Mental Floss

ANIMALS

Courtesy of Nature

Scientists Create Three Puppy Clones of 'Snuppy,' the World's First Cloned Dog

They're now more than a year old.

iStock

Why Do We Dive With Sharks But Not Crocodiles?

There are a couple of reasons—one of them being that sharks don't like the way people taste.

iStock

The Queen's Racing Pigeons Are in Danger, Due to an Increase in Peregrine Falcons

The predatory birds are a natural foe for the monarch's prized pets.

iStock

8 Ways Spiders Are Creepily Clever

Spiders do a lot more than spin webs.

iStock.com/Faultier

7 Myths About Bats

The world’s only flying mammal isn’t nearly as bad as our fears make it out to be. Here are seven misconceptions about bats, as well as explanations of what really goes on in the batcave.

iStock

Cockatoos Destroy Australia's Broadband Network

So far, the wild birds have caused $61,500 worth of damage, according to officials.

Wilfred Hdez, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Nudibranchs, the Butterflies of the Sea, May Also Be Ruthless 'Kleptopredators'

They get two meals in one.

Carlos Vasquez Almazan

Presumed Extinct, the Rare 'Golden Wonder' Salamander Reappears After 42 Years

"I flew off the couch where I'd been falling asleep, let loose a string of expletives (in a good way), and did a little happy dance."

Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0

A New Kind of Creepy-Crawly: Octopuses Oozing Across the Beach at Night

“It was a bit like an end-of-days scenario."

Luca Santini

Why Are Lemurs So Weird? Maybe Because They Don't Eat Enough Fruit

Almost all primates eat fruit, even if it's just a little. A lack of it might be the reason why lemurs exhibit un-primate-like behavior like hibernating.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay

Two Stranded Sailors and Their Dogs Were Rescued After Five Months in Shark-Filled Waters

The experience was "very depressing, and it was very hopeless" before the navy showed up.

iStock

Inside the Matchmaking Service for Cheetahs

If you’ve seen a cheetah in an American zoo in the past 40 years, there’s a decent chance it spent time at Oregon’s Wildlife Safari.

iStock

Dogs Rescued After Hurricane Maria Are Available to Adopt in New York

Animal Haven in Manhattan is now home to 28 rescues from Puerto Rico.

iStock

Why Do Cats Freak Out After Pooping?

A look at some of the theories behind feline "poo-phoria."

iStock

This High-Tech Material Can Change Shape Like an Octopus

Researchers took inspiration from nature's masters of disguise.

Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.406E

New Smithsonian Exhibit Explains Why Felines Were the Cat's Meow in Ancient Egypt

"Divine Felines" opens this Caturday (uh, Saturday) at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Payman sazesh, Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

Here's the First-Ever Video of Sand Cat Kittens Playing in the Wild

You're welcome.

Connor Long, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

When Sonar Doesn’t Cut It, These Bats Crawl to Hunt Prey

Echolocation isn't the only trick in this bat's arsenal.

YouTube

Why Do Female Spotted Hyenas Give Birth Through Their Pseudo-Penises?

The better question is, are you sure you really want to know the answer?

John Kucharski, USDA // Public Domain

5 of the Worst Parasites You Can Get—And How to Avoid Them

Read on to be terrified—and amazed.

Christin Khan, NOAA / NEFSC, Wikipedia/Public Domain

Watch a School of Humpback Whales 'Fish' Using Nets Made of Bubbles

The ritual is more complex than meets the eye.

IKEA

Get IKEA's New Pet Furniture Collection for Not a Lot of Scratch

We still don't recommend feeding your cat the Swedish meatballs.

iStock

The Science Behind the Urge to Cuddle Cute Babies

It comes down to something called kinderschema.

iStock

A Dutch Startup Wants to Train Crows to Pick Up Cigarette Butts

The solution to our cigarette waste problem may be right in front of us.