Bees Use ‘Bullshit’ Defense to Keep Giant Hornets at Bay
The prospect of death by giant hornet has pushed some Asian honeybees to resort to a poop-based defense system
Stories by Jason G. Goldman
How to Avoid Becoming a Meal for a Cheetah
Researchers help farmers in Namibia avoid costly cattle losses by tracking big cat hangouts
How the Wolves Change the Forest
New research tracked the canines in northern Minnesota for years to see just how they reshape their ecosystems. Audio of wolves inside Voyageurs National Park, courtesy of Jacob Job. ...
Echolocation Drains Bats Traveling through Noise
Bats expend more energy navigating in loud conditions
Frog Vocals Lead to Small Preference
The concave-eared torrent frog's unusual ear anatomy lets it hear high-frequency calls, which gives a mating advantage to the littler males that sing soprano.
River Ecosystem Restoration Can Mean Just Add Water
Planners returned water to the dry bed of Arizona’s Santa Cruz River in 2019, and various species began showing up on the same day.
Humans Make Wild Animals Less Wary
From mammals to mollusks, animals living among humans lose their antipredator behaviors.
These Small Mammals Snort to a Different Tune
Hyraxes, which live in Africa and the Middle East, punctuate their songs with snorts. And the snorts appear to reflect the animals’ emotional state. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Why Pet Pigs Are More like Wolves Than Dogs
Given an impossible task, a dog will ask a human for help, but a wolf will not seek help—and neither will a pet pig.
White Rhinos Eavesdrop to Know Who’s Who
The finding could potentially help wildlife managers keep better tabs on their herds. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Aardvarks Are Ailing amid Heat and Drought
Climate change is expected to bring more frequent droughts and heat waves to Africa’s Kalahari Desert. And aardvarks might not be able to cope. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Foxes Have Dined on Our Leftovers for 30,000 Years
An analysis of fox fossils found evidence that they scavenged from wolf and bear kills until Homo sapiens supplied plenty of horse and reindeer remains.
Why Some Birds Are Likely To Hit Buildings
Those that eat insects, migrate or usually live in the woods are most likely to fly into buildings that feature a lot of glass.
Bat Says Hi as It Hunts
Velvety free-tailed bats produce sounds that help them locate insect prey but simultaneously identify them to their companions.
Young Great White Sharks Eat off the Floor
The stomach contents of young great white sharks show that they spend a lot of time patrolling the seafloor for meals.
Whale Protections Need Not Cause Lobstering Losses
Right whales, other whales and turtles get caught in lobster trap lines, but fewer lines can maintain the same lobster catch levels.
Bioluminescence Helps Prey Avoid Hungry Seals
Prey animals flash biochemically produced light to confuse elephant seals hunting in the dark. But at least one seal turned the tables.
Shorebird Learns Long Migration Routes
Cory’s shearwaters forge their own paths over the sea
Malaria Mosquitoes Are Biting before Bed-Net Time
Mosquitoes that like to bite at night are being thwarted by bed nets, leading to the rise of populations that prefer to bite when the nets are not up yet.
How the Coronavirus Has Changed Animals’ Landscape of Fear
The pandemic lockdowns are providing a window into how a wariness of humans uniquely shapes other species’ behavior
