biology

Don’t be surprised to see wild wallabies hopping around the UK.

A fishing group thought they caught a giant goldfish. What they hooked was actually much weirder.

The symbol for female (left) and male (right).

The ♂and ♀ symbols initially had nothing to do with representing human sex or gender.

Charles Davenport’s Eugenics Record Office collected data on thousands of Americans, hoping to support a pseudoscientific theory that would create a more perfect human race. It led to unspeakable tragedy.

This one‘s a juvenile female, according to the Marine Megafauna Foundation.

The newly identified Atlantic manta ray is officially a distinct species.

There's a big wide world beyond common molds and mushrooms—and some of it is very strange.

Biologists have created a marine animal database, from the smallest to the largest known species.

Scientists have made the first comprehensive marine wildlife size database to help scientists better understand ocean ecosystems.

First live sighting of massive Antarctic squid caught on camera by Nat Geo

Scientists captured the elusive Antarctic gonate squid on camera for the first time during a National Geographic expedition.

From the long legs of the jerboa to basically everything about the duck-billed platypus, evolution has taken some weird turns.

This Carnarvon flapjack octopus is tiny, but it can withstand intense pressure thousands of feet underwater.

The Carnarvon flapjack octopus flattens its body like a pancake and uses its Dumbo-like fins to swim.

This insect was found for the first time since 1980.

A rare grasshopper once believed to be extinct has been spotted for the first time since 1980—but habitat loss may threaten its future.

There’s a right and a wrong way to wipe your butt after all. But with these expert-approved tips, you’ll be sitting pretty in more ways than one.

A spider can now make red silk thanks to gene editing.

Getting bitten by it won’t give you superpowers, as far as we know.

The stingray it on the left, and the skate is to the right.

Skates lay black, ravioli-shaped egg cases. Rays give birth to live pups.

Axolotls are cute and important to the environment.

Scientists in Mexico have found that axolotls bred in captivity can survive and thrive in their native habitat—which is great news for the species.

A diver is about a meter behind the coelacanth discovered at a depth of 144 meters in North Maluku, Indonesia.

Researchers in Indonesia have filmed a rare coelacanth nearly 500 feet underwater—marking the first time the fish has been recorded in its native environment.

Use this map from the University of Connecticut to check if 17-year periodical cicadas will appear in your neighborhood soon.

‘Why, yes, I am from Long Island! How did you know?’

Can a Boston dog bahk?

Researchers witness strange sea animals, including poisonous sea pigs and hand-sized sea spiders, while sailing to the Denman Glacier.

See the first colossal squid ever caught on camera

A baby colossal squid was filmed deep in the South Atlantic—revealing rare footage of the ocean’s heaviest invertebrate.

They might seem icky, but we can‘t live without them.

Flies aren’t just decomposers—they’re also pollinators and pest predators. Researchers shows it’s time to appreciate these misunderstood insects.

History in the Making! Critically Endangered Galapagos Tortoises Hatch at Philadelphia Zoo!

A nearly century-old Galápagos tortoise welcomed four babies recently, boosting a critically endangered population.

If humans ever become a multi-planet species, some would have to spend years in space. And researchers have definitely speculated whether space travel would allow for reproduction.

The Chimborazo hillstar is native to the Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia.

An ornithologist discovered a hummingbird “hive” in Ecuador‘s High Andes—a major departure for the solitary animals.

6 Fascinating Marsupial Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

White-Eyed, Bright Orange Shark the Result of Extremely Rare Mutation

The Surprising Origins of the Male and Female Symbols

Cold Spring Harbor: The Long Island Lab that Brought Eugenics to America

Newly Identified Manta Ray Species Can Grow as Big as a Van

15 of the World’s Funkiest Fungi

Biologists Launch Most Comprehensive Database of Marine Animal Body Sizes to Date

The Rare Antarctic Gonate Squid Has Been Caught on Film for the First Time

6 Strange Animal Evolutions

New Flapjack Octopus Species With ‘Dumbo’ Fins Discovered Off Australia

‘Extinct’ Monte Gordo Grasshopper Spotted on African Island for First Time in 45 Years

The Best Way to Wipe Your Butt, According to the Experts

This Genetically-Engineered Spider Shoots Red Fluorescent Silk

Skates vs. Rays: What‘s the Difference?

Captive-Bred Axolotls Can Survive in the Wild, Sparking Hope for the Endangered Species

Scientists Capture First Footage of Ancient Coelacanth in Its Natural Habitat

Interactive Cicada Map Shows Where You Can See (and Hear) Brood XIV This Spring

Do Animals Have Regional Accents?

Sea Pigs, Sea Spiders, and More Bizarre Creatures Collected Off Antarctica

Rare Video Shows a Colossal Squid Swimming in the Deep Ocean

Fly Migration Is Essential to Our Ecosystem, Study Finds

97-Year-Old Galápagos Tortoise Breaks Record as First-Time Mom

Can We Have Babies in Space?

Hummingbirds Found Nesting Together in Groups in Surprising First