Dolphins whistle, humpback whales sing and sperm whales click. Now, a new analysis of sperm whale codas — a unique series of clicks — suggests a previously unrecognized acoustic pattern.…
Category: Animals
This fly’s flesh-eating maggot is making a comeback. Here’s what to know
After a decades-long hiatus, new world screwworm populations have surged in Central America and Mexico — and are inching northward.
Woodpecker hammering is a full-body affair
Hidden beneath all their rum-pum-pumming, woodpeckers are quietly grunt-grunt-grunting. The birds exhale with each strike, much like a tennis pro groaning through a stroke. Elaborate coordination between those breaths and…
Mosquitoes infiltrated Iceland. Will they survive the winter?
Iceland’s first mosquitoes are poised to face a frosty test. Winter is coming, and it’s uncertain whether these newcomers might stick around until spring. The Nordic island, previously one of…
Deep Antarctic waters hold geometric communities of fish nests
Scientists found thousands of patterned fish nests in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, boosting calls for marine protected areas.
Polar bears provide millions of kilograms of food for other Arctic species
In a single year, one polar bear can leave roughly 300 kilograms of prey for other animals to dine on. Altogether, the carnivores provide 7.6 million kilograms of carrion for…
Subway mosquitoes evolved millennia ago in ancient Mediterranean cities
Subterranean mosquitoes specialized for life in subways and sewers first evolved to pester humans millennia ago in Mediterranean civilizations. A widely accepted story about the mosquitoes’ evolution put their origins…
Which venomous snakes strike the fastest?
Some vipers are the sprinters of snakes. Vipers wielded the fastest attacks in a comparison of 36 venomous snakes from three families, researchers report October 23 in Journal of Experimental…
Scientists and fishers have teamed up to find a way to save manta rays
The vessel rolled in the swell as fishers pulled huge nets bursting with tuna onto the deck then poured the catch down a loading hatch. But Melissa Cronin wasn’t there…
Guppies fall for optical illusion. Doves typically do not.
Duping a guppy is easier than duping a ring dove — at least when it comes to a classic optical illusion. In the Ebbinghaus illusion, two identical circles placed side…
