When Ambika Kamath was a graduate student in evolutionary biology at Harvard University, she knew one thing for sure: She wasn’t going to research anoles, the lizards that her adviser,…
Category: Animals
Static electricity can pull ticks on to their hosts
You don’t need to touch a tick for it find you, a new study suggests. The blood-sucking parasites may be able to catapult themselves from vegetation to their hosts thanks…
Humans exploit about one-third of wild vertebrate species
The aptly named resplendent quetzal is prized for its plumage. Golden poison frogs are popular creatures in the pet trade. Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy, and their scales are…
Young squash bugs seek out adults’ poop for an essential microbe
For young squash bugs, a sip full of feces can help the microbes go down. Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are a major agricultural pest, and a bacterial partner called Caballeronia…
A grisly trick helps snow flies survive freezing: self-amputation
A few years ago, John Tuthill was trail running in the Cascade mountains in Washington state when he spotted something dark skittering across the snow. It was about the size…
Bottlenose dolphin moms use baby talk with their calves
McKenzie Prillaman was the Spring 2023 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in bioethics from the University of Virginia and…
DNA has revealed the origin of this giant ‘mystery’ gecko
A lizard called Delcourt’s giant gecko has long been one of herpetology’s biggest mysteries — literally. Presumed extinct, the animal is by far the largest gecko known to have crawled…
How understanding horses could inspire more trustworthy robots
Throughout history, cowboys have shared epic tales of horses that have taken them home on dark, foggy nights. Legendary horses have even carried wounded soldiers through battle zones. Sensible and…
‘Polyester bees’ brew beer-scented baby food in plastic cribs
Female Ptiloglossa bees are single moms with a lot to do and little time. Fortunately, they can use a feathery tongue to make infant-care plastics and then brew up batches…
Camouflaging wheat with a wheat smell could be a new approach to pest control
Now you smell it, now you don’t. Or do you? Used correctly, a little misdirection could help keep mice away from freshly planted wheat seeds. Camouflaging wheat seeds can reduce…
