Animals
-
AnimalsBadly matched birds make troubled parents
Cockatiel pairs that don't cooperate well have trouble raising their chicks.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsFerrets Gone Wild: Reintroduced animals coming back in Wyoming
A Wyoming population of endangered black-footed ferrets, started from captive-bred animals, has survived difficulties and is doing well.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsGender bender
Disabling a chemical-sniffing organ crucial for courting behavior makes girl mice act like frisky boys.
By Brian Vastag -
AnimalsNot-So-Elementary Bee Mystery
Old-style epidemiology casework combines with an array of 21st-century lab tests in the search for clues to the disappearance of honeybees.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsDen Mothers: Bears shift dens as ice deteriorates
As Arctic ice has dwindled, pregnant polar bears in northern Alaska have become more likely to dig their birthing dens on land or nearshore ice than on floating masses of sea ice.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsFaker Crayfish: Males keep bluffing but don’t get caught
Some male Australian crayfish fake out their rivals by brandishing claws that look impressive but have little strength.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsCat History: DNA study finds domestic-cat kin
DNA evidence shows that the Near Eastern lineage of the wildcat, one of five lineages of Felis silvestris, gave rise to today's domestic kitty cats.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsWest Nile virus hits bird populations
West Nile virus has hammered populations of five common North American birds.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsProfiles in Courtship: Flirting male fish show their best sides
Courting male guppies that sport a tad more orange on one side of their bodies than on the other tend to flash that brighter side at females.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsClownfish noisemaker is new to science
Clownfish make "pop-pop-pop" noises at each other by clacking their teeth together in a novel way.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsMoths mimic ‘Don’t eat me’ sounds
Moths that make clicking noises at predatory bats are mimicking a defensive signal made by other moths that click and also taste bad.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsScary Singing: Precise birds signal, ‘Don’t mess with us’
A pair of magpie-larks can advertise their toughness by the precision of the duets they sing.
By Susan Milius