird or any other animal that migrates a long distance, it’s sure to face a host of dangers. The story is no different for raptors.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  12. Animals

    Tibet may be ancient home of big cats

    A recently discovered fossil skull and teeth suggest that the ancestor of all big cats lived in what's now Tibet.

    By Sarah Zielinski