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This Lynx Soaks Prey in Water — and Teaches Her Cubs to Do It
Stepping quietly out of the scrublands of central Spain, an Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) carries a freshly killed rabbit tightly…
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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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Ancient Bug Found on eBay Had Crab-Like Claws
There is a huge variety of life on Earth, but we sometimes see similarities in organisms that live in very…
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The Bird That Wraps Its Tongue Around Its Skull to Hunt Ants
Aside from perhaps experiencing a tidal wave a hundred feet high crashing onto a city, there is likely nothing in…
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Is Gorilla Trekking Ethical? An Expert Breaks It Down
If you’re a wildlife lover, you’ve likely heard of the eco-tourism activity called gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is a guided…
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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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The Precious Moment a Newborn Buffalo Calf Finds Its Footing
Watching a baby take his or her first steps is miraculous, no matter if it’s a human or an animal…
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Meet Rio, the First Panda Born Outside China in 3 Years
A rare event is about to take place at Indonesia’s Taman Safari Zoo: for the first time in three years,…
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Ghost Shark or Rabbitfish? The Strange Truth About Chimaeras
In Ancient Greek mythology, the chimera was a monstrous creature. It was a mishmash of different animals, some of which…
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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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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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Humans Killed the Moa in 150 Years. Can a Biotech Firm Bring It Back?
Chicks hatched in artificial environments aren’t anything new, and it’s usually not newsworthy. For decades, researchers have experimented with crude…
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Nature’s Most Stubby-Legged Mammals
Mammals come in a variety of proportions, and some species evolved legs so short they almost look goofy. Many of…
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This Bird Kicks Snakes with Five Times Its Own Body Weight
Nature is full of different rivals and enemies. These conflicts often result in unique ways for animals to fight one…
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Why 90% of Humans Are Right-Handed: It’s How We Walk
If you’re a lefty and have ever felt excluded from the right-handed club as you write a letter, throw a…
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The Forgotten Tragedy of the U.S.’s Only Native Parrot
Flocks of free-flying non-native parrots can be spotted in several areas of the United States. In California alone, there are…
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This Water Moccasin Tried to Strike a Boat
If you’ve ever spent time at a river or lake, you’ve most likely been warned about a water moccasin or…
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How a Bearded Vulture’s Stomach Acid Dissolves Entire Bones
Vultures are some of the most unusual birds in the world. With so many species, there is always something new…
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Bats Don’t Just Hear Sound — They Actively Reshape It to Hunt
As darkness falls, a greater Japanese horseshoe bat gets ready to head out for the night’s hunt. As it takes…
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The Last Wild Japanese Otter Was Photographed in 1979. Then It Was Gone.
For centuries, Japanese folklore warned travelers about the kawauso lurking along quiet riverbanks at night. Locals feared and loved these…
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Why This Common Garden Spider Has Spikes on Its Body
Orb-weaving spiders linger in the corners of gardens, largely ignored. But if you take a macro view, as shown in…
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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 Animal That Takes “Baby Wearing” to the Next Level
Baby wearing is the practice of using a special sling or wrap to carry a baby. Humans aren’t the only…
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The African Bird That Tricks Fish with a Shadow Umbrella
A video from the Pangolin Wildlife Photography YouTube channel gives us insight into the extraordinary hunting style of the black…
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Mammals Known for Incredible Longevity
Mammals are quite diverse. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and activity levels. They also differ widely by lifespan.…
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The Surprising Reason Donkeys Need Pedicures Every 10 Weeks
We all like to be pampered every once in a while. Animals are similar, but their pampering is usually a…
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The Spider That’s Bigger Than a Dinner Plate
Not all big spiders are dangerous, even though they look quite scary! The sweet but massive tarantula in this incredible…
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Indigenous Lands Protect Wildlife Better Than Many Government Parks, Research Says
Despite a lack of resources and recognition, lands managed by Indigenous Peoples keep pace with—and in some cases outperform—similar lands…
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Humpback Whales Keep Opening Their Mouths and Nobody Knows Why
Picture this. You’re on a whale watching trip in an exotic locale, when a giant humpback whale swims up next…
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How “Climate Sentinels” Are Mapping the Changing Arctic
Narwhals are some of the most unusual whales in the world due to their long, spiral-shaped tusk. They inhabit the…
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Virginia’s Most Dangerous Snakes You May Encounter This Summer
Snakes have a way of making people panic, especially in the summer when more of us are outside hiking, gardening,…
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Why Did the Golden Toad Vanish from Its Cloud Forest Overnight?
Golden toads never spent a lot of time in the open, but no one expected them to disappear altogether. These…
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Dr. Pimple Popper for Pigeons?
Many people have gone down the pimple-popping rabbit hole online. Whether you like the videos or not, it’s hard to…
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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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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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Why Buying a Baby Gibbon Can Imperil an Entire Family
In the hills of northern Thailand, the Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary has become a critical refuge for one of the region’s…
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The Secret Nesting Ritual of Sea Turtles, Revealed
Turtle nesting season is upon us, so we thought this was a good time to reveal the secret nesting ritual…
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The Gentle Giant That Science Discovered and Destroyed in Three Decades
It took just 27 years for us to discover, formally describe, and drive a sea cow species to extinction. The…
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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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Some Birds’ Feathers Are Designed to Self-Destruct on Schedule
For most birds, looking good for spring means undergoing a partial molt. Because feathers are pure protein, shedding and rebuilding…
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What “Milking” a King Cobra Really Looks Like
Snake venom is extracted, or “milked,” for a few main reasons, such as to make antivenoms. This job sounds incredibly…
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Why Do 100,000 Birds Move as One? Science Explains
Have you ever glanced up at the sky in late summer or the fall and seen a huge flock of…
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Adorable or Alarming? Dogs Encounter a Wild Sea Lion at the Beach
The world is full of the most unlikely friendships. Animals are no exception, with some interactions being the cutest things…
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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…
Education
Urban Wildlife: A Free Unit Plan on Animals in Our Neighborhood
Urban wildlife, or animals that live in human neighborhoods, cities and towns, exist all around us, co-inhabiting our environment, and…
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How Oil Infrastructure Became an Ecological Trap for Wood Bison
Reintroduced animal populations face many challenges. When they are introduced to habitats with human infrastructure, it adds an extra layer…
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Trapped in Glue, Stuffed in Tubes: How Parrots Reach Your Pet Store
World Parrot Day is a fitting time to zoom in on the current state of parrot populations in the wild…
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How Fast Is a Viper Strike? This Slow-Motion Video Shows All
Snakes are some of the stealthiest and deadliest hunters in nature. Using their powerful bites and lethal poison, they can…
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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…