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.
What's the Difference Between a Newt and Salamander?
The Huge Hellbender Salamander, or 'Snot Otter,' Needs Our Help
Meet the Toad That Can Mimic a Snake
Do These Nightmare Parasites Hack Snail Brains to Survive?
Earth's 20 Quadrillion Ants Outweigh All Wild Birds and Mammals, Combined
The Potato Bug Is a Super Pest That's Hard to Control
How Do Birds Know When to Fly South and Where to Go?
Birds Migrate Along Ancient Routes and Modern Tech Can Now Track Them
Budgies Are Super Social and Make Great Pets
Yes, Male Seahorses Do Give Birth! Here's How
Do Fish Sleep?
Hagfish: This Eel-like Slime Machine Is a Predator's Nightmare
How Long Do Squirrels Live?
The Coatimundi Is Cute But Doesn't Make a Good Pet
'Splooting': It's What All the Cool Squirrels Are Doing This Summer
How Do Eels Reproduce?
Sailfish Are Super-fast, Stunning and Smart Ocean Predators
Why No Fish Wants a Tongue-eating Parasitic Louse in its Mouth
What Is the Biggest Snake in the World?
What Do Turtles Eat?
Ever Wondered How Snakes Mate?
Learn More / Page 5
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
The energy efficiency of the Andean condor is the avian embodiment of the phrase "work smarter, not harder."
Lemmings don't commit mass suicide as is popularly believed, but they are aggressive and have even been known to charge larger predators.
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Technically they're called tanuki, but these furry critters might as well be called raccoon dogs because that's what they look like. So are they just as domesticated and loving as the canines we know?
These two sea creatures can be easy to confuse. But they're actually quite different. We talked to experts to find out how to tell them apart.
By Wendy Bowman
There are more than 50 species of snakes that live in the seas. Some are super venomous and they can zip through the water with ease.
By Mark Mancini
The swordfish's nose might look crazy weird, but these gladiators of the sea are perfectly outfitted for ocean battle.
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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
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.
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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