nature

Kaiden Madsen, Liam Fisher, and Jessin Fisher pose in front of their latest find. Their father, Sam Fisher, texted this photo to his high school classmate Tyler Lyson, setting the stage for a remarkable discovery.

This “Teen Rex” was 25 feet long and weighed about 3500 pounds while alive.

The invasive Joro spider is venomous and as big as your palm, but its taste for stink bugs means it could do more good than harm.

If you measure it a certain way, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is taller than Mount Everest.

The title of “tallest mountain” depends on how—and where—you make your measurements.

These lightning bugs know how to coordinate.

Andrew Irvine (left) circa 1920 and George Mallory circa 1915.

What happened during George Mallory's fatal Everest ascent is one of mountaineering's greatest mysteries. Here's what we know.

A major thunderstorm is about to blow over this vineyard.

Meteorologists convey the chance of cloud cover or rain in percentages, but what those numbers mean in the real world isn’t always clear—so you’ll often hear terms like ‘scattered’ and ‘isolated’ to describe thunderstorms.

Take a look at the origins of Fat Bear Week, an annual celebration of the brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Reserve.

An aerial view of the rust-colored Kutuk River in Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Thawing permafrost is exposing minerals to weathering, increasing the acidity of the water, which releases metals like iron, zinc and copper.

A new study shows that rusty discoloration in Alaska’s otherwise pristine streams and rivers is likely due to melting permafrost—and that’s a problem for Arctic animals and people.

White-tailed deer are the most common deer in the United States. Here are some fascinating deer facts deer.

Elephants are among the smartest mammals.

Elephants demonstrate complex behaviors that researchers have associated with empathy and mourning, pointing to the animals’ high level of intelligence.

The microscopic “moss piglets” may be the hardiest creatures on Earth—and anywhere else.

Some of these animals are rugged mountaineers, some have spots instead of stripes, and some of them bark like dogs. And if you want to tell the zebra species apart, look at their rumps.

Indian cabbage white butterfly (left), luna moth (right).

Both develop from caterpillars and both have impressive wings, but if you know what to look for, it's easy to tell moths and butterflies apart.

We’re covering practical tips (like the scent that will alert you to an impending electrical fire) to decidedly stranger ones (how to get out of a kangaroo attack) in the latest episode of The List Show.

Do you know your leopards from your jaguars?

You won't confuse a moth and a butterfly or an alligator and a crocodile again.

A semi-accurate rendering of a crocodile.

From the “dark politicks” of cuttlefish to the “prodigious bigness” of snakes, here are 10 accounts of the first times explorers encountered new animals, foods, and more.

Porcupines might be considered a prickly bunch, but you’ll find they're pretty docile once you get to know them.

A beautiful barn owl sneaks up on its prey.

Owl feathers’ special structures help the wise birds sneak up on their meals.

Raccoons are smart, dextrous, and in your garbage cans.

Whether they’re scaling skyscrapers or digging through your trash, raccoons are fascinating. Discover more about their habits, diet, and intelligence.

Whether you view squirrels as adorable little creatures or persistent pests bent on chewing everything in sight, there's more to the ubiquitous rodents than meets the eye.