Mental Floss

ANIMALS

Hans Hillewaert, Wikimedia Commons // CC-BY-SA 4.0

Clever Cuttlefish Muffle Electrical Signals to Hide from Sharks

Cuttlefish can actually muffle their electrical fields, rendering themselves nearly invisible to electrosensing hunters like sharks.

Royal College of Surgeons, London

You Can Visit the Skull of the Original Winnie-the-Pooh

The beloved bear lived to a ripe old age despite her fondness for sticky buns and honey.

Siberian Times

Safari Park Baffled as Tiger and Goat Become Best Friends

In a heart-warming turn of events, Amur the tiger has become best friends with his own lunch.

iStock

Spider Webs Are Chock Full of DNA from Devoured Insects

A new study on the genetic material from spider webs finds that there’s more to them than we'd once thought.

ISTOCK

Water Bear Genome Reveals Even More Weirdness

The microscopic animal’s DNA includes genes borrowed from bacteria, fungi, and plants.

ISTOCK

11 of the Hottest Bird Dance Moves

It’s an avian dance party, and everyone’s invited.

NASA (Public Domain) // Photo ID S61-04540

Enos the Chimp, First Chimp in Orbit, 54 Years Ago Today

The story of Enos, second "space chimp," who launched 54 years ago today.

Etsy

11 Brilliant Gifts for the Dog Lover in Your Life

Whether they own a dog or not, any canine enthusiast can appreciate these gifts.

An Ancient Worm Gets Named After Black Flag Frontman Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins is the namesake of the muscular Rollinschaeta myoplena.

acevvvedo via Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

Hawaii's Big Island Is Overrun With Loud Frogs From Puerto Rico

Hawaii’s Big Island is overrun with a very tiny—and very loud—frog.

istock

11 Solid Facts About the English Bulldog

They're more than a(n adorably) wrinkly face.

Left photo: A. Diamant. Right photo: P. Cartwright

Microscopic Parasite Revealed to Be Teeny, Tiny Jellyfish

Sequencing the myxozoans’ genome revealed their unlikely cnidarian origins.

Michael J Barritt // CC-BY-SA 2.0

To Save Endangered Quolls, Conservationists Throw Toad Sausages Out of Helicopters

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Grendelkhan, Wikimedia Commons // SD-BY-CC 3.0

Pigeons as Good as Radiologists at Spotting Breast Cancer, Scientists Say

Scientists say pigeons can be trained to spot breast cancer on slides and mammogram results.

CC 2.0 Via Wikimedia Commons // Courtesy Miles Wolstenholme

Painting Dartmoor's Ponies Helps Keep Them Safe Near Roads

Dartmoor's ponies were in danger near the roads, so they've been given safety stripes to warn drivers that they're grazing.

"Going with the flow: schooling to avoid a predator," Claudia Pogoreutz, Germany. Category winner: Behaviour. // Royal Society Publishing

Here Are the Winners of the Royal Society Publishing Photo Contest

The photographers captured biological principles at work through their camera lenses.

iStock

Fast-Growing Salmon Are First FDA-Approved Genetically Modified Animal

But don't expect to see filet o' GE fish in your supermarket's freezer anytime soon.

Getty Images

Last 50 Chimps in NIH–Funded Research to Be Freed

The last 50 chimps used in NIH-funded biomedical research will soon find their way to a sanctuary.

iStock

Vampire Bats Regurgitate Meals for Their Friends

Female vampire bats are generous to friends who have helped them in the past.

iStock

Delta Will No Longer Check Pets as Cargo Luggage

But they can still travel in the main cabin.

iStock

How the Zoological Society of London Helps People Overcome Arachnophobia

The Friendly Spider Program combines cognitive behavioral therapy, group hypnosis, and playtime with actual spiders.

Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

5 Parasites That Plague Other Parasites

Can you be a host and a parasite at the same time? The answer is a stomach-turning “yes.”

John Tann via Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Half of the World’s Natural History Specimens Might Be Labeled Wrong

Well, this is embarrassing.

iStock

Why Is Your Cat Such a Picky Eater? Blame Bitter Taste Receptors

The downside of refined tastes.