Sometimes a photo is literally a matter of life, death — and zombies. This haunting image, winner of the 2022 BMC Ecology and Evolution photography competition, certainly fits that description.…
Category: Animals
Why mosquitoes are especially good at smelling you
Some mosquitoes have a near-foolproof thirst for human blood. Previous attempts to prevent the insects from tracking people down by blocking part of mosquitoes’ ability to smell have failed. A…
The first known monkeypox infection in a pet dog hints at spillover risk
The first recorded case of a person passing monkeypox to a dog could be a harbinger of other animals catching the sometimes disfiguring and deadly virus. If that happens, monkeypox…
Whale sharks may be the world’s largest omnivores
As Mark Meekan bobbed among swells in the Indian Ocean, he spotted a giant shadowy figure moving through the water. The tropical fish biologist dove to meet the gentle giant …
Why humans have more voice control than any other primates
A crying baby, a screaming adult, a teenager whose voice cracks — people could have sounded this shrill all the time, a new study suggests, if not for a crucial…
Zoo gorillas use a weird new call that sounds like a sneezy cough
Sukari the gorilla can grunt. She can hum. She can grumble. Now, scientists report, the gorilla’s got a new way to express herself. Sukari can “snough.” She and other zoo…
Sea sponges launch slow-motion snot rockets to clean their pores
The next time you spot a sea sponge, say “gesundheit!” Some sponges regularly “sneeze” to clear debris from their porous bodies. As filter feeders, sponges draw in water through inlet…
Relocated beavers helped mitigate some effects of climate change
In the upper reaches of the Skykomish River in Washington state, a pioneering team of civil engineers is keeping things cool. Relocated beavers boosted water storage and lowered stream temperatures,…
Scientists turned dead spiders into robots
Scientists have literally reanimated dead spiders to do their bidding. In a new field dubbed “necrobotics,” researchers converted the corpses of wolf spiders into grippers that can manipulate objects. All…
How slow and steady lionfish win the race against fast prey
Lionfish certainly aren’t the fastest predators on the reef, but new research suggests that they can catch swift prey through pure tenacity, gliding slowly in pursuit until the perfect moment…
