Despite the scary name, modern vampire squid are docile denizens of the deep sea — but their Jurassic ancestors may have been a lot fiercer. Analyses of fossilized soft tissue…
Category: Life
Cats chewing on catnip boosts the plant’s insect-repelling powers
For many cats, a mere whiff of catnip can send them into a licking, rolling, plant-shredding frenzy. That destruction amplifies catnip’s natural defenses against insects and its appeal to cats,…
These tiny marsupials survived wildfires only to face extinction from feral cats
Few marsupials have gone from miraculous survival to the brink of extinction as quickly as the Kangaroo Island dunnart. In 2019 and 2020, devastating fires burned nearly 10 million hectares…
These tiny marsupials survived wildfires only to face extinction from feral cats
Few marsupials have gone from miraculous survival to the brink of extinction as quickly as the Kangaroo Island dunnart. In 2019 and 2020, devastating fires burned nearly 10 million hectares…
Some polar bears in Greenland survive on surprisingly little sea ice
“Pihoqahiak” means “ever-wandering one,” and is an Inuit name for the polar bear, a creature known to roam vast expanses of sea ice, sometimes plodding thousands of kilometers a year…
Some polar bears in Greenland survive on surprisingly little sea ice
“Pihoqahiak” means “ever-wandering one,” and is an Inuit name for the polar bear, a creature known to roam vast expanses of sea ice, sometimes plodding thousands of kilometers a year…
Here’s why pumpkin toadlets are such clumsy jumpers
Some frogs just can’t stick the landing. After launching into a leap, pumpkin toadlets careen through the air as if flung from a toddler’s fist. They roll, cartwheel or backflip…
Butterflies may lose their ‘tails’ like lizards
On some butterfly wings, “tails” may be more than just elegant adornments. They’re survival tools too, a study suggests. The tails seem to attract the attention of attacking birds, keeping…
Lucy Cooke’s new book ‘Bitch’ busts myths about female animals
BitchLucy CookeBasic Books, $30 To Charles Darwin, nature had a certain order. And in that order, males always came out on top. They were the leaders, the innovators, the wooers…
Mosquitoes prefer dozing over dining when they are sleep-deprived
Turns out there is rest for the wicked: Sleepy mosquitoes are more likely to catch up on missed z’s than drink blood, a new study finds. Most people are familiar…
