Animals

More Stories in Animals

  1. A close-up photo of a locust biting into another locust. It is frankly unsettling.
    Life

    Swarming locusts can deploy a chemical to avoid being cannibalized

    Releasing a “don’t-eat-me” pheromone signals a locust has become a toxic treat. The finding could lead to new ways to control destructive swarms.

    By Richard Kemeny
  2. A photo of an Andean condor flying.
    Animals

    A 2,200-year-old poop time capsule reveals secrets of the Andean condor

    Guano that has accumulated in a cliffside Andean condor nest for 2,200 years reveals how the now-vulnerable birds responded to a changing environment.

    By Jake Buehler
  3. In this underwater photo, Marine biologist Jessica Pate swims beside a large oceanic manta ray.
    Animals

    This marine biologist is on a mission to save endangered rays

    Jessica Pate and the Florida Manta Project confirm that endangered mantas are mating and sicklefin devils are migrating along the East Coast.

    By Brianna Randall
  4. An overhead photo of a mouse with gray hair on a light blue background.
    Health & Medicine

    Mouse hair turns gray when certain stem cells get stuck

    Stem cells involved in giving hair its color must keep moving and changing maturity levels to prevent graying, a mouse study suggests.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  5. A photo of a South American tapir walking through a green grass field with some bushes in the background.
    Genetics

    Here are 5 cool findings from a massive project on 240 mammal genomes

    A new series of studies on mammal genetics is helping scientists start to answer questions about evolution, cancer and even what makes us human.

    By Meghan Rosen
  6. An overhead photo of a small dog sitting on the lap of a person in a yellow long sleeve shirt working on a laptop.
    Health & Medicine

    Pets and people bonded during the pandemic. But owners were still stressed and lonely

    People grew closer to their pets during the first two years of COVID. But pet ownership didn’t reduce stress or loneliness, survey data show.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  7. Asian elephant grabbing a banana with her trunk
    Animals

    This elephant peels bananas, but only slightly ripe ones

    Pang Pha, an Asian elephant at Zoo Berlin, probably picked up the skill by observing her zookeeper.

    By Nora Bradford
  8. A photo of a person standing next to a snow mobile and a stack of supplies with tracks in the snow disappearing into the distance.
    Earth

    A massive cavern beneath a West Antarctic glacier is teeming with life

    A subglacial river has carved out the cavern beneath the Kamb Ice Stream, a West Antarctic glacier, and may be supplying nutrients necessary for life.

    By Douglas Fox
  9. An image of several sea walnuts floating in dark water.
    Life

    Comb jellies have a bizarre nervous system unlike any other animal

    A 3-D map of the comb jelly “nerve net” reveals fused neurons that lack the space, or synapses, most neurons use to communicate. Did it evolve independently?

    By Jake Buehler