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The Y-Shaped Bone That Gives Macaws a Finger-Like Tongue
Usually, nature follows a simple rule of thumb: the bigger the creature, the less nimble it is in its movements.…
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The Global Think Tank Using AI to Understand Animal Communication
Interspecies Internet sounds like the title of a science‑fiction film. But this initiative, also known as Interspecies.io, is real. The…
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Shortest Life Cycles Among Major Animal Classes
Life on Earth is incredibly diverse, even when it comes to lifespans. While some animals live for hundreds of years,…
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This Venomous Snake Bites More People in the U.S. Than Any Other
Copperheads are the sneaky neighbors of the snake world. They quietly live in woodpiles, rocky hillsides, and the edges of…
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The Mists of Sichuan Reveal Vibrant New Pit Viper Species Hidden for Decades
People in the Western world probably know Sichuan for its cuisine. Indeed, this province in southwestern China is famous across…
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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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Scientists Uncover a Baffling New Pit Viper in Myanmar
scientists have uncovered a profound truth: nature seeks novelty over categorization. In every era, humans seek new ways to classify…
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Inside the Unusual, Ladder-Spinning Movement of Bagworms
We’ve all watched caterpillars crawl, creating a ripple-effect with their multiple pairs of legs alternately making contact with the surface.…
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A Dinosaur Skull Sat in a Drawer for 40 Years Until It Revealed a Lost Species
When it comes to studying dinosaurs, not all fossils are created equal. Some, unearthed in pristine condition, serve as sources…
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How an Anteater’s Two-Foot Tongue Catches 30,000 Insects Daily
Giant anteaters are fascinating animals with an intriguing anatomy, especially their extraordinary tongue. They are the largest of the four…
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Platypus Fur Hides a Microscopic Feature Only Birds Were Supposed to Have
The platypus is so bizarre that it famously led early European scientists to suspect someone had stitched it together from…
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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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A Yawning Viper Shows off Longest Snake Fangs on Earth
Gaboon vipers have the longest fangs of any snake on earth. The venomous species’ fangs are so long that they…
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How a Tiny Snail Fires Venom with Bullet-Like Acceleration
As snails go, the cone snail is pretty feisty! This group of marine gastropods has a venomous harpoon that they…
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This Endangered Condor Takes Flight Without a Single Flap
Filmed at Big Sur, California, this astonishing clip shows a huge condor taking flight from a high cliff without even…
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The Crabs That Leap Across Ocean Rocks
Every animal in nature is the result of centuries of evolution, and there is always something new to learn about…
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As the Kentucky Derby Nears, Can Horse Racing Ever Be Truly Ethical?
Every spring, the Kentucky Derby arrives in all of its showy glory. There are hats, mint juleps, and the familiar…
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Watch This Tranquilized Bear Make a Soft Landing
Over the years, bears have increasingly entered human neighborhoods and spaces. Deforestation and food scarcity are part of the problem,…
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See This Elephant Shake a Tree Like It’s a Snack Machine
Animals come in all different shapes and sizes, each using various means to get their next meal. Elephants are a…
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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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Bobcat Uses Golf Bunker as a Hunting Blind and Gets a Birdie
We don’t think this bobcat is planning on a round of golf. The clever feline has discovered that the sand…
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Tiny Crabs Etch Perfect Spirals in Sand, Then Vanish with the Tide
A strange kind of “art show” appears with every low tide across the sandy shores of the Indo-Pacific and Australia…
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Only 2% of Adopters Prefer Senior Pets. Are You Missing Out?
A recent survey on behalf of MetLife Pet Insurance found that nearly 1 in 2 pet owners (48%) choose to…
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Why a Hawk’s Tongue Is Covered in Backward-Pointing Spikes
Bird enthusiasts soon learn how to use a bird’s external features to identify them. Bill shape and size, wingspan, feather…
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Here’s How a Spider Makes Silk 10 Times Tougher Than Kevlar
Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in nature. Because of this, silk has been used in battle to…
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What Are Animals Saying? AI May Finally Tell Us
The world sounds very different when you listen like a scientist instead of a tourist. Hidden in ocean waves, forests,…
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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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Gray Seals Learned to Sing Star Wars. Here’s What That Means
While the iconic honks, barks, and trills of pinnipeds — a family that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses —…
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A Gliding Possum Genus Thought Extinct for 6,000 Years Was Found Alive
I’m constantly in awe of the natural world around us. There’s something so calming about walking through nature and seeing…
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What’s the Difference Between a Conservation Officer and a Game Warden?
If you love the outdoors and care about wildlife, jobs like conservation officer and game warden can sound almost identical…
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Meet the Biggest Monkeys on the Planet
Monkeys come in an incredible range of sizes, from tiny species that can fit in your hand to intimidating primates…
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Why Some Snakes “Walk” in a Straight Line Instead of Slithering
Snakes are some of the best-known reptiles, with more than 4,000 species across the world. When we think of snakes,…
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A 4-Month-Old Bird Just Flew 8,425 Miles Without Stopping
In 2022, a young bar-tailed godwit made the most extraordinary journey. These birds are known for their long migrations, but…
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10,000 Baby Crocodiles, One Bucket of Meat, One Calm Farmer
There are plenty of animal-feeding moments that feel downright adorable. Maybe it is your dog wagging its tail the second…
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The Hidden Chemical Weapon Inside a Caterpillar’s Head
The beautiful and elegant swallowtail butterfly begins its life as a chubby caterpillar with an unusual defense. When threatened, a…
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5 Endangered Snakes Hiding in New Jersey Right Now
New Jersey is a densely populated state, but it also hides some of the Northeast’s rarest snakes. They live in…
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Why Only One Naked Mole-Rat in a Colony Gets to Reproduce
When you think of a eusocial colony, insects probably come to mind, such as bees, termites, or ants. However, two…
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Inside the One-Way Throat That Lets Leatherbacks Eat Jellyfish
If you could peer inside the mouth and throat of a leatherback sea turtle, you would find something intriguing. Their…
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Australia’s Deep Sea Hides Zombie Worms and a Game of Thrones Shrimp
The world’s oceans are filled with never-ending surprises. Some shock. Some awe. And some are still waiting to be discovered.…
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A 7-Foot Nile Monitor Steals Crocodile Eggs — Then Follows a Hatchling
When we think of Africa and the animals that live there, it’s easy to think of the Big Five. The…
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A Screaming Heron, a Falcon in Pursuit, and a Reminder That Size Doesn’t Rule the Sky
Hunting is a natural part of the wild. Larger predators usually hunt smaller prey, which is often how the natural…
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The Shark That Ambushes Prey by Blending into the Ocean Floor
To be successful in the wild, you need to be innovative with how you hunt. With each animal fighting for…
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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…
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What Happened After This Man Was Bitten by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake?
Being bitten by a snake is many people’s biggest fear, and for good reason. Not only is the bite itself…
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These Are the Most Dangerous Snakes in America
When it comes to identifying the most dangerous snakes in America, the answer isn’t as straightforward as some may think.…
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This Black Bear Family Took Over a New Jersey Golf Course
Typically, when we think of wild animals, we think of seeing them in the wild. Perhaps on a hunting trip,…
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When Elephants Get Sick, How Do Vets Treat Them?
Elephants may look powerful, yet they can be taken out by many of the same health challenges as other mammals.…
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Seals Can Ignore CO2 Levels 200 Times Higher Than Normal. We Can’t.
The longer you hold your breath, the more a desperate pressure in your chest grows — this is what scientists…
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This Harmless Backyard Snake Gets Bigger Than Most People Realize
Just imagine: You are enjoying a day in your garden. You finish in one area and head to your shed…