Animals

  1. Ecosystems

    Bird poop helps keep coral reefs healthy, but rats are messing that up

    Eradicating invasive rats from islands may help boost numbers of seabirds, whose droppings provide nutrients to nearby coral reefs.

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  2. Climate

    Bloodflowers’ risk to monarchs could multiply as climate changes

    High atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can weaken the medicinal value of a milkweed that caterpillars eat, and high temperatures may make the plant toxic.

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  3. Life

    Bobtail squid coat their eggs in antifungal goo

    Hawaiian bobtail squid keep their eggs fungus-free with the help of bacteria.

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  4. Animals

    Surprise! This shark looks like a male on the outside, but it’s made babies

    External male reproductive organs hid internal female capacity to give birth among hermaphrodite sharks in India.

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  5. Animals

    Why humans, and Big Macs, depend on bees

    Thor Hanson, the author of Buzz, explains the vital role bees play in our world.

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  6. Animals

    Soaring spiders may get cues from electric charges in the air

    Spiders can sense atmospheric electric fields, which might give them cues to take to the air.

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  7. Genetics

    North America’s earliest dogs came from Siberia

    North America’s first dogs have few descendants alive today, a study of ancient DNA suggests.

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  8. Animals

    Researchers create hybrid embryos of endangered white rhinos

    Scientists have made the first rhino embryos, providing a small glimmer of hope for the nearly extinct northern white rhinoceros.

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  9. Archaeology

    Mongolians practiced horse dentistry as early as 3,200 years ago

    Horse dentistry got an early start among Bronze Age Mongolian herders.

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  10. Genetics

    Koala genome may contain clues for helping the species survive

    The complete genetic instruction book of a koala may explain why the cuddly-looking cuties are such picky eaters, among other secrets.

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  11. Animals

    ‘Spying on Whales’ dives into the story of true leviathans

    "Spying on Whales" retraces the evolution of cetaceans, explaining how they came to be some of Earth’s largest creatures.

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  12. Animals

    This invasive tick can clone itself and suck livestock dry

    The newly invasive longhorned tick, now found in four continental U.S. states, spreads human diseases in its native Asia. Here, it’s mostly a threat to livestock — so far.

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