SlitherStephen S. HallGrand Central Publishing, $30 Snakes don’t often get to be the protagonists. From the biblical tempter in the Garden of Eden to the eponymous snakes on a plane,…
Category: Animals
The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction
Some question whether the pups are really dire wolves, or just genetically tweaked gray wolves. But the technology could be used to help at-risk animals.
Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network
Science is helping researchers judge books by their covers — and revealing surprising beneficiaries of medieval trading routes in the process. Dozens of rare, fur-covered volumes from 12th and 13th…
Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change
For Gila monsters that live in the warming Mojave Desert, relocating to beat the heat may not be so simple. While climate change might create some better habitats, the lizards…
‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles
Scientists working to unlock the secrets of de-extinction recently announced what they say is a turning point for the movement: the creation of transgenic mice with long, luxurious golden locks…
You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong
Many dog owners can tell how their precious pooch is feeling, watching it wag its tail or raise its ears — at least, they think they can. But people’s perception…
Is that shark ticking? In a first, a shark is recorded making noise
Sharks may not be the sharp-toothed silent type after all. The clicking of flattened teeth, discovered by accident, could be “the first documented case of deliberate sound production in sharks,”…
A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice
A protein found in tardigrades — tiny animals less than a millimeter long — can protect mice from radiation damage. Most cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as part of their…
How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines
Silicon powers more than electronics: In tomato plants, it fuels a complex defense system that could help farmers use fewer pesticides. Tomato plants on four continents are currently under attack…
Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests
One man’s trash is a common coot’s treasure, at least when it comes to plastic. In Amsterdam, the birds have been constructing nests out of plastic food wrappers, masks and…
