Category: Animals

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Near the northern tip of Alaska, on the outskirts of the Arctic Ocean, bowhead whales have given scientists a glimpse into longevity. The gigantic marine mammals can live more than…

The ocean can be a cold place to call home. Mammals like seals stay warm by enveloping themselves in a layer of thick fur and blubber. Cephalopods — the group…

Fly factory planned for Mexico — Science News, June 2, 1973 A ‘fly factory’ whose product is living flies — 300 million of them every week — is to be…