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

Learn More / Page 5

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

Some Butterflies Hear Through Their Wings

Structures in some butterflies' wings are actually part of their ears.

By Jesslyn Shields Oct 25, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

Sea Cucumber: Animal or Vegetable?

The kindest thing you can say about a sea cucumber's physique is that it looks very much like a large hoagie bun dressed in a lumpy old sweater.

By Jesslyn Shields Oct 17, 2018 Marine Life / Other Marine Life

Bees Stopped Buzzing During the 2017 Solar Eclipse

Thanks to a citizen science project in the path of totality, researchers studied bee activity and were surprised by the results.

By John Perritano Oct 15, 2018 Insects & Arachnids / Insects

How Birds Get Berry, Berry Drunk

Berries are a great food source for birds, but this diet can backfire when the fruit starts to ferment.

By Jesslyn Shields Oct 15, 2018 Birds / Perching Birds

Scientists Figure Out Why Elephants' Skin Is So Cracked

Scientists have known for a long time that elephants have no sweat glands and keep cool through slinging mud on their skin. But they didn't know what made the skin so wrinkled — until now.

By Nathan Chandler Oct 15, 2018 Mammals / Other Mammals

Only Birds Have a Syrinx and That's Why They Sing

Only birds have a special voice box — the syrinx — and it's what they use to sing. But what's so unique about the syrinx is that it's actually an evolutionary anomaly.

By Jesslyn Shields Oct 12, 2018 Birds / Perching Birds