Mammals

It's a behavior synonymous with gorillas - beating the chest. But why do they do it? Researchers think they've figured out what the purpose is behind that pounding.

By Sharise Cunningham

They look a lot like beavers and the two rodents have a lot in common. But muskrats are their own species with their own signature scent.

By Meg Sparwath

Badgers love to dig - one den, or "sett," in southern England is thought to cover a territory of over a square mile and have up to 100 entrances.

By Jesslyn Shields

Red squirrels have a big attitude, which might have to due with their small size. They have to act big. And they do so with noisy and aggressive behavior.

By Mark Mancini

When threatened, the slow loris licks venom secreted from a gland under its arm. Licked and loaded, the loris is ready to poison an attacker with a bite.

By Patty Rasmussen

There are over 60 species of langur in the world, all of which eat a plant-based diet and most of which burp a lot.

By Wendy Bowman

These chunky little guys aren't dogs at all. They're actually part of the rodent family, and they're shockingly smart.

By Meg Sparwath

The name dik-dik comes from the repetitive 'dik' sound the tiny female dik-dik makes when she feels threatened.

By Patty Rasmussen

Servals have long legs and necks, which allow them to spot prey over the tall grasses of the savanna, but their huge ears give them their best weapon - an acute sense of hearing.

By Mark Mancini

Sperm whales are one of the largest creatures in the ocean. And they have the biggest brain on the planet. So are they also the smartest? We'll tell you.

By Wendy Bowman

Caracals have really cool ears and can also jump 10 feet in the air from a seated position.

By Jesslyn Shields & Zach Taras

Yes, the obvious fur color seems like a dead giveaway, but you can't always judge a bear by the color of its fur.

By Mark Mancini

Are these strong and dependable animals all the same? If so, why the different names? If not, what makes them different?

By Stephanie Vermillion

These wily canines are probably best known because of the phrase "a dingo ate my baby." But come on. Did a dingo really eat a baby? And do they even attack humans?

By Meg Sparwath

Their mamas may be the only ones who can tell them apart, but there are major differences between these cousins, one being the type of water in which they can survive.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

From the four-headed male reproductive organ to hosting the world's largest flea and sporting a body covered in spiny hairs, this cute little creature takes the cake for mammalian weirdness.

By Wendy Bowman

The protection of these strange looking, ancient animals, and creatures like them, may be a key component in helping a planet in climate catastrophe.

By Jesslyn Shields

Pikas are little mammals that, though they may look like rodents, are more closely related to rabbits.

By Jesslyn Shields

This kitten-looking wild cat is known as the 'hummingbird of the cat family' and could almost fit in the palm of your hand, but its diminutive size belies a ferocious personality.

By Wendy Bowman

Aardwolves aren't closely related to either aardvarks or wolves, but these little hyenas resemble both in some ways.

By Jesslyn Shields

The stoat and the weasel might look alike, but they're not the same animal. The stoat is a serious predator that kills its prey like a vampire!

By Zach Taras

Lemmings don't commit mass suicide as is popularly believed, but they are aggressive and have even been known to charge larger predators.

By Jesslyn Shields

Technically they're called tanuki, but these furry critters might as well be called raccoon dogs because that's what they look like. So are they just as domesticated and loving as the canines we know?

By Patty Rasmussen

Spider monkeys, an endangered species, are the largest monkeys in the Americas and live in the forest canopy, where they swing through the trees with the greatest of ease.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's an age-old question. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck? Turns out, none at all. So what would a woodchuck chuck if it couldn't chuck wood?

By Katie Carman