Wild Animals

If you can get past a koala's pungent scent of urine and mating-musk, you might detect a faint hint of cough drops. Why do koalas smell like they'd clear out your sinuses?

By Julia Layton

Hummingbirds almost never stop moving is and their legs are small and weak. So do hummingbirds do everything in midair -- even mate?

By Julia Layton

All you amateur ornithologists might scoff at this seemingly simple question, but the answer isn't as straightforward as you think. And no, it's not just that their bones are hollow.

By Jennifer Horton

The world is a dangerous place for butterflies. Raindrops loom as big as bowling balls, and well-meaning fingers can threaten flight and life. What's a winged one to do?

By Jennifer Horton

Dog shows aren't the only places you'll hear barking and clapping. Seals and sea lions welcome beachgoers with their uproarious get-togethers. But how do you tell the difference between the two?

By Jessika Toothman

It can be scary to have an owl fly in front of you without it making a sound. Find out if this phenomenon is a supernatural power or something as simple as the hip bone being connected to the tail bone.

By Sarah Winkler

They call the creature a bear. And bears are known to hibernate each winter. So why don't pandas slip into the same cold-weather stupor? Are they really even bears at all?

By Jane McGrath

Dolphins and war? That seems like an unfortunate pairing. But the U.S. Navy has been training the gregarious sea creatures to spot sea mines since the 1960s. Are they good at it?

By Jane McGrath

Some people call orcas the wolves of the sea, yet others want to swim with them. Why are these animals known as killers -- or are they just getting a bad rap?

By Jacob Silverman

While the ostrich might look like an avian punch line, it's actually a nutritious source of red meat. Why do ostriches produce meat that's more like that of a cow than a chicken?

By Julia Layton

Environmentalists agree that beaver dams help the environment by creating wetlands but why are some landowners and farm owners getting riled up? How could these dams be hazardous to roads, bridges and levees?

By Jacob Silverman

If your favorite diner's blue plate special is ever sauteed polar bear liver, you may want to stick with salad. This meal can cause symptoms far beyond indigestion.

By Robert Lamb

That slithery, snakelike form that just darted past might not be a snake after all. It could be legless lizard, an animal that evolved from an entirely different line.

By Julia Layton

A shark is coming at you. It opens its mouth wide, baring teeth. Will you be able to reach around and poke it in the eyes without losing an arm?

By Cristen Conger

If it works for bears, can it work for sharks? If you're swimming alone, it might not be the best idea. But if you're surrounded by scores of thrashing swimmers, playing dead might help you escape the shark's notice.

By Cristen Conger

Sharks scare us to death. What scares them? Magnets. Researchers have tossed magnets in the water and watched the sharks dart away. But what could be so repugnant about a magnet?

By Cristen Conger

Burning ghost peppers is known to ward off elephants. Could chili peppers stave off sharks? The Aztecs thought so and dragged the peppers from strings through the ocean water.

By Cristen Conger

It's scary enough to imagine a shark's toothy jaw snapping at your half-submerged body in the ocean. But the actual impact of its massive mouth clamping down? Surprisingly wimpy.

By Josh Clark

If your ears picked up on a 40-hertz signal, you might wonder what the annoying sound was all about. But if you're a shark and you hear this "yummy hum," it might mean it's dinner time.

By Josh Clark

Scuba divers, leave your bling at home. Don't wear yellow when you swim in the ocean. We hear all sorts of advice designed to keep sharks at bay. But is it legit?

By Josh Clark

If you want to attract someone's attention, you wave. But sometimes, wildly flailing about can bring the wrong kind of interest. Do flapping fish beckon to hungry sharks?

By Josh Clark

Perhaps you prefer a nice filet mignon with a red wine reduction, but according to one source, dogs are a shark's favorite meal. Where do they find pups in the deep?

By Josh Clark

The biggest shark in the world is longer than a school bus. But taking people to sea to swim with these giants has become a big industry.

By Charles W. Bryant

You've heard the stat. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark. Still, wouldn't it be nice to know that your next aquatic destination doesn't fall on this list?

By Molly Edmonds & Patrick J. Kiger

Not all sharks are the gigantic fish we see in popular fiction. The spined pygmy shark gets no larger than 9 inches long. Why don't we know much about them?

By Charles W. Bryant