Spiders are often one of the first species to colonize new habitats, and many species are found in multiple locations — including multiple continents. In other words, spiders get around. Scientists as far back as Charles Darwin have studied an intriguing mode of spider transportation: ballooning, or floating through the air on a thin strand […] More
Ducks are one of only two species in the world (the other is the acorn barnacle) that can adjust their penis size to fit a given situation — including competition from other males, according to new research. Duck mating is an uncomfortable subject, to begin with — male ducks have corkscrew-shaped genitalia, often covered in […] More
Bonobos: they’re just like us. Researchers studying the sex habits of bonobos say sexual activity plays a crucial role in the social society of the primates. Bonobo society is a bit more peaceful than that of their cousins, the chimpanzee, but, like in any group that lives closely together, conflicts do arise. When it does, […] More
Things don’t look good for the Sehuencas water frog. Years of habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and a deadly disease have taken their toll on this aquatic frog native to Bolivia. Romeo—a male who was taken into captivity ten years ago—is the last known of his kind. Now, scientists are turning to online dating in […] More
Scientists have long known that crows are exceedingly intelligent animals, but new evidence shows they may be getting smarter and evolving right before our eyes. Researchers at University of St. Andrews and University in Edinburgh in the UK tested a group of New Caledonian crows on their ability to make and use tools to acquire […] More
Well, we know who we’re inviting to our next rave. A recent study found that chameleon bones glow under UV light, in the first known instance of bone-based fluorescence in a vertebrate. A team of German researchers tested the UV light on 31 species of Calumma chameleons, which are native to Madagascar. They observed a bright blue glow […] More
Snow leopards are no longer officially an endangered species — but that doesn’t mean the cat is out of the woods yet. Scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which maintains a “red list” of endangered species around the globe, recently reclassified the leopard species as “vulnerable,” because there are actually more snow […] More
And you thought raising human newborns was tough! Across Europe, Africa and Asia, Stegodyphus spiders reproduce in large nests that are home to a number of spider families. Among them, one species native to South Africa, Stegodyphus dumicola, feed their young in a pretty gruesome way. As females take longer to mature than males, only about 40 percent of the females reproduce. […] More
Millions of donkeys across the world are being killed to fuel the demand for a traditional remedy in China. The donkey skin remedy, named ejiao, is produced by boiling down the skin to obtain gelatin, which many of its buyers believe can treat blood conditions and promote general health. When not used to remedy blood disorders, […] More
The controversial practice of hunting and killing animals for sport has long outraged conservationists and animal lovers. But a ban on commercial hunting may do more harm than good, says one activist. Speaking at a TEDx Copenhagen event, conservationist Mikkel Legerth who co-created the Modisa Wildlife Project in Botswana, claimed that the country’s ban on […] More
Few creatures on Earth inspire wonder the way a Komodo dragon does. The largest lizards in the world, they can be ten feet long, and their fierce appearance and hunting skills are awe-inspiring, to say the least. They look a bit like a dragon or even a mini-dinosaur, but their looks are not the strangest thing […] More
This rare beauty was pulled from a lobster trap off the coast of Maine. The lobsterman, being a responsible ocean steward, threw the animal back after realizing it was an egg-producing female. The lobsterman, Alex Todd, is a 10th-generation commercial fisherman from Chebeague Island. Todd shared the picture with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. They explained: “A normal […] More
