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.

Topics to Explore

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Meet the World's Smallest, Toughest Owl

The smallest owls in the world have mad survival skills, like killing poisonous scorpions and playing dead.

By Loraine Fick Feb 12, 2019 Birds / Birds of Prey

Mexican Salamander Could Hold Key to Spinal Cord Regeneration in Humans

If salamanders can regrow or repair limbs, eyes and spinal cords, could humans do it too? After all, we share a lot of the same genes. That's what some researchers set out to find.

By Nathan Chandler Feb 8, 2019 Wild Animals / Amphibians

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Smart Blue Fish

The cleaner wrasse fish passed the mirror test, which is considered the gold standard for determining self-awareness.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Feb 7, 2019 Fish / Saltwater Fish

Elephants Have a Special Alarm Sound: 'Humans! Run!'

Elephants make a specific sound to warn each other of nearby humans.

By Loraine Fick Feb 5, 2019 Mammals / Other Mammals

Bears Adjust to Repeated Drone Exposure, Study Finds

This could mean good news for conservation and anti-poaching efforts if other species follow suit.

By Jamie Allen Jan 30, 2019 Mammals / Bears

Frogs Can't Vomit, So They Eject Their Entire Stomachs

Vomiting is nature's clearly preferred method for cleaning out the contents of the stomach. But not all animals can do it.

By Loraine Fick Jan 15, 2019 Wild Animals / Amphibians

Dolphins Sleep Half a Brain at a Time

A dolphin doesn't breathe automatically, so during sleep, one side of its brain stays awake to ensure the mammal rises to the surface and breathes.

By Loraine Fick Jan 10, 2019 Mammals / Aquatic Mammals

Roll Up Your Sleeves Honey Bees, Vaccines Are Coming

Bee vaccines might be key to our food security.

By Jesslyn Shields Jan 10, 2019 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Why Penguin Feet Don't Freeze

Penguins stand for months on the coldest ice in the world without their feet freezing, thanks to special blood circulation.

By Loraine Fick Jan 8, 2019 Mammals / Aquatic Mammals

This Organism Is Part Plant and Part Animal

The single-celled Mesodinium chamaeleon harnesses algae, which lives inside it, for energy.

By Loraine Fick Jan 3, 2019 Marine Life / Other Marine Life

Why Scorpions Glow Under Black Light

There are lots of theories. Maybe fluorescence helps them find each other in the dark?

By Jesslyn Shields Dec 28, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Arachnids

Wisdom, the World's Oldest-known Bird, Lays Another Egg

Wisdom the Laysan albatross is pushing 70, but laid another egg this year.

By Jesslyn Shields Dec 21, 2018 Birds / Miscellaneous Birds

Weird Ways Reptiles and Amphibians Survive the Winter

From burrowing beneath the frost line to literally surviving with 40 percent of the its body frozen solid, these creatures have it rough during the cold months.

By Mark Mancini Dec 19, 2018 Wild Animals / Amphibians

Why Do Monk Seals Get Eels Up Their Noses?

It looks excruciating, and nobody knows exactly why it happens.

By Jesslyn Shields Dec 17, 2018 Mammals / Aquatic Mammals

Dracula Ant Is 5,000 Times Faster Than the Blink of an Eye

Think a teeny tiny ant can't pack a punch? Think again. The Dracula ant can subdue its prey so fast, they never know it's coming.

By John Donovan Dec 17, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Headhunter Ants Decorate Their Nests With Skulls

How do small headhunter ants decapitate larger, fiercer trap-jaw ants? And why do they do it?

By Loraine Fick Dec 10, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Battle of the Best Sonar: 'Team Dolphin' vs. 'Team Bat'

Before you declare which team you're on, we've got the breakdown on this auditory battle royal.

By Mark Mancini Dec 6, 2018 Mammals / Other Mammals

5 Cool Cats in the Wild

When we think of big cats in the wild, we most likely think of lions and tigers. But there are so many more amazing wild cats you've probably never even heard of. Here are five.

By Oisin Curran Mammals / Carnivores

Humpback Whales Start Simpler Songs as Old Ones Get Too Complex

Do humpback whales get tired of singing the same old song, or do they simply start over when it gets too complicated?

By Jesslyn Shields Nov 28, 2018 Mammals / Aquatic Mammals

Chainsaw Lobster Among New Deep-sea Species Found in Java Sea

The first-ever deep-sea exploration of West Java seas netted more than 12,000 marine creatures, including some new species of crabs, prawns and lobsters.

By Oisin Curran Nov 19, 2018 Marine Life / Crustaceans

Wolves' Return to Yellowstone a Boon for Streams

A first-of-its-kind study reaffirms why wolves are vital to the health of our ecosystem.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Nov 14, 2018 Mammals / Carnivores

Cockroaches Karate-Kick Wasps to Avoid Becoming Zombies

The American cockroach places a well-aimed karate kick to keep the jewel wasp from turning it into a zombified husk of wasp chow. That's what a new study found anyway.

By Nathan Chandler Nov 13, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Which Insect Inflicts the Most Painful Bite?

Justin O. Schmidt studies insect venom and has a rating system for the relative agony inflicted by the world's most painful stings. Which is the worst?

By Jesslyn Shields Nov 1, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Ghostly, Adorable Dumbo Octopus Spotted by Deep Sea Rover

The Dumbo octopus is just one of the amazing creatures filmed by the most recent voyage of the E/V Nautilus.

By Jesslyn Shields Nov 1, 2018 Marine Life / Other Marine Life

Buffalo Roundup Evokes Images of the Wild West

The annual bison roundup in South Dakota's Custer State Park is a spectacle full of cowboys, horses and of course wild buffalo, all set against the backdrop of the rolling Black Hills. It's also about as Americana as you can get.

By John Donovan Oct 29, 2018 Mammals / Hoofed Mammals