Animals
Among naked mole-rats, a royal’s scent keeps the peace
The special scent made only by breeding queens keeps the commoners in her colony from fighting or reproducing.
By Libby Riddle
HS-LS2-8
Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species' chances to survive and reproduce.
More Stories in HS-LS2-8
- Animals
Here’s how ‘singing’ mice belt out their tiny tunes
Balloon-like air sacs in the mice's throats create whistling songs. No other animal is known to make calls in this way.
- Animals
Mosquitoes may learn to like DEET, a common insect repellent
In lab tests, mosquitoes exposed to DEET while feeding learned to associate the chemical with food.
- Animals
This tree is the number one choice for forest mammals going number two
The strangler fig provides food and shelter for animals in the tropics. For at least 17 mammal species, it also serves as a toilet.
- Animals
Watch the first sperm whale birth caught on video by scientists
The footage shows other sperm whales huddled around the mother, helping lift the newborn calf to the surface until it’s ready to swim.
- Animals
Intricate silk helps net-casting spiders trap prey in webs
Rufous net-casting spiders can adjust the stiffness and stretchiness of their webs thanks to looping strands of silk.
- Animals
Animals’ personalities can affect a species’ survival
From bold foxes to shy parrots, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as key to saving species.
- Animals
Brazilian monkeys offer lessons on how to return species to the wild
Efforts included letting golden lion tamarins roam free in urban U.S. parks. Restoring natural behaviors was key to their survival in the wild.
- Plants
Yum! Flies swarm to a flower that smells like wounded ants
A type of Japanese dogbane emits the distress signal of injured ants — a particular scent — to draw in scavenging flies that end up pollinating its flowers.
- Animals
Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes
Chilean flamingos use their beaks and feet to create underwater whirlpools that suck in prey.
