Animals

Animals

These fish yawn — and it’s contagious

Zebrafish are the first cold-blooded animals known to behave this way. Contagious yawning may affect other behaviors in these fish, too.

Animals

Whale pee is an ocean bounty

Some migrating cetaceans move thousands of miles to their breeding grounds, where whale urine fertilizes ocean waters with valuable nutrients.

Animals

Analyze This: Moving frogs to new places helped an endangered species spread

Frogs resistant to a deadly fungus jump-started populations in these new areas.

Animals

The rear end of this ancient wasp was built like a Venus flytrap

The newfound wasp species — from 99 million years ago — likely laid eggs on the small creatures that would have been caught in this trap.

Animals

Captive-breeding axolotls may help avoid their extinction

The axolotl program's success shows promise in helping protect this highly popular amphibian — currently found in only one lake — from dying out in the wild.

Animals

Teens work to keep giant water bugs on the menu

Many culinary cultures around the world prize these nutritious and flavorful insects. New approaches may help giant water bug farming efforts.

Tech

This squirrel-like robot has some serious hops

Salto the jumping robot has a claw-like gripper. Like a squirrel, it can adjust its movement to help it stay balanced to stick a landing on "branches."

Animals

The ‘bone collector’ caterpillar wears its prey as camouflage

For months, the caterpillar scavenges spider webs for scrapped insect body parts to cover its protective case. Later, that case will serve as its cocoon.

Animals

Tick, tick, tick. In a first, a shark is heard making noise

The undersea world can host a symphony of fish grunts, hums and growls. Now add tooth-clacking sharks to the score.

Health & Medicine

Three U.S tick species may trigger a mysterious red-meat allergy

This little-known allergy, known as alpha-gal syndrome, is potentially deadly. Here’s what we know about it — and how to avoid the tick bites that seem to cause it.

Animals

Sheep, llamas and goats fall for optical illusions too

These findings could help reveal when and why falling for optical illusions evolved in animals.

Brain

Parakeets talk using brain areas similar to ours

Brain activity during vocalizing in small parrots — called budgerigars or parakeets — shows a similar pattern to what’s seen in people.