Animal Behavior
Animal Behavior
Articles tagged with "Animal Behavior"
'We're starting to find a lot more weirdness': These strange animals can control their body heat
Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators.
As toddlers, chimps are major risk takers
Human kiddos are generally too closely supervised to be able to monkey around as much as young chimps. Instead, older kids — teens — are usually the bigger risk takers.
Here’s how honeyeaters and other birds thrive on sugary diets
To eat a sugar-filled diet, birds had to evolve some sweet genetic tricks. Birds that feed on nectar and fruits have important variants in genes that control metabolism , fat processing and even blood pressure.
Keeping a beat wins caterpillars friends in low places
Some caterpillars speak ant by rocking to a beat. By jiggling like a cellphone receiving a call while on vibrate, the caterpillars cozy up to ants, reaping benefits for them both .
Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutes
An African striped mouse father huddles with some of his pups. (Image credit: C. Todd Reichart / Princeton University (Department of Molecular Biology)) Flipping a single genetic switch can make doting dads attack their offspring, at least in African striped mice, new research suggests.
Meet Tatu and Loulis—the last of the 'talking' chimpanzees
Lazing outside her home in the Montréal suburb of Carignan on a breezy day in June, Tatu the chimpanzee notices she has visitors. She slowly ambles over, peers downward at the onlookers, and draws her right index finger across her forehead.
Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humans
Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.
Can bonobos use their imagination?
In a series of tea party-like experiments, a bonobo was able to identify imaginary juice and grapes. Kanzi was a famous bonobo who could understand spoken English and taught scientists a lot about primate behavior. He participated in experiments about imagination before his death in 2025.
Beetles steal the scent of ants to secretly live among them
The catch? Once they enter the any colony, the beetles can never leave. Sceptobius beetles are seen grooming an ant as part of their evolved symbiotic relationship.
A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend
Humans may not be the only primates with the power to imagine. During a make-believe tea party, a bonobo named Kanzi kept track of invisible juice and imaginary grapes, researchers report.
Some dung beetles dig deep to keep their eggs cool
A temperate tunneling species of dung beetle seems capable of adapting to climate change, but their tropical cousins may be less resilient.
These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers
Like wily perfumers, a parasitic beetle’s larvae create floral aromas to lure in bees. Plants are known to cosplay as animals, but this rare discovery could be the first known example of an animal chemically mimicking a plant.
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common — and likely beneficial in primates.
Cows Can Use Tools. Are We Underestimating How Smart They Are?
A cow named Veronika has made headlines around the world after researchers confirmed for the first time that cows are capable of using tools based on observations of her behavior. But Veronika is likely not the only cow whose capacities might surprise us if we only looked a little closer.
‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave
Many people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet’s largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too.
Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species
From bold foxes to gregarious birds, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as crucial to conservation efforts.
Horses can smell fear in humans, researchers say
Horses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
5 unexpected animal behaviors we learned about in 2025
Every year, researchers and people out in nature capture some aspect of animal behavior that’s unusual or unexpected in some way, changing how we understand the natural world. Here are five such examples that Mongabay reported on in 2025...
In a first, orcas and dolphins seen possibly hunting together
New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.
The evolutionary case for a little roughhousing
Wolf pups at play at Zoo Académie, a zoo and training facility in Nicolet, Quebec, in 2017. Scientists are finding that rough play is important for animals and humans alike.
Scientists log rare case of female polar bear adopting cub: ‘They’re really good moms’
Scientists in Canada have documented a rare case of female polar bear adopting a new cub, in an episode of “curious behaviour” that highlights the complex relationships among the apex Arctic predators.
Pumas came back to Patagonia—and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
A natural experiment in a national park in Patagonia shows how the return of a large predator can reshape an ecosystem.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Why alpha females reign supreme in meerkat world
As a corner of Africa heats up, new research shows how the future of the species rests with powerful matriarchs making tough choices for survival.
'We're starting to find a lot more weirdness': These strange animals can control their body heat
Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators.
As toddlers, chimps are major risk takers
Human kiddos are generally too closely supervised to be able to monkey around as much as young chimps. Instead, older kids — teens — are usually the bigger risk takers.
Here’s how honeyeaters and other birds thrive on sugary diets
To eat a sugar-filled diet, birds had to evolve some sweet genetic tricks. Birds that feed on nectar and fruits have important variants in genes that control metabolism , fat processing and even blood pressure.
Keeping a beat wins caterpillars friends in low places
Some caterpillars speak ant by rocking to a beat. By jiggling like a cellphone receiving a call while on vibrate, the caterpillars cozy up to ants, reaping benefits for them both .
Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutes
An African striped mouse father huddles with some of his pups. (Image credit: C. Todd Reichart / Princeton University (Department of Molecular Biology)) Flipping a single genetic switch can make doting dads attack their offspring, at least in African striped mice, new research suggests.
Meet Tatu and Loulis—the last of the 'talking' chimpanzees
Lazing outside her home in the Montréal suburb of Carignan on a breezy day in June, Tatu the chimpanzee notices she has visitors. She slowly ambles over, peers downward at the onlookers, and draws her right index finger across her forehead.
Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humans
Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.
Can bonobos use their imagination?
In a series of tea party-like experiments, a bonobo was able to identify imaginary juice and grapes. Kanzi was a famous bonobo who could understand spoken English and taught scientists a lot about primate behavior. He participated in experiments about imagination before his death in 2025.
Beetles steal the scent of ants to secretly live among them
The catch? Once they enter the any colony, the beetles can never leave. Sceptobius beetles are seen grooming an ant as part of their evolved symbiotic relationship.
A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend
Humans may not be the only primates with the power to imagine. During a make-believe tea party, a bonobo named Kanzi kept track of invisible juice and imaginary grapes, researchers report.
Some dung beetles dig deep to keep their eggs cool
A temperate tunneling species of dung beetle seems capable of adapting to climate change, but their tropical cousins may be less resilient.
These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers
Like wily perfumers, a parasitic beetle’s larvae create floral aromas to lure in bees. Plants are known to cosplay as animals, but this rare discovery could be the first known example of an animal chemically mimicking a plant.
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common — and likely beneficial in primates.
Cows Can Use Tools. Are We Underestimating How Smart They Are?
A cow named Veronika has made headlines around the world after researchers confirmed for the first time that cows are capable of using tools based on observations of her behavior. But Veronika is likely not the only cow whose capacities might surprise us if we only looked a little closer.
‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave
Many people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet’s largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too.
Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species
From bold foxes to gregarious birds, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as crucial to conservation efforts.
Horses can smell fear in humans, researchers say
Horses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
5 unexpected animal behaviors we learned about in 2025
Every year, researchers and people out in nature capture some aspect of animal behavior that’s unusual or unexpected in some way, changing how we understand the natural world. Here are five such examples that Mongabay reported on in 2025...
In a first, orcas and dolphins seen possibly hunting together
New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.
The evolutionary case for a little roughhousing
Wolf pups at play at Zoo Académie, a zoo and training facility in Nicolet, Quebec, in 2017. Scientists are finding that rough play is important for animals and humans alike.
Scientists log rare case of female polar bear adopting cub: ‘They’re really good moms’
Scientists in Canada have documented a rare case of female polar bear adopting a new cub, in an episode of “curious behaviour” that highlights the complex relationships among the apex Arctic predators.
Pumas came back to Patagonia—and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
A natural experiment in a national park in Patagonia shows how the return of a large predator can reshape an ecosystem.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Why alpha females reign supreme in meerkat world
As a corner of Africa heats up, new research shows how the future of the species rests with powerful matriarchs making tough choices for survival.
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