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Scientists Built the First 3D Vaquita Skeleton — Here’s Why It Matters
With fewer than 10 individuals left alive and captive breeding off the table, the vaquita has almost no margin for…
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Endangered Pregnant Whale Found Dead on a Cruise Ship’s Bow
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship pulled into port in Seward, Alaska, carrying a grim and unexpected passenger on its bow.…
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From Hypothermic Shock to Open Ocean: 9 Sea Turtles Go Home
After spending the winter recovering, a group of rehabilitated sea turtles recently experienced a happy home-going as they were returned…
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Climate Change May Be Sending Whale Sharks to NC Waters
A fishing trip turned into an encounter of a lifetime when a rare whale shark was spotted off the coast…
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A Shark Circled This Surfer — a Drone Operator Noticed Before He Did
A drone operator spotted a great white shark circling a surfer off the California coast, and what he did next…
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She Lost a Hand and Leg. Her Story Sparked a New Federal Law.
Coastal states are popular for their access to the ocean. However, those who choose to splash in the waves take…
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This Velociraptor’s Four-Winged Cousin Hunted Birds
Thanks to Jurassic Park, velociraptors are the best-known of the bird dinosaurs, known as dromaeosaurs. However, a new member of…
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Rediscovered in 2014, This Salamander’s Habitat Was Almost Lost to Coffee
Amphibians rarely get the conservation attention they deserve because they are uncharismatic creatures. But given the role they play in…
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This Gorilla’s Post-Fight Reflection Looks Eerily Human
Gorillas are very intelligent creatures who experience many of the same emotions that humans do. Some of these heightened emotions…
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How a Colonial Ban on Aboriginal Fire Erased a Marsupial Acrobat
Aboriginal fire management was practiced in Australia for tens of thousands of years. It kept animal habitats protected and cleared…
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Scientists Can’t Explain Why This Python Ate Another Python
It is not uncommon to spot a Burmese or reticulated python constricting and killing prey in their natural habitat. However,…
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The ‘Flying Lemur’ That Neither Flies Nor Is a Lemur
With their large eyes and furry bodies, it’s surprising that one of the cutest and most skillful gliders is an…
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Cold Stunning Can Haunt Sea Turtles Long After Rescue
Turtles cannot regulate their own body temperature. They rely on ocean temperatures to keep their bodies at a temperature where…
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Why a 13-Foot Python Burst Trying to Eat an Alligator
Burmese pythons have proven to be formidable foes to large wildlife. Consequently, in habitats where the pythons live, there is…
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Less Ice, Bigger Colonies: How Adélie Penguins Adapted to Survive
As climate change continues to alter Antarctic frozen landscapes, animals that live there have had to adapt. Those who are…
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A Tapeworm Found in 1 in 3 Coyotes Is Now in the Pacific Northwest
Tapeworms infect thousands of companion animals in the United States each year. The culprit behind tapeworms is swallowing a flea…
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Why Female Alligators Are Especially Dangerous Long After Nesting Season Ends
After surviving months of cooler temperatures, alligators become active again in spring and summer. This activity is not strictly limited…
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Why Snakebite Risk Is Surging in a Warming World
Around the world, temperatures are increasing. This has put a strain on many species that will have to adapt to…
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Dogs Find Lanternfly Eggs at Twice the Rate of Experts
Spotted lanternflies plague the agricultural industry in 19 different states annually. The current prevention measures help slow the lanternflies but…
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Why Some Wasps Attack on Sight — and How to Stop Them
With summer right around the corner, insects that left as the cooler months approached will make their return. One such…
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67% Fewer Dung Beetles: The Quiet Cost of Losing Elephants
Elephants have been the face of conservation campaigns for decades. With more focus on the elephant itself rather than the…
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The Last King Island Emu Died in Empress Josephine’s Zoo
Emus of different sizes once abounded in Australia, Tasmania, and the surrounding islands. When Europeans encountered them, they were described,…
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No Predators, Plenty of Food — So Why Are These Tortoises in Trouble?
Hermann’s tortoises are native to multiple Mediterranean islands. However, one island located in North Macedonia, Golem Grad, is not part…
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South Africa’s Whales Survived Near-Extinction — Now Shipping Routes Threaten Them
As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, global shipping companies have had to adjust. Shipping routes have been…
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Australia Had the World’s Most Beautiful Parrot. Now It’s Gone Forever.
Australia is home to one-sixth of the world’s parrot population. Nearly 60 species of parrot call the country home, thanks…
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Eurasian Curlews Follow the Same Potentially Dangerous Migration Route Every Year
Migration routes are ingrained in many bird species. This helps them to not only return to known nesting sites, but…
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Declared Extinct Twice — Now One Pair Has 55 Chicks to Show
It is not often that one or two animals can be singled out for saving an entire species. But thanks…
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The Tortoise That Went Extinct Twice May Not Be Gone Yet
Each day, 200 species of flora and fauna go extinct. Despite these numbers, it is rare to watch a species…
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24,000 Flamingos Are Wintering in Venice. Will They Stay?
Wetlands projects are being implemented around the world to combat climate change. Restoring these habitats has the welcome side effect…
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DNA Uncovers 5 Species Hiding in 1 Himalayan Pit Viper Name
Himalayan pit vipers are not often seen. However, like other pit vipers, they can be deadly if encountered. Knowing the…
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The Wallaby Admired by the Very Hunters Who Wiped It Out
There are approximately 30 different species of wallabies in Australia. Unfortunately, some of these species are threatened or even endangered…
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How eDNA Is Finding Endangered Gorillas Without Touching Them
Rwanda is home to 26 different primate species. From apes to monkeys and even gorillas, each has its own unique…
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Texas Horned Lizards Were Vanishing, Now They’re Thriving
The Texas horned lizard has been an important part of Texas’s history and culture for centuries. Once a staple in…
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The Sea Tyrant That Hid in U.S. Museums for 150 Years
Ancient oceans were filled with massive, fearsome creatures. Based on sheer size alone, these animals put today’s aquatic giants to…
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The Arctic Penguin Humans Hunted to Extinction in 300 Years
Today, there are 18 different species of penguin. Their size varies as much as their habitats. There was once a…
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Osprey Catches a Fish — Then a Pelican Swoops In
Pelicans are known for both plunge-diving and feeding at the surface of bodies of water. However, they are also known…
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Bobcat Kills Rattlesnake, Then Acts Like a Playful Kitten
Bobcats are stealthy and skillful hunters. When they see an opportunity for an easy meal, they strike. Rattlesnakes are prey…
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The Fish That Survived the Desert But Couldn’t Survive Humans
Desert habitats are extreme. Therefore, it seems odd that fish could survive such environments. However, there are several that not…
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The Caribbean Monk Seal Trusted Humans and Went Extinct by 1952
Seals are typically thought of as living in cold water habitats. With their thick layers of blubber and dense fur,…
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Second Fatal Shark Attack in Australia in One Week Stuns Divers
Spearfishing is a pastime enjoyed by many in the waters off the Australian coast. But a deadly shark attack on…
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The Falkland Islands Wolf Went Extinct Because It Trusted Us
Across the planet, islands are homes to species of animals that cannot be found anywhere else. Isolated from the mainland,…
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A Spider Builds Tiny Stonehenge Structures and No One Knows Why
Silkhenge spiders were an unknown species until just over a decade ago. This is why when scientists stumbled upon a…
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A Single Skull Just Rewrote What We Know About Stegosaurs
The evolutionary path of dinosaurs is better understood today than at any other time in history. But just because there…
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The Quagga Was Hunted to Extinction and Now Scientists Are Recreating It
Most people have seen a zebra in person, either in the wild or in captivity. Their black and white stripes…
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Zebra Finches Practice Singing 1,000 Times a Day. Here’s Why That Matters.
Calling someone a bird-brain may not be the insult it was intended to be. Although small in size, some birds’…
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One Landmark Study Tracked 141,500 Pest Observations and Found a Paradox
For years, it has been believed that as climate change continues to increase global temperatures, staple crops that feed the…
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Bears Nearly Went Extinct Here, Now They’re Back and Raiding Towns
Apex predators are often seen as a threat. Because of this, conflicts with apex predators have historically led to culling…
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Why Lions Scent-Mark Trees and What It Tells Rivals
Lions have a variety of ways of communicating with one another. Vocal communication and body language are common ways lions…
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The Squirrel That Heats Its Tail to Outsmart a Rattlesnake
In a battle between a California ground squirrel and a rattlesnake, many would put the odds on the rattlesnake to…
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The Bear Warning Sign Hidden on Forest Trees
Trees can speak to the health of a forest. They can also identify animals living within the boundaries. From holes…