Animal Facts

Forks. Knives. Spoons. Chopsticks. All those utensils are a pain to pick up and set down again. What if you could just open your mouth wide?

By Molly Edmonds

Domesticated animals provide us with innumerable products, hours of labor and even loving companionship. Find out why the dog was so easily domesticated and why you'll never see someone riding a zebra.

By Jane McGrath

Well, duh. Of course animals have personalities, right? Find out how scientists are proving what pets owners have always suspected: animals -- both pets and wild animals -- possess personality.

By Jane McGrath

Walking, breathing, thinking: All of these activities burn energy. But in the winter when food supplies are scarce, some animals conserve their energy -- by hibernating.

By Ed Grabianowski

The droopy-faced bloodhound. The prancing poodle. The small Maltese you could easily mistake for a mop. How can these impossibly different dogs compete for the same prize?

By Jane McGrath

Dogsled race officials and mushers say that they put the welfare of the dogs first. But animal rights activists say they will continue to protest the Iditarod and other sled dog races.

By Kathleen Seiler Neary

Caribou travel 2,000 miles over arctic tundra in order to migrate. The annual migration of monarch butterflies lasts longer than a typical monarch's lifespan. What makes these animals so determined to move?

By Ed Grabianowski

What would happen if birds were released into space? Well, we don't know, but we think that birds in space would actually do quite well because their wings would help stabilize them as they float through space.

By Marshall Brain

Skunks pack a punch, so if you want to avoid being sprayed, it's best to stay away. Because of their small size, skunks have to use their pungent spray for self-defense purposes. See our list of 10 things to do if you've been skunked.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

You think cell phone users are loud? Some of these animals can be heard for miles. A blue whale can produce a 188 decibel sound that can be heard hundreds of miles away. See our list of 7 animals that can be heard for long distances.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Many animal species are designed with built-in protection in the form of their skin color. There are also some animals that have developed appendages that mimic the appearance of leaves and plant branches. Learn about 11 animals that use camouflage.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Officials at a nursing home in Rhode Island claim a cat named Oscar knows when patients are going to die. Can a cat predict death? What about animals that allegedly predict earthquakes or natural disasters? Learn whether your pet has a "sixth sense."

By Jacob Silverman

While humans try to create a variety of different types of light, some animals make their own. Find out what bioluminescence is and how these animals create light.

By Tracy V. Wilson

Search-and-rescue dogs are called upon to work after natural disasters, mass casualty events and other incidents to locate missing people. So how do they do their work?

By Julia Layton & Sarah Gleim

What is the biggest animal ever to exist on Earth? The largest animal that is currently living on the planet is the blue whale, but was it the largest animal to have ever existed in history? Find out the answer in this article.

By Zach Taras

What do tropical lizards and polar bears have in common? Camouflage - the ability to adapt their appearance to their environment. Learn how camouflage works, how it helps animals survive and what different types of camouflage look like.

By Tom Harris

Fish have the ability to move in any direction in the water. In fact, they have the ability to rise and sink while swimming through the water. What allows a fish to rise and sink? Find out the answer to this question in this article.

Mad cow disease is in the news again, with tests confirming the second case in the United States since December 2003. Learn how this brain disease affects livestock and people.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Surprisingly, the gentle, loafing moose could be more threatening than a grizzly bear. Find out what you should do if that looming moose barrels at you like a bull.

By Cristen Conger & Kathryn Whitbourne