Animals

Animals

Unique dialects help naked mole-rats tell friends from foes

Computer analysis reveals that these social rodents communicate with speech patterns distinct to each colony.

Animals

A new chameleon species may be the world’s tiniest reptile

The newly described reptiles live in the northern forests of Madagascar. Deforestation there may also leave them on the brink of extinction.

Animals

Giant worms may have hidden beneath the ancient seafloor to ambush prey

Twenty-million-year-old tunnels unearthed in Taiwan may have been home to creatures similar to today’s monstrous bobbit worms.

Animals

How do you build a centaur?

A centaur has the torso of a human and the body of a horse. It may sound cool, but it wouldn’t work very well.

Animals

Choked by bacteria, some starfish are turning to goo

For years, researchers thought gooey, dying starfish were infected. Instead, these sea stars are suffocating. And bacteria may be behind it all.

Animals

Scientists Say: Organelle

An organelle is a part of a cell with a particular function. Like organs. But for cells.

Animals

Harsh Ice Age winters may have helped turn wolves into dogs

In the Ice Age, Arctic hunters may have turned to some game for their fatty bones. Much of those animals’ meat might have been left to domesticate dogs.

Animals

Newfound technique allows some tree snakes to climb wide trees

When a tree is too wide to climb, brown tree snakes use a lasso-like trick to slowly ascend up to snacks.

Animals

Let’s learn about taste

Taste tells us what’s good to eat, but scientists are still learning about how it works.

Animals

Some electric eels coordinate their attacks to zap prey

Electric eels were thought be to lone hunters — until researchers observed more than 100 eels hunting together. Their coordinated electric attacks corralled prey.

Agriculture

Honeybees fend off deadly hornets by decorating hives with poop

Bees usually collect pollen and nectar. Scientists were surprised to find that Asian honeybees also gather animal dung to defend their hives.

Animals

Explainer: Insects, arachnids and other arthropods

Arthropods are all around us, but identifying them can be hard. To start, look at the four main groups: chelicera, crustaceans, myriapods and insects.