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livescience.comRare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Did any cat breeds develop naturally?
Of the more than 600 million cats across the globe, less than 10% belong to a specific breed. But are these purebred cats the result of human intervention, or did some develop naturally? The answer is more complicated than it might seem. According to Leslie A.
Did reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone really cause an ecological cascade?
Over the last three decades, Yellowstone National Park has undergone an ecological cascade. As elk numbers fell, aspen and willow trees thrived. This, in turn, allowed beaver numbers to increase, creating new habitats for fish and birds.
Orcas are adopting terrifying new behaviors. Are they getting smarter?
In March 2019, researchers off the coast of southwestern Australia witnessed a gruesome scene: a dozen orcas ganging up on one of the biggest creatures on Earth to kill it. The orcas devoured huge chunks of flesh from the flanks of an adult blue whale, which died an hour later.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they're behaving strangely, a new study finds
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it's changing how the big cats interact with each other. The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds.
Polar bears in southern Greenland are 'using jumping genes to rapidly rewrite their own DNA' to survive melting sea ice
Polar bears are threatened by climate change as the ice they hunt on melts. Temperature stress may be driving genetic mutations in polar bears in southern Greenland, a new study reports. The species is struggling in the face of a changing global climate .
Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'
Scientists have sequenced the genome of t he vampire squid and discovered its chromosomes still resemble those of squids and cuttlefish, suggesting it has changed very little in millions of years.
Cassius the giant crocodile died from sepsis after 40-year-old dormant infection burst from 'abscess,' necropsy reveals
Cassius was an 18-foot-long saltwater crocodile living in captivity in Marineland Crocodile Park in Australia. He died last year at the age of about 120, and we finally know why.
Killer whales are teaming up with dolphins on salmon hunts, study finds — but not everyone agrees
Orcas living off the coast of British Columbia in Canada have been spotted hunting with dolphins and sharing scraps of salmon with them after making a kill.
Anacondas became massive 12 million years ago — and it worked so well, they haven't changed size since
Anacondas average between 13 and 16 feet (4 to 5 meters) long, the same length they've been for 12 million years. (Image credit: Andres Alfonso-Rojas) Anacondas have been giant for millions of years, a new study finds.
Large, bone-crushing dogs stalked 'Rhino Pompeii' after Yellowstone eruption 12 million years ago, ancient footprints reveal
Researchers have found footprints of large, bone-crushing dogs in the 12 million-year-old Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeastern Nebraska, suggesting these large carnivores may have survived a cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption that covered parts of North America in ash.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
Scientists find rare tusked whale alive at sea for the first time — and shoot it with a crossbow
Researchers have identified ginkgo-toothed beaked whales alive at sea for the first time after years of searching, and in doing so solved the mystery of an odd echolocation pulse in the North Pacific.
Newly discovered toads skip the tadpole stage and give birth to live 'toadlets'
Three newly-identified toad species in Tanzania give birth to live young, skipping the frogspawn and tadpole stages — an "exceptionally rare" trait among toads and frogs.
Orcas in the Gulf of California paralyze young great white sharks before ripping out their livers
An orca pod that made headlines last year for gutting a whale shark has struck again, this time perfecting a technique that involves paralyzing young great white sharks to eat their livers.
New species of Jurassic 'sword dragon' could help solve an evolutionary mystery
The newly discovered ichthyosaur dubbed Xiphodracon goldencapsis was about 10 feet long and had a sword-shaped snout.
Some naked mole rats are designated toilet cleaners, study suggests
Naked mole rats may have specific roles, such as cleaning the toilet chamber or transporting waste, rather than being generalist helpers. The findings suggest naked-mole-rat colonies are even more complex than we thought.
Asian golden cat: The 'feline of many costumes' that plucks birds before eating them
The Asian golden cat is an elusive creature endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It is known to take down prey much larger than itself, including buffalo calves, baby deer and small muntjacs.
Fossil of huge penguin that lived 3 million years ago discovered in New Zealand — what happened to it?
The newly-discovered penguin species went extinct when the ice age hit, but researchers don't think the cold was to blame for their demise.
Paralvinella hessleri: The yellow worm that lives in acid and fights poison with poison
These deep-sea worms, which are 1% arsenic, are only found at the hottest hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific.
Cold snap in Florida made Burmese python puke up a whole deer
Difficulty digesting large meals may limit where these temperature-sensitive snakes can call home — and that might be a good thing in places where they're invasive.
Jaguar in Brazil smashes record for the species' longest documented swim
A jaguar was captured on camera trap on an artificial island near the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam. The only way it could have gotten there was a very long swim.
'Almost like science fiction': European ant is the first known animal to clone members of another species
A species of ant found scurrying across southern Europe is the first animal found that clones males of another species.
How do frogs breathe and drink through their skin?
Frogs can breathe and drink through their thin skin — but how does that work?
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Did any cat breeds develop naturally?
Of the more than 600 million cats across the globe, less than 10% belong to a specific breed. But are these purebred cats the result of human intervention, or did some develop naturally? The answer is more complicated than it might seem. According to Leslie A.
Did reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone really cause an ecological cascade?
Over the last three decades, Yellowstone National Park has undergone an ecological cascade. As elk numbers fell, aspen and willow trees thrived. This, in turn, allowed beaver numbers to increase, creating new habitats for fish and birds.
Orcas are adopting terrifying new behaviors. Are they getting smarter?
In March 2019, researchers off the coast of southwestern Australia witnessed a gruesome scene: a dozen orcas ganging up on one of the biggest creatures on Earth to kill it. The orcas devoured huge chunks of flesh from the flanks of an adult blue whale, which died an hour later.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they're behaving strangely, a new study finds
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it's changing how the big cats interact with each other. The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds.
Polar bears in southern Greenland are 'using jumping genes to rapidly rewrite their own DNA' to survive melting sea ice
Polar bears are threatened by climate change as the ice they hunt on melts. Temperature stress may be driving genetic mutations in polar bears in southern Greenland, a new study reports. The species is struggling in the face of a changing global climate .
Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'
Scientists have sequenced the genome of t he vampire squid and discovered its chromosomes still resemble those of squids and cuttlefish, suggesting it has changed very little in millions of years.
Cassius the giant crocodile died from sepsis after 40-year-old dormant infection burst from 'abscess,' necropsy reveals
Cassius was an 18-foot-long saltwater crocodile living in captivity in Marineland Crocodile Park in Australia. He died last year at the age of about 120, and we finally know why.
Killer whales are teaming up with dolphins on salmon hunts, study finds — but not everyone agrees
Orcas living off the coast of British Columbia in Canada have been spotted hunting with dolphins and sharing scraps of salmon with them after making a kill.
Anacondas became massive 12 million years ago — and it worked so well, they haven't changed size since
Anacondas average between 13 and 16 feet (4 to 5 meters) long, the same length they've been for 12 million years. (Image credit: Andres Alfonso-Rojas) Anacondas have been giant for millions of years, a new study finds.
Large, bone-crushing dogs stalked 'Rhino Pompeii' after Yellowstone eruption 12 million years ago, ancient footprints reveal
Researchers have found footprints of large, bone-crushing dogs in the 12 million-year-old Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeastern Nebraska, suggesting these large carnivores may have survived a cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption that covered parts of North America in ash.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
Scientists find rare tusked whale alive at sea for the first time — and shoot it with a crossbow
Researchers have identified ginkgo-toothed beaked whales alive at sea for the first time after years of searching, and in doing so solved the mystery of an odd echolocation pulse in the North Pacific.
Newly discovered toads skip the tadpole stage and give birth to live 'toadlets'
Three newly-identified toad species in Tanzania give birth to live young, skipping the frogspawn and tadpole stages — an "exceptionally rare" trait among toads and frogs.
Orcas in the Gulf of California paralyze young great white sharks before ripping out their livers
An orca pod that made headlines last year for gutting a whale shark has struck again, this time perfecting a technique that involves paralyzing young great white sharks to eat their livers.
New species of Jurassic 'sword dragon' could help solve an evolutionary mystery
The newly discovered ichthyosaur dubbed Xiphodracon goldencapsis was about 10 feet long and had a sword-shaped snout.
Some naked mole rats are designated toilet cleaners, study suggests
Naked mole rats may have specific roles, such as cleaning the toilet chamber or transporting waste, rather than being generalist helpers. The findings suggest naked-mole-rat colonies are even more complex than we thought.
Asian golden cat: The 'feline of many costumes' that plucks birds before eating them
The Asian golden cat is an elusive creature endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It is known to take down prey much larger than itself, including buffalo calves, baby deer and small muntjacs.
Fossil of huge penguin that lived 3 million years ago discovered in New Zealand — what happened to it?
The newly-discovered penguin species went extinct when the ice age hit, but researchers don't think the cold was to blame for their demise.
Paralvinella hessleri: The yellow worm that lives in acid and fights poison with poison
These deep-sea worms, which are 1% arsenic, are only found at the hottest hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific.
Cold snap in Florida made Burmese python puke up a whole deer
Difficulty digesting large meals may limit where these temperature-sensitive snakes can call home — and that might be a good thing in places where they're invasive.
Jaguar in Brazil smashes record for the species' longest documented swim
A jaguar was captured on camera trap on an artificial island near the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam. The only way it could have gotten there was a very long swim.
'Almost like science fiction': European ant is the first known animal to clone members of another species
A species of ant found scurrying across southern Europe is the first animal found that clones males of another species.
How do frogs breathe and drink through their skin?
Frogs can breathe and drink through their thin skin — but how does that work?
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