Pooping whales changed the course of Asha de Vos’ career. The Sri Lankan marine biologist was aboard a research vessel near her home island in 2003 when she spotted six…
Category: Animals
These hornets may be the alcohol-detox champs of the animal world
Don’t get into a drinking contest with Vespa orientalis hornets. They could out-booze a tree shrew, even a fruit fly. Mere humans wouldn’t stand a chance. These hornets can survive…
Giant rats could help sniff out illegally smuggled goods
A new kind of border patrol agent could soon start work in African ports, sniffing out illegal goods that are smuggled across country lines. They’re rats. And they wear tiny…
A common kitchen tool could help koala conservation
Known for their fluffy ears, round faces and big black noses, koalas spend most of their time snoozing in the canopies of eucalypt forests. Their penchant for perching high up…
Male mosquitoes sometimes suck, too
Male mosquitoes may be nearly as bloodthirsty as females under certain conditions, new research suggests. That upends the notion that only female mosquitoes bite, drink blood and spread diseases while…
The U.S. empire was built on bird dung
In December 1855 and January 1856, a trio of vessels set sail from the United States to Jarvis and Baker islands, coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.…
The ‘Mekong ghost’ megafish has resurfaced after an extinction scare
The “Mekong ghost” fish is a ghost no more. Like the legendary Rip Van Winkle, who wandered into the woods and disappeared for 20 years, the giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax…
How insects can help catch rhino poachers
In 1988, police officers in Australia came for Ian Dadour. Not because the entomologist was under arrest, but because they needed his expertise. Investigators asked Dadour to estimate the ages…
Polar bears are being exposed to more pathogens as the climate warms
Polar bears face mounting challenges in a changing, warming world, mostly related to their waning wintery wonderland habitats. But they may be increasingly infected with germs and parasites, too. Compared…
Science has finally cracked male riflebirds’ flirty secrets
New video of male riflebirds’ extreme wrist flares and feather noises reveals how these show-offs do their dazzle. Males of the four Ptiloris species, a group within the birds of…
