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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A remarkable partnership has formed over centuries between honeyguide birds and humans — and both species benefit when the honey is found and the comb is cracked.
The prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and has a bite that, it's said, can snap a wooden broom handle in half.
By Mark Mancini
Roly-poly bugs are natural soil conditioners because they process decomposing matter, helping keep your garden soil clean and healthy. And — fun fact — they're crustaceans, not insects.
By Jeremy Glass
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The snakehead fish can breathe air, double its population in 15 months and has a huge appetite, which is not a good thing for native species.
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.
These four-legged salamanders look like they've been rolled flat and can weigh up to 5 pounds, but polluted streams put these amphibians in danger of extinction.
By Mark Mancini
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
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The okapi may look like a zebra-horse combo, but its closest relative is the giraffe. Here are nine fascinating facts about this curious creature.
By Wendy Bowman
Bees get a lot of credit for pollinating important food crops, but they get a lot of secret help from their nocturnal friends, the moths.
The elephant hawk moth is breathtakingly beautiful as an adult, but as a baby ... not so much.
Born pregnant? You bet. It's a survival instinct but could also explain how these garden pests spread like wildfire.
By Mark Mancini
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This exotic bird could seriously injure or kill a person or a dog in an instant with its deadly claws.
By Wendy Bowman
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the colorful little fish with the craaaaazy long name, is Hawaii's state fish, but it wasn't always.
The basking shark, an endangered species, may look like a fearsome predator, but is actually a filter-feeder, gathering zooplankton and other tiny animals, such as shrimp, in bulk as it roams the seas with a wide open mouth.
By Mark Mancini
Piranhas are some of the most feared fish in the world, but is their reputation for ferocity a bit overblown?
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This master of camouflage can count, gender-bend and also use a hidden weapon to outsmart its enemies.
By Alia Hoyt
The anteater has one of the strangest-looking noses in the animal kingdom, a truly fabulous hairdo and a tongue that reaches places never meant to see the light of day.
By Wendy Bowman
The deadly Asian giant hornet, the largest hornet in the world, was spotted in the U.S. for the first time in late 2019. You'll want to stay far away from this creature. Its nickname? The "murder hornet."
While yaks share the bovine family tree with cows, they're a different species altogether. And, unlike cow dung, yak poop doesn't stink.
By Katie Carman
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A new species of green pit viper found in India has been named after the founder of Harry Potter's Slytherin house.
Mayflies have the shortest adult life span of any animal, but swarms of them can still be seen on weather radar.
Some cicadas are annual breeders and some show up loudly about every 17 years, but all cicadas produce a "song" that can reach 120 decibels — very close to a level that can damage human ear drums.
Bird mobs are not roving gangs of thug birds. But they are bands of birds coming together to harass bigger predators. And the behavior is loud and raucous.
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What lives in water, has no gills, scales or fins and is not a fish? Yep, a starfish — which is why marine biologists have renamed these creatures sea stars.
By Wendy Bowman
Wondering what's going on in the animal world while you're all cooped up under quarantine? Check out these webcams and get a virtual glimpse into how the animals live.