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A French Hospital Is Treating PTSD Patients with Donkeys
At the Ville-Evrard hospital complex in Neuilly-sur-Marne, France, patients find comfort in a surprising way. Animal-assisted therapy, known in the…
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A Fungus with a 40% Kill Rate Is Spreading Through Snake Dens
Reptiles aren’t typically the first animals considered in the face of fungal infections. Although mammals are more susceptible to disease,…
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The Yellow Cardinal with a 1 in a Million Genetic Mutation
In the birding community, cardinals are a joy to watch. They’re vocal and powerful, and they don’t spook easily, making…
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How 709 Reef Animals Struggled to Survive 120 Hours Sealed in Plastic Bags
It’s estimated that at least one million plants and animals are trafficked each day. The black market is a lucrative…
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This ‘Predatory Worm’ Doesn’t Drink Blood, and It Lives in Your Park
We pass by extraordinary wonders every single day without realizing it. This is a fact well known to Richard Hasegawa,…
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America’s Last Heath Hen Died Calling for a Mate
Few people know about America’s long-extinct chicken species. While chickens are common on nearly every farm across the country, only…
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18% Gone: How a Megadrought Is Shrinking Cougar Territory
In 2000, the spring season began to look different in the Southwestern U.S. The expected rain never came, and the…
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How 6 Months of Baths and a Medieval Surgery Saved an Owl
Not all life-saving miracles happen in hospitals. Some are quieter, although no less miraculous, and involve the careful hands of…
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The 530-Pound Tiger the Soviet Union Drove to Extinction
Mother Nature can be merciless, but human activity sometimes far outweighs her cruelty. Some of the world’s most tragic extinctions…
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A Hawaiian Bird Sang for Its Mate in 1987. No One Answered.
One of the most joyous things about the arrival of spring is the return of birdsong. Few things are as…
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Beavers Are Sunbathing in Midday, and It’s Not Due to Rabies
Some animals are natural sun worshippers. We often see dogs or cats lying out on a warm sunny day, soaking…
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1,600 Primates Listed for Sale on Facebook in Six Weeks
Wildlife trafficking is one of the largest black market businesses in the world. Animals are trafficked and sold as “exotics,”…
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226 Species Found in an Ocean Zone Once Thought Barren
Nearly three miles beneath the ocean’s surface exists a world rarely seen by human eyes. Little is known about the…
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Watch an Ogre-Faced Spider Fling Its Silk Net at Prey
Spiders are the master hunters of the insect world. Their agility, eyesight, and speed are second to none when it…
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The Smell, the Hiss, the Coil: A Garter Snake’s Defense
Garter snakes have a reputation for being one of the gentlest reptiles you can find in your garden. They might…
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84% Of Dogs Struggle with Anxiety, and It May Shorten Their Lives
Mental health is a concept we often associate only with human beings. Despite treating our furry best friends like family,…
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The Bugs You Casually Kill May Actually Feel Long-Term Pain
Somewhere along the way, most humans were taught that killing insects is not only common but occasionally even good. We’ve…
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A Sea Lion Named Sierra Nearly Halted Traffic on US-101
Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a significant concern in California, with thousands of incidents reported statewide each year. Roadways are one of…
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The Tiny Frog With the Internet’s Most Dramatic Squeak
The sounds of summer always bring forth a chorus of amphibious croaks. For most, these are mating calls of frogs…
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New Footage Shows Remoras Invading Manta Rays
Nature can be many things: beautiful, strange, ever-changing, and downright bizarre. In the marine world, many species benefit one another.…
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A Female Alligator’s Roar Can Carry More Than a Mile. Here’s Why
The sound of an alligator bellow is not one you soon forget. The low, spine-chilling roar you hear from the…
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The ‘Poor Man’s Horse’ Saved from the Brink of Extinction
Deep in the Swiss Alps during the 19th century, a dog breed existed that had as much power and strength…
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The Forgotten Inventor Whose Pigeon Camera Predated Drones
Corvids get most of the credit, but pigeons are in the same club as one of the smartest birds in…
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Louis the Cat Crosses the US-Canada Border and Nobody Stops Him
Border Patrol runs a tight ship, and citizens who ignore its laws face severe consequences. At least, this is true…
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The “Body Snatcher” Wasp Hidden Since 1983 Is Now Named After David Attenborough
An old wasp is getting a new name in honor of beloved broadcaster David Attenborough. Attenborough, known for narrating nature…
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Barn Owlets Call to Their Mom Before They’ve Even Hatched
We don’t often think of what a hatchling does inside its egg right before hatching. Many may not even know…
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Australia Is Building a “Living Library” for Ocean Species
Genetic “libraries” that deal in living organisms sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. In Australia, these genetic…
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Watch Two Stag Beetles Battle It Out Over a Female
The life of a stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is short and dramatic. Their mating rituals, as seen in this YouTube…
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Water eDNA Testing Outperformed Human Bird Observers in New Study
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge sits at the intersection of the Cayuga and Black Lakes. It’s connected by the Clyde River…
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Tiny Airborne Insects Are Leaving DNA Trails in the Sky
For all the insects that you see, there are dozens more zipping above your head. Many are too small to…
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Black Bears Use Trees as Nannies, Rest Stops, and Safe Havens
If you’re out hiking and spot an excessively large bird in a tree, take a second look. Black bears don’t…
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The Ant That Stings You Dozens of Times Before You Notice
Warmer temperatures mean summer is well on its way, but it also means something else: The bugs are out. Anything…
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What 8,200 Tagged-Shark Profiles Reveal About Our Oceans
Animals are bioindicators, reflecting the state of the world around them. Birds are often early indicators of storms, while rodents…
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Alabama’s Underground ‘Living Fossil’ Just Got 23,000 Acres of Hope
Alabama’s state amphibian just got a whole lot comfier in its native habitat. The Red Hills salamander (Phaeognathus hubrichti) is…
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How Far Can Sharks Actually Smell Blood? Not That Far
Many of our most popular myths are rooted in fact. “Blood in the water” is a popular phrase used to…
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A Bobcat in Your Yard? Here’s What It Really Wants
As a native Vermonter, bobcats are as common as sugarhouses in every rural town. They are seen slightly less often…
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The Blue-Tongued Skink Might by Nature’s Biggest Liar
Mother Nature is capable of fashioning an incredible variety of creatures, but She’s especially adept at creating highly skilled tricksters.…
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Play Dead for a Moose? Alaska’s Counterintuitive Survival Rule
Alaska is home to the largest moose species in the world. The Alaska-Yukon moose (Alces alces gigas) is larger than…
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Your Goldfish Could Flip an Entire Lake’s Food Chain
Goldfish are one of the most common household pets in America. And while they seem docile and harmless, they’re also…
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This Turtle Grows Its Own Fishing Lure Inside Its Mouth
Many of us were told as kids to watch out for the painful chomp of a snapping turtle. Anyone who…
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We Lose 27,000 Acres of Forest Daily. UNESCO Sites Are Holding the Line.
More than 489 million hectares of forest land have been lost since 1990 due to deforestation. Human activities have significantly…
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Dive-Bombed by a Blue Jay? Here’s What They’re Protecting
It’s happened to the best of us: One morning, you’re enjoying a sunny day on your patio. Next, a large…
What Happens Inside This Bat-Filled Cave Could Trigger a Deadly Virus Outbreak
Ebola is one of the world’s deadliest viruses, and Marburg is its cousin. This hemorrhagic virus shares many symptoms with…
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Human Drug Use Is Quietly Rewiring Wild Salmon Behavior
Water tests from Suffolk, England, are revealing hard truths about drug contamination in our waterways. Some even tested high for…
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How Forest Pests Are Exploiting a Warming Climate and Devastating Millions of Acres
Climate change is already reshaping the landscapes we know and love. Within the next century, the Antarctic could lose most…
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The Bold Ravens That Call the Dead Sea Home
The dry, semi-arid landscape surrounding the Dead Sea is a harsh environment. Few birds remain here long-term, and those that…
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Kenya Ant Smuggling Case Exposes Wildlife Trafficking’s Tiny New Targets
The exotic pet market is a lucrative business. If a smuggler is successful, they could make hundreds, if not thousands,…
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How Birds and Foxes Are Helping Scientists Detect Antibiotic Resistance Before It Spreads
A study recently published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology may be changing the way we detect antibiotic resistance. The research…
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The First Mammal Ancestor Egg Was Hidden in Plain Sight for 18 Years
Curious minds have asked the same question for centuries: Did mammals hatch from eggs? It might sound ludicrous given what…
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Can Inflatable Cushions Save Timmy the Whale?
A humpback whale stranded in northern Germany is stirring controversy around conservation in the Baltic Sea. The whale, affectionately named…