Other Mammals

Fisher cats aren't actually cats, but cat-sized members of the weasel family, and their favorite snack is — yikes — the porcupine.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

These little critters are super cute, so why do they have a reputation for being one of the worst of the mammal world?

By Mark Mancini

Because most of what we know about honey badgers comes from a three-minute comedy video, there are a lot of misconceptions about these wily weasels.

By Jesslyn Shields

Sure, hedgehogs are cute as heck, but do you think one really wants to live in your house?

By Jesslyn Shields

Elephants make a specific sound to warn each other of nearby humans.

By Loraine Fick

Before you declare which team you're on, we've got the breakdown on this auditory battle royal.

By Mark Mancini

Scientists have known for a long time that elephants have no sweat glands and keep cool through slinging mud on their skin. But they didn't know what made the skin so wrinkled — until now.

By Nathan Chandler

It used to be assumed that African bush elephants avoided the sound of an angry bee hive. Now researchers believe they have receptors to detect a bee's alarm pheromones.

By Jesslyn Shields

The Humboldt marten was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1996. Now it is threatened again.

By Jesslyn Shields

Once a week or so, sloths climb down from their trees and poop on the ground. It feels so good, they do a little dance. But this time of pleasure is also a time of peril.

By Alia Hoyt

Urban coyotes have a fierce and formidable reputation as midnight predators, but coexistence with humans is possible.

By Carrie Tatro

Due to a quirk in their anatomy, injured hedgehogs can experience skin inflating to the size of a basketball, which can be a painful and life-threatening development.

By Laurie L. Dove

Sure, these mammals may be cute and cuddly. But that doesn't mean their bite can't pack a punch.

By Kate Kershner

A new genetic analysis clarifies the evolutionary relationships between five modern and extinct elephant species.

By Jesslyn Shields

Thanks to the work of conservationists, these rare California island foxes have been removed from endangered species list and marked totally recovered.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Hedgehog populations in Britain have dropped severely. Understanding how the animals have adapted to urban and rural spaces will help us help them.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Dutch researchers analyzed a surprising selection of exotic mammals to find which could most easily live alongside people in a humane way.

By Christopher Hassiotis

In a surprising way, the Southeast Asian mammal, AKA the bearcat, creates a chemical compound shared with roasty, toasty human food, according to a new study.

By Christopher Hassiotis

As the climate changes, some pika populations may die out, but others will flourish. A new study examined what's likely to happen in eight U.S. National Parks.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Creatures from pachyderms to bees are better than humans at detecting scents.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Ah, the duckbill platypus: the creature so strange it's said to be cobbled together from a bin of spare animal parts. With its odd appearance -- and even odder abilities -- it's no surprise the creature was once dismissed as an elaborate hoax.

By Kate Kershner

The bunny has long been associated with Easter. How did our hopping friend land this distinction?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The eastern gray squirrel's natural habitat is the hardwood oak, hickory is and walnut forests of eastern North America, where its numbers are controlled by resource availability and predators such as bobcats, owls is and foxes.

In this guide to the Red Fox, you'll learn cool facts about its habitat, unique behaviors and it's converstation status.

In this guide to the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, you'll learn cool facts about its habitat, unique behaviors and it's converstation status.