Animals
We live on a planet with millions of species of animals -and a rich, diverse collection of known wildlife, and yet new species are being identified seemingly every day — both living and extinct.
Whether it’s the deadliest snakes, longest-living creatures or the history of the dinosaurs, at Live Science, our expert writers are here to help you understand Earth's incredible fauna — past and present — with the latest animal news, features and articles.
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Latest about Animals
Watch beluga whales communicate by changing the shape of their melon heads in never-before-documented behavior
By Richard Pallardy published
Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their heads during encounters with one another in what scientists believe is a form of visual communication among this highly social species.
Worm-like creature squirts 'milk' from its butt to feed its young in 1st-of-its-kind video
By Elise Poore published
Video footage captures an egg-laying amphibian "nursing" its babies with a nutritious liquid similar to mammalian milk.
Hummingbird hawk-moth: The bird-like insect with a giant sucking mouthpart
By Rohini Subrahmanyam published
Just as humans rely on their eyes to make precise movements with their hands, hummingbird hawk-moths use continuous visual feedback to precisely position their proboscis in the center of flowers.
What does python taste like? Because it could be slithering onto our dinner plates.
By Sascha Pare published
A study conducted on two snake farms has found that breeding pythons for meat is more energy and resource-efficient than current livestock production, offering a viable protein alternative.
Why some whales go through menopause
By Gennaro Tomma published
Toothed whales appear to have lengthened their lifespan without lengthening their reproductive life so they can help care for their grandchildren, a new study suggests.
Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak
By Sascha Pare published
A bird photographer in Michigan has captured dramatic footage of the moment a red-headed woodpecker found a starling in its tree trunk nest and evicted it by yanking it out.
7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific over 10 years — and 'the blob' is to blame
By Elise Poore published
New research using artificial intelligence reveals that a decline in the North Pacific population of humpback whales between 2012 and 2021 coincided with the strongest marine heat wave recorded globally.
Prehistoric fish with giant jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth are the ultimate living fossils
By Richard Pallardy published
Gars have the slowest rate of evolution of all jawed vertebrates, having barely changed since first appearing at the time of the dinosaurs.
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