Animals
- Animals
Frog ribbits erupt via an extravagant variety of vocal sacs
Shape matters as well as size in the great range of male frog show-off equipment for competitive seductive serenades.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
A man let snakes bite him 202 times. His blood helped create a new antivenom
A new antivenom relies on antibodies from the blood of Tim Friede, who immunized himself against snakebites by injecting increasing doses of venom into his body.
By Meghan Rosen - Animals
Cool water could protect sea stars from a mysterious disease
Sunflower sea stars discovered taking refuge in fjords may offer clues to saving the critically endangered species from sea star wasting disease.
- Animals
The axolotl is endangered in the wild. A discovery offers hope
Introducing captive-bred axolotls to restored and artificial wetlands may be a promising option for the popular pet amphibian.
By Anna Gibbs - Health & Medicine
Bird flu in cows shows no signs of adapting to humans — yet
Easy replication in cattle mammary glands means H5N1 bird flu is under no evolutionary pressure to adapt to spread easily in humans.
- Animals
This caterpillar wears the body parts of insect prey
Dubbed the “bone collector,” this caterpillar found on a Hawaiian island disguises itself while stalking spider webs for trapped insects to eat.
- Animals
How science can help you train your puppy
Puppies with a good grasp of basic gestures, self-confidence and impulse control grow into well-behaved adults, a new study suggests.
- Paleontology
Could Spinosaurus swim? The fierce dinosaur ignites debate
Researchers are still divided about whether Spinosaurus was a swimmer or a wader. What’s clear is that confirming the first swimming dinosaur would be a game-changer.
- Animals
Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions
As thousands of bats launch nightly hunting, the cacophony of a dense crowd should stymie echolocation, a so-called “cocktail party nightmare.”
By Susan Milius - Animals
Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake
From demon to danger noodle, human ideas about snakes can be as contradictory as the creatures themselves. In Slither, Stephen S. Hall challenges our serpent stereotypes.
- 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.
By Meghan Rosen - Anthropology
Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network
The furry seal skins may have made their way to French monasteries from as far away as Greenland.
By Alex Viveros