HowStuffWorks Newsletter
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.
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Caracals have really cool ears and can also jump 10 feet in the air from a seated position.
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?
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From the fictional Hedwig in the Harry Potter series, to those that live wild and free, the snowy owl is one of the most captivating species of owl in the world.
By Wendy Bowman
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
There's more to Australia's kookaburra than the cheery song you learned as a kid, but what is it that makes the kookaburra laugh?
To some, the thought of snakes flying through the air is the scariest thought imaginable, but, as we'll explain, flying snakes don't actually fly, they "fall with style."
By Mark Mancini
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Macaws mate for life, can speak human words and have even been known to blush when delighted.
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.
Despite their name, rat snakes don't eat just rodents. This huge family of snakes, which lives on every continent except Antarctica, also eats lizards and amphibians.
By Mark Mancini
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
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Most species of the rarely seen anglerfish live up to a mile beneath the ocean, where the females lure prey with a head-dangling hook appendage and permanently fuse with male suitors. It doesn't get much stranger than that.
By Katie Carman
Black widow spider venom can be deadly but how likely are you to be bitten? It might surprise you that these arachnids are on the shy side.
One of the most venomous snakes alive, the black mamba warns off encroachment with a fearsome hiss and the ominous flaring of its two cobra-like neck flaps.
By Mark Mancini
The protection of these strange looking, ancient animals, and creatures like them, may be a key component in helping a planet in climate catastrophe.
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While the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, the peregrine falcon, a large predatory raptor, is by far the fastest bird on planet Earth.
By Wendy Bowman
These brightly colored crustaceans can smash aquarium glass or quickly cut through a human finger, so whatever you do, keep your distance.
Pikas are little mammals that, though they may look like rodents, are more closely related to rabbits.
Biochemically like a heron and anatomically similar to a pelican, the shoebill stork has been called "Monsterface" and even "Death Pelican." But wait until you hear the staccato rat-a-tat-tat of its booming machine-gun call.
By Carrie Tatro
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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.
While luna moths aren't exactly rare, they're hard to find so every encounter seems extra special.
Generations of cereal eaters grew up sharing the breakfast table with Toucan Sam, famous for following his long, colorful nose — but what's that bill for besides hawking cereal?
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That's right – daddy longlegs isn't an actual kind of spider, but a colloquial name that's been applied to a wide range of spiders and non-spiders, insects and non-insects.
By Mark Mancini
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 Wendy Bowman