ANIMALS

Why Do Dogs Like to Bury Things?

Dogs can tear up a lawn with an overwhelming desire to dig and bury things. Where does that impulse come from, and what do they think they're accomplishing?

Can you tell that this is real bear fur?

The Queen’s Guard May Have to Give Up Their Iconic Bearskin Hats

The 1.5-foot hats famously worn by the Buckingham Palace guards date back to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Surprise: Cows Poop Corn Kernels, Too

Cows can digest tough materials much better than humans, which is a testament to the near-indestructibility of corn.

Acorn woodpeckers like to watch a good fight, and scientists aren't sure why.

Bird Battle Royale: Acorn Woodpeckers Fight to the Death, and Other Birds Like to Watch

Groups of warring woodpeckers butt heads over territory and acorns. Other woodpeckers fly in from miles away to witness their avian prizefights.

A wildfire near Shaver Lake, California, earlier this month.

5 Ways to Help Victims of the West Coast’s Wildfires

Wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington are devastating communities—here’s how you can help victims.

Dogs appear to be running in their sleep. Why?

The Reason Dogs Run In Their Sleep

Dogs tend to get a little exercise in even when they're resting. Is it really because they're dreaming about running?

Killer whales might be lashing out in response to decades of disruption by humans.

Orca-Strated Attack: Killer Whales Are Crashing Into Boats, Seemingly On Purpose

Killer whales have repeatedly laid siege to boats, working in concert in what appear to be deliberate acts of aggression.

Mike Lewinski, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

Warning: A ‘Robust' Explosion Of Stink Bugs Could Be Headed Your Way

Due to an unusually warm winter and summer, a 'robust' stink bug population is expected to invade homes in the Mid-Atlantic region when temperatures drop.

62-Year-Old Ball Python at St. Louis Zoo Lays Eggs After Decades of Isolation

A 62-year-old female python at the St. Louis Zoo hasn't been in contact with a male in decades, but she was somehow able to reproduce this summer.

Dogs use physical contact for a lot of the same reasons humans do.

The Reason Dogs Put Their Paws on You

Dogs like to rest a paw on their owners for a number of reasons, but establishing dominance isn't one of them.

Loch Ness Monster statue in Inverness, Scotland

Cryptid Currency: How the Loch Ness Monster Became a Force in Scotland’s Economy

Through cruises, museums, and other tourist attractions, the Loch Ness Monster adds roughly £41 million to Scotland's economy in a typical year.

Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?

Your cat's habit of sleeping all day isn't a sign of laziness—it's a survival instinct that's baked into their genes.

The Cuteness Is Strong With This Baby Yoda Pet Costume

Season 2 of 'The Mandalorian' premieres on Disney+ in October 2020, which means it's time to start planning your Baby Yoda Halloween costume.

The Audubon Zoo is accepting donations for Tumani's first baby.

Tumani, a Gorilla Mom-to-Be at New Orleans's Audubon Zoo, Has an Online Gift Registry

The western lowland gorilla is expecting her first child any day now, and her baby needs everything from blankets to building blocks.

NPS/Cascades Carnivore Project, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Wolverine Family Spotted in Mount Rainier National Park for the First Time in a Century

Special remote cameras have detected a rare nursing female wolverine and her two kits in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park.

A juvenile saddleback tamarin is measured as part of an annual health check of a population of three primate species in southeastern Peru.

Zoonotic Diseases 101: How Viruses Jump From Animals to Humans

From the plague to the novel coronavirus, myriad animal viruses have caused problems for humans—and many others haven’t.

There's an inexpensive way to protect cows from predators. It involves painting their butts.

Want to Save a Cow From Being Attacked By a Predator? Paint Some Eyes on Its Butt

A new study demonstrates that cows who had fake eyes painted on their rear ends were protected from lions who were fooled into thinking the cow had spotted them.

Blood stars and Acadian redfish lurk near plates and a stove from the Portland.

New Expedition Will Explore the 1898 Shipwreck Known as ‘New England’s Titanic’—And You Can Livestream It

The SS 'Portland' vanished into the Atlantic during a storm of the century, but we still don’t know exactly why it sank.

The 10 Best Shark Movies of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes

What’s more surprising than 'Sharknado' making it on to this list? The sequel to 'Sharknado making it on to this list.

Wisconsin Corn Maze Highlights the Tardigrade—"The World's Most Resilient Animal"

Tardigrades, a.k.a. "water bears," are some of the most resilient creatures on Earth, making them an appropriate choice for Treinen Farm's 2020 corn maze.

Dogs stare for a number of different reasons.

The Reason Your Dog Stares at You

Dogs have a tendency to stare at their human companions. It turns out it's a form of training. (For the person, not the dog.)

A Wily Fox With a Passion for Fashion Stole More Than 100 Shoes From a Berlin Neighborhood

This furry burglar has embarked on a crime spree that puts Dora the Explorer’s Swiper completely to shame.

Ray Scott, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY SA 3.0

Beavers on Devon's River Otter to Become England's First Permanent Population in Centuries

A five-year trial has proven the beaver families on England's Otter River are not harmful to the local ecosystem—they actually benefit it.

The face of a dog who clearly knows that a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

The Reason Dogs Are Terrified of Thunderstorms—And How You Can Help

Your dog’s anxiety might be from the thunder itself—or it could be related to knowing a thunderstorm is coming.

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