These whales are the only ones that flip upside down. Now we know why
Southern right whales are the only whale species known to float upside down, and new drone footage suggests the purpose of the behavior could be to get a break from parenting
This adorable bobtail squid is raising a family at –1.6 degrees Celsius
The Arctic Ocean is one of the most extreme environments on Earth, but that’s not stopping this cephalopod
Exclusive: See unprecedented images of Sunda clouded leopards, the ‘ghosts of the forest’
New, never-before-seen images provide a glimpse into the secretive lives of a clouded leopard species found in the dense rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
Scientists discover a ‘remarkable’ new monkey species with orange lips and a froglike roar
The new species, Colobus congoensis, may already be endangered
Is it a problem for cats to eat insects? Researchers are probing feline diets to find out
The sheer amount of insects that free-range cats consume might surprise you
Why the controversy over de-extinction risks missing the point
Efforts to revive the thylacine and woolly mammoth are forcing conservationists to face a long-overdue debate over what kind of natural world we want to build
Why ‘Neil the seal’ is unleashing chaos in Tasmania
This one-ton elephant seal has gone viral for smashing into cars and infrastructure, but biologists have a more poignant explanation for his behavior
Why more extreme rain could mean more shark bites
As rainfall intensifies with climate change, waste flushed out to sea could attract more sharks, putting beachgoers at risk
Earth is home to 20 million insect species—three times more than we thought
Some creative calculations using bug traps, epidemiology and trees suggest there are some 20 million unique insect species on Earth
Scientists just unveiled ‘cyborg’ cockroaches that can breathe underwater for hours
The bionic bugs could be called up for aquatic search and rescue missions, according to the researchers
Chaotic pigeons are helping redefine what we know about learning
Pigeons seem to defy a century-old psychology law about how rewards and consequences help us learn
A scientist deciphered zebra finches’ vocabulary—and used it to talk back to them
Julie Elie has been studying zebra finch vocalizations for years. Now she has won the Coller-Dolittle Prize for progress toward a world where humans can talk to animals