ANIMALS

A Member of Parliament Wants Hedgehogs as the UK's National Species

MP Oliver Colvile recently nominated the hedgehog as a national symbol to raise awareness of the species' declining numbers.

Gabriella Skollar via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Tiny Mouse Lemurs Can Pull 10 Times Their Body Weight

Gray mouse lemurs are buff.

9 Fuzzy Facts About the Portuguese Water Dog

Learn more about these athletic dogs and their European origins.

Scientists Identify Proteins That Align with Magnetic Fields

Scientists have discovered a protein complex in several species that aligns itself with magnetic fields.

15 Incredible Ways Animals Stay Warm When It's Chilly

Since they can't just crank up the furnace, animals have to rely on their biology.

How a Wombat Became a Famous Art Muse

Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossettiwas talented, tempestuous, and completely obsessed with wombats.

7 Unusual Genomes Sequenced by Scientists

Among the things we've learned from sequencing these genomes: While humans have but two sex chromosomes (x or y), the platypus has 10—five of each kind.

8 Hybrid Animals With Awesome Portmanteau Names

Everyone knows what a liger is—but there are more than a few crossed creatures you might not be aware of.

When the World's Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises Tried to Sue George W. Bush

“Cetacean Community v. Bush”

Itsy-Bitsy Arachnids Use Bats as Airplanes

Scientists spotted tiny pseudoscorpions stowing away in bat fur in New Zealand.

How Some Birds Evolved to Build Protected Nests

Birds' nests are as diverse as the creatures who build them. The variety of locations, shapes, and sizes they’re built in and the materials they’re made from can be staggering.

Giant Rat Fossils Discovered on East Timor

The giant rats weighed as much as a small dog.

Watch How Rats Wriggle Up Toilets (If You Dare)

The nightmare fuel begins around one minute in.

How to Take a Dog Kayaking

Doggy paddling—literally.

Halloween Is Over, but You Can Still Own a Werewolf Cat

The breed is called Lykoi, and its patchy fur stems from a genetic mutation.

Photos of Californians Casually Hanging Out With Alligators in the Early 1900s

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the people of Los Angeles had alligator fever.

To Survive, Endangered Parrots May Need to Take Their Vitamins

The kakapo’s favorite berries are rich in calcium and vitamin D—but, like the kakapo, those berries are growing scarce.

How a Chicken Farmer and His Dog Helped Save an Island's Penguins

In 2006, the birds of Middle Island found a protector in an unlikely canine friend.

10 Misconceptions About the Ocean

No, that's not water spouting out of a whale's blowhole.

Scientists Find Fanged Amphibian and ‘Fire Frog’ Fossils in Brazil

The newly described species show the spread of life into South America 278 million years ago.

Nataliia Pyzhova, iStock via Getty Images

6 Cat Breeds With Wild Roots

From Toygers, who look like mini tigers, to Savannahs, these breeds are the closest thing to having a wild cat in your home.

Funky Chicken Walk Can Indicate a Sick Bird

Why did the chicken cross the pen? No, seriously. That’s a legitimate scientific question.

Drägüs, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.O

How Bugs From Australia Settled African Islands

Stick bugs arrived on the Mascerene Islands 22 million years ago from a surprising place: Australia.

The Amazing Powers of Seal Whiskers

Deprived of sight and hearing, seals can use their whiskers to accurately pinpoint the locations of fish in the water around them.

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