Animal News & Articles

Key Points There are a number of animals that can sense heat, but not all see it, some can smell heat. We don't know what infrared (or ultraviolet) light actually… Read More

By A-Z Animals Staff 3 years ago

Key Points: Thanatosis, or tonic immobility, is the term used to describe the tactic of playing dead. Playing dead is generally a defensive measure that may make a predator lose… Read More

By Krishna Maxwell 3 years ago

With their bright colors and remarkable ability to mimic human speech, parrots are among the most popular birds among enthusiasts and the general public. There exist more than 398 species… Read More

By Patrick Sather 3 years ago

Key Points A Grunion is a small fish that lives in CaliforniaGrunions lay their eggs at night on the beach. The eggs are buried in the sand. When the baby… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Points: Spotted lanternflies are an invasive, plant-eating insect that has been introduced into several countries.Identifying and removing lanternfly eggs from where they are attached on leaves is one of… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Points The black animals listed here mostly belong to species whose coloration is typically solid black when they’re adults. The black panther is the result of a genetic expression… Read More

By Krishna Maxwell 3 years ago

Key Points Using tools is a sign of high intelligence in animalsUsing tools has a lot to do with the survival of several species, including humans.Animals learn to use tools… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Points: There are five main differences between apes and monkeys - the most visible being that monkeys have tails while apes do not.Apes are much more intelligent than monkeys… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

With terminology like “ape”, “great ape”, “monkey”, “primate”, and “gorilla” all meaning distinctly different things, it is hard to keep track of what’s what. In this article we'll examine the… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: Modern-day humans and neanderthals are of the same genus, but are completely separate species. Evidence suggests that neanderthals did not evolve into humans, but both species evolved from… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Monkeys come in all shapes and sizes and exist around the world. Most monkeys live in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. While many hang from branches and leap… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: The largest species of bear, polar bears, generally weigh twice or even over five times as much as the Floridian black bear, which weighs about 300 pounds. These… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

A male lion, with its formidable size and flowing mane, is a majestic animal rightfully known as king of the jungle. Female lions are similarly ferocious and are amongst the… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points Echolocation is the process of using sound to sense what is around you. Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind. They just don't see as well as… Read More

By Krishna Maxwell 3 years ago

Key Points: First bred in Germany in the 1800s, the Langshan is capable of laying about 200 eggs yearly and is docile in nature. The Australorp is recognizable by its… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points: There are more than 70 species of rats. The Coryphomys is the largest rat ever recorded but is now extinct. 40% of all mammal species are rodents. Rats are… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Often regarded as a lucky symbol, grasshoppers are one of the oldest types of animals in the world, having first appeared during the Triassic period 250 million years ago.  They… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points: The largest tiger shark caught was 1,785 pounds and 11 ounces, off the coast of Ulladulla, Australia in 2004 by Kevin J. Clapson. Due to International Game Fish… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Well known for their distinctive shape with pincers at the front and a curved tail with a stinger at the back, scorpions are easily identifiable. They are part of the arachnida… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points: There are more than 12,000 species of ants throughout the world. The largest ant in the world is the giant Amazonian ant, which can reach 1.6 inches in… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Penguins are well known for their distinctive walk and black and white markings and these flightless birds are loved worldwide, but what is the largest penguin in the world?  Found… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points The longest-living turtle verified by the Guinness Book of World Records is Jonathan, who is 190 years old and still living. A turtle's age is not easily determined,… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Points Some of the animals on this list are weak because they can't jump, support their own body weight, or have a very weak bite force. Some animals on… Read More

By Rebecca Bales 3 years ago

Key Points: The Greenland shark, which can reach 23 feet long and weigh up to a whopping 2,200 pounds, is remarkably slow to mature, with a gestation period of eight… Read More

By Heather Ross 3 years ago

Key Points: Hoarding (also known as caching) is how many animals store enough food to survive the winter. Some animals cache objects as well as food. Caching enough food to… Read More

By Krishna Maxwell 3 years ago

Key Points: Instead of gradually changing throughout one life some animals live more than one life by transforming into different life forms with each stage. Some animals, like spiders, undergo… Read More

By Lex Basu 3 years ago

Quick Answer: Jellyfish eat a large variety of animals and plants like plankton, crustaceans, fish, plants, and even other jellyfish. They spread out their long tentacles to help them collect… Read More

By Heather Ross 3 years ago

Key Points There are various animals and insects that have shells.Some animals have their shells built as a part of their skeleton such as the turtle.Animals need shells to protect… Read More

By Lex Basu 3 years ago

Key Points: Bears have enough bite force to crush a bowling ball. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest bear species in the world and is also the largest… Read More

By Patrick Sather 3 years ago

Key Facts With a name that means "eight legs" in Greek, octopuses are some of the most intriguing forms of marine life on the planet. Cousins to cuttlefish and squids,… Read More

By Patrick Sather 3 years ago

Key Points: They're the largest canids of all, easily dwarfing coyotes, jackals, and man's best friend (with some rare exceptions in that last case). But even within their own vast… Read More

By Patrick Sather 3 years ago

Key Points Christmas animals have attained their status owing to different reasons: the seasons we associate them with, royal influence, or religious traditions. They have different purposes too: some serve… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Facts Sharks can grow to impressive sizes with a Great White being capable of reaching 20 feet and a Greenland Shark 21 feet.Generally, these marine hunters live for 20… Read More

By Michelle Stacy 3 years ago

Key Points: Elephants are huge creatures and can consume up to 350 pounds of plant based food per day. One of the largest elephants on this list can grow up… Read More

By Michelle Stacy 3 years ago

Numbering over 160,000 species worldwide, moths are some of nature's most important pollinators. Moths and butterflies belong to the Lepidoptera insect order, and moths make up 89-94% of the species.… Read More

By Michelle Stacy 3 years ago

Key Points The largest lizard in the world is the Komodo Dragon, which can weigh up to 300 pounds. Lizards are native to every continent except Antarctica. Lizards can live… Read More

By Michelle Stacy 3 years ago

Key Facts Some mammals and avians come alive at nightfall when their neighbors are settling down to sleep.In order to find a tasty meal by hunting or scavenging night predators… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

Key Points: Some creatures without brains reside on the ocean floor. Examples include algae-scraping sea urchins, synapse-reliant sea sponges, toxic sea cucumbers, and ocean-cleaning sea lilies. Other brainless ocean animals… Read More

By Heather Hall 3 years ago

The giant African land snail can grow to be up to 8 inches long. With more than 40,000 species of snails in the world today - including land, sea, and… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points There are over 300 breeds of rabbit worldwide. The largest breed often weighs in at nearly 20 pounds. The largest individual rabbit weighs over 50 pounds and is… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago

Key Points: The largest species of frog can be over a foot long and weigh in at over 7 pounds. Frogs are amphibians that live both in and out of… Read More

By Hannah Ward 3 years ago