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.
Explore Animals
Latest about Animals
Giant, 82-foot lizard fish discovered on UK beach could be largest marine reptile ever found
By Richard Pallardy published
Newly discovered ichthyosaur that lived 200 million years ago in the Triassic sea is potentially the biggest to ever live, scientists say.
Anglerfish entered the midnight zone 55 million years ago and thrived by becoming sexual parasites
By Richard Pallardy published
Anglerfish first colonized the ocean's midnight zone 55 million years ago, during a period of extreme global warming, a new study finds. The bizarre fish adapted to thrive in the deep sea by becoming sexual parasites, the researchers said.
World's oldest wild bird is 'actively courting' after losing long-term mate
By Sascha Pare published
Biologists on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean have spotted a septuagenarian female Laysan albatross named Wisdom flirting with potential mates months after the end of the nesting season.
Watch hammerhead sharks swim in 'cyclones' around ancient volcano in rare footage
By Sascha Pare published
Filmmakers have captured hundreds of hammerhead sharks circling a volcanic island off Costa Rica for a new Netflix wildlife series.
Watch female octopus drag male around during sex in rare footage captured off Indonesian island
By Hannah Osborne published
Unusual octopus mating session captured in rare and comical footage filmed off the Indonesian island of Bunaken for new National Geographic show.
Infamous boat-sinking orcas spotted hundreds of miles from where they should be, baffling scientists
By Harry Baker published
Orcas that attack and sink boats in southwestern Europe have been spotted circling a vessel in Spain, hundreds of miles from where they should currently be. And scientists can't explain why.
'Most of Gorongosa's large animals had died': How an African paradise for nature recovered from the ravages of war
By Alexander McNamara published
"Where once there had been more than two thousand elephants, now there were fewer than two hundred."
Are we in a 6th mass extinction?
By Patrick Pester published
If we continue on our current trajectory, the sixth mass extinction is inevitable and the times we're living through now will be part of that geological period.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.