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
10 Biggest Sharks in the World
Yes, Male Seahorses Do Give Birth! Here's How
Do Fish Sleep?
The Pink Fairy Armadillo Is as Mystifying as Its Name
How Long Do Squirrels Live?
The Coatimundi Is Cute But Doesn't Make a Good Pet
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
Snakes Can Hear You Scream, New Study Says
What Is the Biggest Snake in the World?
What Do Turtles Eat?
Learn More / Page 6
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
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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
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.
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Born pregnant? You bet. It's a survival instinct but could also explain how these garden pests spread like wildfire.
By Mark Mancini
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
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Piranhas are some of the most feared fish in the world, but is their reputation for ferocity a bit overblown?
A master of camouflage, the cuttlefish can count, gender-bend and 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."
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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
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.
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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.
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.
Known in some circles as a 'musk hog' or 'skunk pig,' the javelina's good looks may be in the eye of the beholder, but there's a lot more to this beauty than meets the eye.
By Wendy Bowman
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When a half-full plate of dinner sits before you and your overstuffed tummy, have you ever been told your eyes are too big for your stomach? The pelican's got a similar problem.
Work by volunteers and nonprofit organizations, such as butterfly waystations and increased education efforts, has turned around long-term population decline for some butterfly species.