Mammals

Known in some circles as a 'musk hog' or 'skunk pig,' the javelina's good looks may be in the eye of the beholder, but there's a lot more to this beauty than meets the eye.

By Wendy Bowman

The arctic fox is able to thrive in temperatures as low as -58 degrees F (-50 degrees C), largely because it has fur on the soles of its feet and the warmest coat of any animal on Earth.

By Wendy Bowman

Puma, panther, mountain cat, mountain lion, mountain screamer, painter, catamount and, yes, cougar. This cat has a lot of names!

By Wendy Bowman

With their fierce jaws and cunning hunting tactics, spotted hyenas don't seem to have much to joke about. So what do those spine-chilling peals of laughter really mean?

By Cristen Conger

Seals have long been known as dry-land clappers, but the first-ever percussive clapping observed by scientists has blown seal clapping theory out of the water. Or should we say under the water?

By Tara Yarlagadda

The maned wolf might as well be called a werewolf given its unfortunate name. You see it's not a wolf at all, and despite all appearances, it isn't a fox either.

By Mark Mancini

The polar bear's shocking whiteness, ferocity and sheer size make it an icon of purity and power. How do these animals survive in a frigid climate?

By Julia Layton & Nathan Chandler

But, squirrels that strongly prefer one hand over the other aren't as good at learning, one study suggests. What does this mean for you and me?

By Patty Rasmussen

They have been called both “coywolf” and “coydog,” but the majority of the scientific community recognizes this hybrid animal simply as the “eastern coyote.”

By Jesslyn Shields

Elk are some of the most majestic animals in the world, but also some of the most aggressive. Here's what you need to know about the territorial elk.

By Patty Rasmussen

The smallest of the wallaby species is known to pose for selfies with tourists and be cuter than cute. But the feisty quokka has had to fight for its very survival.

By Jesslyn Shields

With lightning speed and incredible vision, the cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth and the best hunter on the savanna.

By Jesslyn Shields

It may be the world's smallest fox, but its ears give it a huge hearing advantage.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Whaddya get when you cross a lion and a tiger? Yep — you get a liger, of course. But why are they considered controversial?

By Wendy Bowman

The proverbial "king of the beasts," lions are second in size to just one other cat in the world, the tiger. But a lion's biggest fear? Tangling with a porcupine the size of a small dog.

By Mark Mancini

Reindeer are, of course, best known for their main gig om Christmas Eve every year, but there's more to them than just their flying and sleigh pulling prowess.

By Laurie L. Dove

Beaver attacks get a lot of media attention but are beavers really crazed killers that we should be afraid of? And what good do they really do?

By Nathan Chandler

They look so cute and fluffy, but koalas have a fierce side too. Still, their biggest threat to survival is mankind.

By Alia Hoyt

Gorillas can live to be about 35 to 40 years old and are much gentler (and much sleepier) than you might think.

By Jesslyn Shields

The female emu may lay the eggs, but the male emu does all the caretaking. And that's just one fascinating thing we learned.

By Patty Rasmussen

They're weird-looking and mild-mannered, but Asian and African markets can't get enough illegal pangolin scales.

By Jesslyn Shields

They're the cutest and most curious masked mammals around. But they also have a reputation for being a nuisance. Here's everything you need to know about the raccoon.

By Meg Sparwath

Sea otters are adorable, back from the brink of extinction and will totally bite you.

By Jesslyn Shields

Move over Dracula. These fish, birds and bats really are the vampires of the animal world — and they do need to eat (or suck) blood to sustain life.

By Mark Mancini

Manatees are so gentle and sweet they'll break your heart, but in 2021, there have been more manatee deaths than in any year in previously recorded history. Why are these gentle giants dying in such unprecedented numbers?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky