Animals

Terror birds were the grizzly bears of birds, the great white sharks of the land, Jack the Ripper but with feathers. They were also truly fascinating.

The most comprehensive census yet of the hippos in Colombia that are descended from several imported by drug-cartel leader Pablo Escobar reveals that there could be twice as many of the invasive animals as previous estimates indicated

Hvaldi, a juvenile beluga whale likely used as a Russian spy, has become so accustomed to human interaction that he’s putting himself in danger and urgently needs our help

Crablike bodies are so evolutionarily favorable that they’ve evolved at least five different times

Wall lizards can “size up” invading competitors by smell alone

A fish species recognizes its own face digitally edited onto another fish’s body. What does this mean for self-awareness?

A new study found more than 5,000 new species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a mineral-rich area of seafloor that companies aim to mine for critical materials

Killer whales in a group near Spain and Portugal may be teaching one another to mess with small boats. They sank their third vessel earlier this month

A young mountain gorilla who is able to survive the tough early years may live as long or longer than peers who coasted through their youth without incident

At 25 days old, these specimens could be the oldest primate embryos ever grown outside the womb

Parrot nestlings spend time stringing together jumbled mixtures of sound—a rehearsal for more adult conversations
 

Scalloped hammerhead sharks take dramatic dives to hunt for food in cold, deep waters—and new evidence suggests they hold their breath to keep warm while they do so