A ‘pink wave’ of flamingoes settles into the Sunshine State
When Hurricane Idalia swept through Florida’s Big Bend region in August 2023, the storm brought more than rapid intensification, waves, and wind. It had some pink wings. Flamingos likely came up to...
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Why do we send so many fish to space?
Nearly a decade before Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, two humble little mummichogs became the first fish in space. In 1973, these little fish rocketed to space aboard one of the...
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Snake venom’s deadly secrets decoded with fake blood vessels
We know tha snake venom is highly toxic to humans, but to learn more about how it works, venom must be studied in a lab. To use fewer laboratory animals and research better treatments for snake bites,...
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The world’s most dangerous bird is at risk of extinction
At the beginning of 2024, about 144 new species were added to Australia’s growing list of animals threatened with extinction. Roughly 2,000 native animal and plant species are currently at risk of...
View ArticleClimate change is coming for your oysters
This article was originally featured on Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. There’s an old adage...
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Unlucky shark vomits up hedgehog-like animal, shocks scientists
A group of Australian scientists studying marine life off the coast of Queensland caught quite a surprise–a tiger shark that had vomited a spiky hedgehog-like animal called an echidna. Former James...
View ArticleNo, ‘flying’ venomous spiders are not coming for you this summer
Spotted lanternflies are so four years ago. The hottest new bug fad isn’t even the noisy cicadas currently buzzing all over the Midwest. It’s enormous, yellow, ‘flying’ Joro spiders. Multiple articles...
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Incredible footage shows new squid species tending to enormous eggs
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) researchers in California believe they have discovered a new deep-sea squid species thanks to one cephalopod mother’s surprisingly large egg brood....
View ArticleClimate change is coming for your oysters
This article was originally featured on Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. There’s an old adage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Unlucky shark vomits up hedgehog-like animal, shocks scientists
A group of Australian scientists studying marine life off the coast of Queensland caught quite a surprise–a tiger shark that had vomited a spiky hedgehog-like animal called an echidna. Former James...
View ArticleNo, ‘flying’ venomous spiders are not coming for you this summer
Spotted lanternflies are so four years ago. The hottest new bug fad isn’t even the noisy cicadas currently buzzing all over the Midwest. It’s enormous, yellow, ‘flying’ Joro spiders. Multiple articles...
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A scientific mission to save the sharks
This article was originally featured on Knowable Magazine. A hammerhead shark less than one meter long swims frantically in a plastic container aboard a boat in the Sanquianga National Natural Park,...
View ArticleDespite criticism, the last of the rattlesnake roundups hang on
This story originally appeared on Yale Environment 360. In 1958, the Sweetwater Jaycees, of Nolan County, Texas, had trouble killing the 3,000 western diamondbacks captured for the group’s first...
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This giant polar reptile once stalked an ancient super-ocean
In today’s oceans, sea turtles, marine iguanas, saltwater crocodiles, and sea snakes are the primary reptilian residents amongst tons of mammals and fish. This was not always the case, as fossil...
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Mating, murder, and parenting: The complex lives of birds on display in 2024...
A decapitated squirrel hangs lifeless in the talons of a barred owl. A red-necked grebe chick stretches its neck to gobble up a meal of fish delivered fresh from its parent. Hundreds of grackles perch...
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Why blue animals are so rare in nature
The color blue is a very common favorite color for humans, but it is not seen in plants and animals very often. According to scientists from the University of Adelaide in Australia, this is partially...
View ArticleFrog saunas could help the amphibians cope with a deadly fungus
Green and golden bell frogs used to be so common in Sydney, Australia that residents would find them hiding in their mailboxes and toilets. “They’d be everywhere,” says Anthony Waddle, a biologist at...
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Lion brothers take risky swim across crocodile-infested channel
Despite their mighty roars, fearsome jaws, and ambush hunting tactics, lions are not well known for their swimming. Other large predators are often lurking in the water, so these big cats must have a...
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Chinese Customs caught man with 104 snakes in his pants
Milk, corn, gopher, Texas rat, and Western hognose snakes are some of the most common snake species in the US. In other parts of the world like China, however, the non-native reptiles are illegal due...
View ArticleHunters’ bullets are poisoning bald eagles
After reaching critically endangered population levels in the mid-20th century, bald eagles continue to steadily rebound across the US. But hunters still pose a major problem for America’s mascot—it’s...
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