Animal Facts

Ever been told you're as stubborn as a mule or blind as a bat? It might have been an unintended compliment. Many common sayings about animals are really off the mark.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Flying and being invisible are NOT the only superpowers. What if you could freeze yourself and then reanimate? What if you could survive space without any help from NASA like tardigrades can? Time to introduce a few new superpowers into your arsenal.

By Kate Kershner

The natural world boasts an incredible diversity of animals, some of which are so colorful and bizarre that they seem made-up. Meet 10 very creative creatures.

By Patrick J. Kiger

One bird parent flies for miles, dunks itself in water and returns the nest to let babies actually suck the water from its feathers. Another turns a blind eye to sibling shenanigans that can turn deadly. Can you name these animal parents?

By Kate Kershner

You might know that a cheetah can run 70 mph, but did you know that hens can change sex or that leeches have three sets of jaws? Here are 10 really strange animal facts.

By Julia Layton

These canines are more than just your average furry friends: They can mean a whole lifestyle change for some people.

By Tom Harris

One animal procrastinates. Another is famous for making out. Yet another might remember faces better than you do. Our nonhuman cohorts are capable of much more than instinct and action. Here are 10 captivating examples.

By Kate Kershner

What does it take to be a successful race horse? Learn about the best jockeys with this famous racehorse countdown.

Check out the top 10 most feared predators of the animal kingdom.

By Alia Hoyt

Animal have some amazing skills. Read on to see which animals have the most amazing skills.

By Marie Look

These animals aren't treehuggers in the environmental activist sense. They have to hold on for dear life! Meet the top 10 tree-dwelling animals.

Learn five things we bet you didn't know about fish!

By Mack Hayden

Do you love to fish but love the environment too? Check out these five tips for sustainable fishing!

Humans aren't the only animals that can count, use logic, make tools or form lasting bonds with others. Meet 10 of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom.

By Jonathan Strickland, Melanie Radzicki McManus, Francisco Guzman & Austin Henderson

You'd think that earthworms are good for fish bait and little else, but that isn't the case at all. Earthworms are the engines that help local ecosystems run. They aerate soil, help facilitate plant composition and so much more.

By Josh Clark

You don't have to live in some exotic, tropical environment to find a venomous critter. They live all over the world, and some may be closer than you think.

By Marsha Walton

Your kitten's strange faces and chirps might seem perfectly intelligible, but how much meaning can you really read into them? Can animals display happiness, sadness, empathy or fear?

By Jessika Toothman

All animals might not be able to speak, but they certainly have other ways of communicating. How do animals pass on information to their own species, and how do they pick up cues from other members of the animal kingdom?

By Jessika Toothman

Sleep might seem pretty simple, but scientists are still scratching their heads over questions surrounding the slumbering state. What does sleep mean to a whale, a brown bat, a migratory bird or even an invertebrate?

By Jessika Toothman

Distressed birds will peck out their feathers until they expose their flesh to infection. Whales will die stranded on beaches for no obvious reason. But do animals willingly end their own lives?

By Jessika Toothman

Whether you're talking about a swarm of bees buzzing about, a cluster of butterflies sucking down nectar or a nest of cockroaches hidden in a corner of your house, insects are really plentiful. How plentiful?

By Chris Jones

Most of us know not to pet an angry dog with a foaming mouth, and that perhaps snuggling with a bat isn't the brightest rabies-prevention plan. But how does rabies choose its victims, and what can it do to humans?

By Chris Obenschain

Coyotes and badgers? This unlikely partnership is actually a surefire thing when it comes to catching a tasty dinner.

By Cristen Conger

As you visit each amazing exhibit at your local zoo, do you ever feel a twinge of guilt or remorse when watching these enclosed creatures? Are zoos helping or hurting animals?

By Jennifer Horton

Many kinds of animals are native only to Africa, such as gorillas, chimpanzees, zebras, giraffes, hippopotamuses. Take a gander at these amazing African animals and see how many you recognize.

By Marie Bobel