Mammals

Despite our best efforts at eradicating them, rats keep outsmarting us. Here's how.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

We've learned that young orangutans nurse for much longer than any other mammal, knowledge which could help conservation efforts.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's the first evidence researchers have of the whales using their "unicorn horns" to capture prey.

By Kate Kershner

Deprived of oxygen, naked mole rats can alter their metabolic functions to something less mammalian and more plantlike, burning fructose instead of glucose.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's like the movie "Groundhog Day" every April, but with hibernation, a smaller rodent and way more hormones.

By Jesslyn Shields

Rhino herds defecate in giant, shared dung piles called midden, then they stick their noses in the stuff. Here's why.

By Jesslyn Shields

The feral pig population in the U.S. is a growing issue in nearly 40 states. The USDA hopes to wipe out the billion-dollar problem within a decade.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

House cats seem to love chasing laser pointers. But what about their larger, wilder cousins?

By Laurie L. Dove

If you look outside your window right now, you'll probably see one running up a tree or checking you out. How did the squirrel get so commonplace?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Ring-tailed lemurs — perhaps the most iconic species on the tropical island of Madagascar — are in significant decline due to habitat loss, hunting and illegal capture.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Zookeepers in Europe feed their elephants surplus holiday foliage, giving the animals a treat they both eat and play with.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Turns out the reboot of 'Planet of the Apes' got one thing right — it's the brains monkeys lack, not the anatomy.

By Jesslyn Shields

It turns out that one of the world's most enchanting animals has even stronger superpowers than we previously knew. Surprise!

By Jesslyn Shields

Yes, these nocturnal mammals can fly faster than our most beloved speedy birds. And they beat the record by a long shot.

By Yves Jeffcoat

In research that showed intentional expressions of desire, horses have been added to the short list of animals that can use symbols to communicate with humans.

By Jesslyn Shields

The most popular lady macaques show us why nitpicking pays off.

By Jesslyn Shields

Can you tell one species of giraffe from the next? We've got some pics to help you out.

By Kate Kershner

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

The cuddly cubs were born in the same zoo that experienced disastrous flooding in 2015.

By Christopher Hassiotis

For some horses and ponies, Diet Coke can be a literal lifesaver.

By Kate Kershner

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

Talk about filthy lucre! Trace amounts of the precious metal turned up when scientists looked into bovine bathroom business.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Late-stage albinism? Disastrous paint spill? Marty McFly in giraffe form? Maybe the African mammal just has something in common with Michael Jackson.

By Laurie L. Dove

Rising sea levels wiped out the entire population of a rodent species only found on remote Australian island Bramble Cay. Who's next?

By Christopher Hassiotis