WEIRD ANIMALS
Stunned by chilly weather, the invasive lizards were dropping out of trees in the Sunshine State. Despite how this iguana looks, it is actually not dead, just cold-stunned. It will likely thaw-out as the sun warms it back up. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel …
Thousands of bodies washed up on North America’s Pacific coast. Study finds common murres probably died of starvation. Dead common murres lie washed up on a rocky beach in Whittier, Alaska, on 7 January 2016. Photograph: Mark Thiessen/AP – By Kenya Evelyn in …
A new study has found that the animals use distinct vocalizations across a range of emotional contexts. Researcher Alexandra Green, recording cows (Lynne Gardner/University of Sydney). By Brigit Katz, Smithsonianmag.com – Should you encounter a herd of cows munching on a field of …
Toxoplasma gondii infections don’t just make mice afraid of cats. They get reckless with all sorts of other stuff, too. For decades, researchers have known that mice infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii lose their fear of cats. But there may be more …
It’s the first time magnetoreception has been discovered in animals, researchers claim. By Philip Perry – Migrating geese. Credit: Getty Images. One of the longest running mysteries is exactly how birds navigate when they fly south for the winter or back come …
New research on killer whales may shine a light on the evolutionary power of menopause. Photo Credit: Dan Antoche-Albisor / Getty Images. By Molly Hanson – New research on killer whales suggests that post-menopausal grandmothers play a powerful role in the survival of …
By Rich Haridy – A still from the winning video in the Nikon Small World In Motion competition showing a polyp emerging from staghorn coral. Philippe Laissue / Nikon Small World in Motion. – Zooming in on the motion of the microscopic, the winners …
‘Puppy dog eyes’ aren’t just sweet — they evolved to manipulate us. By Nina Pullano – Dogs have a secret weapon against us humans — ‘puppy dog eyes.’ Researchers learned earlier this year that the trait is one that dogs have evolved to have, for …
It’s some spooky, slimy science. By Nina Pullano – What do you call something that’s neither a plant, nor animal, nor fungus? In this case, the answer is “The Blob” — or, seeing as it exists in Paris, France, “Le Blob,” to be …
Scientists surprised by haul of crustaceans and tardigrades in undisturbed subglacial lake. Ian Sample Science editor @iansample – Tardigrade, a tiny aquatic invertebrate, is also known as a ‘water bear’. Photograph: Steve Gschmeissner/Getty Images/Science Photo Library. Scientists have found the remains of tiny, …
