Like wily perfumers, a parasitic beetle’s larvae create floral aromas to lure in bees. Plants are known to cosplay as animals, but this rare discovery could be the first known…
Category: Animals
Canadian humpback whales thrive with a little help from their friends
For one population of whales, teamwork makes the dream work. Decades after commercial whaling nearly drove them to extinction, a feeding behavior known as bubble netting is helping a group…
Spider silk-making organs evolved due to a 400-million-year-old genetic oops
Spiders’ ability to spin webs may be one consequence of a really big genetic mistake. A close look at the genetics and development of spinnerets — spiders’ silk-making organs —…
Some vaccines are making progress in protecting vulnerable species
Southern elephant seal pups were among the first to die when a deadly strain of avian influenza arrived in the Crozet Islands in 2024. But as the virus spread across…
How Greenland sharks defy aging
When it comes to bucking the biological ails of aging, humans could learn something from Greenland sharks.
Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it
Citations S.L. Winkler et al. Bonobos tend to behave optimistically after hearing laughter. Scientific Reports. Published online June 26, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-02594-8. X.J. Nelson et al. Joyful by nature: approaches…
There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away
A soft, thick coat of snow makes a lot of the world seem to slow down or even stop — at least temporarily. The fluffy piles absorb sound and make the world…
This tool-using cow defies expectations for bovine braininess
Veronika the cow uses a brush as a tool to scratch herself, revealing rare problem-solving skills and expanding what we know of tool use in animals.
This fish may play a hole in its head like a drum
For the rockhead poacher, the noises are all in its head. The fish is a pint-size, unassuming inhabitant of nearshore shallows, but it has a conspicuous divot in the top…
Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species
Citations C. Neto et al. Impact of behavioral differences on white-lipped peccary reintroduction success in the Atlantic forest. Scientific Reports. Vol. 15, March 5, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-90853-z A. Sih, A.…
