Wild Animals

The praying mantis is a powerful predator, and not as robotic (or as romantic!) as it seems.

By Jesslyn Shields

The blue-footed booby is known as much for its comical mating dance as for its intensely colored blue feet.

By Laurie L. Dove

Caracals have really cool ears and can also jump 10 feet in the air from a seated position.

By Jesslyn Shields

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?

By Stephanie Vermillion

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?

By Patty Rasmussen

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

Macaws mate for life, can speak human words and have even been known to blush when delighted.

By Laurie L. Dove

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

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.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Stephanie Vermillion

Pikas are little mammals that, though they may look like rodents, are more closely related to rabbits.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

While luna moths aren't exactly rare, they're hard to find so every encounter seems extra special.

By Jesslyn Shields

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?

By Jesslyn Shields