Wild Animals
Whether they crawl, fly, swim, slither, walk, run or pounce, wild animals rely on their instincts. Read about all kinds of wild animals, mammals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians.
Golden Poison Dart Frog Eats Toxic Insects for Its Own Poison
Toad vs. Frog: Differences in Anatomy, Habitat and More
What's the Difference Between a Newt and Salamander?
The Most Dangerous Insect (and 13 Others to Avoid)
The Most Dangerous Wasp and 9 Other Stingers to Avoid
The Tsetse Fly, Blood Meals and African Sleeping Sickness
The World's Most Dangerous Bird and 9 Runners-up
The 3 Types of Ducks Every Birdwatcher Should Know
10 Types of Owls: From Tiny Screech-owls to Great Horned Owls
13 Most Dangerous Fish, Eels and Sharks
The Stonefish Hides in Plain Sight and Packs a Painful Sting
The Pufferfish Really Isn't Happy to See You
Why Grolar Bear Numbers Increase With Climate Change
The Most Dangerous Bear and 9 Others to Give a Wide Berth
The World's Most Dangerous Cat and 14 Other Fierce Felines
20 of the Most Dangerous Sea Creatures in the Deep Blue
8 Most Dangerous Jellyfish and 1 Stinging Imposter
Freshwater Snails: Helpful Carriers of Harmful Parasites
So, the American Alligator Can Climb Trees ... How Terrifying
Saw-scaled Viper: Opportunistic, Fast and Highly Venomous
Inland Taipan: Most Venomous Snake in the World
Learn More / Page 29
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?
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?
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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 & Zach Taras
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?
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?
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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
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
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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.
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?
Wonder what would happen if everyone you knew disappeared? Don't call the authorities yet. A mysterious condition called Colony Collapse Disorder affects beehives, causing some bee populations to vanish and possibly die.
Even the most maniacally energetic people can appreciate crashing on the couch occasionally. Can sharks take the same break without dying?
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Sharks have a bad reputation, but is it warranted? Maybe for these 10, which are considered the most dangerous of all.
Hammerheads have itty-bitty mouths, a tall dorsal fin and an impressively odd noggin. Why do these creatures of the deep look so strange?
The good news is, you're not likely to meet with one of these creatures on your next beach vacation. If you did, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.
A large, flightless bird that lives in the dry grasslands of Africa, the ostrich is raised for its feathers and skin in South Africa, Egypt and California. Ostriches form the single remaining species in an ancient, primitive order of birds.
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Studies have shown that you're never more than ten feet away from a spider is and one estimate puts you as close as three feet. Check out some more spider facts.
They range in size from 8 inches to 60 feet, so obviously their food preferences will differ. Sometimes what seems like a good meal, isn't, so they spit it out. That includes humans.
Bushy mustaches like the ones that Magnum P.I. or Super Mario sport are a bold fashion statement. But for baleen whales, they never go out of style.
Ever wonder -- as you're treading water in the ocean -- how a shark might hunt you down? They have a special sense that helps them locate prey.
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The lure of a free meal is enough to get most of us moving and maybe even throwing an elbow or two as we battle for the last slice of pizza. Compared to sharks though, our feeding frenzies are tame.
Sharks have been around longer than the dinosaurs. After a few hundred million years, it's humans that might kill them off.