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. 

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—Which animals have the strongest bite force?

—What is the fastest animal on Earth?

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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A collage of a woolly mammoth inside a petri dish with a pipet above it
'Closer than people think': Woolly mammoth 'de-extinction' is nearing reality — and we have no idea what happens next Scientists are getting very close to bringing a few iconic species, like woolly mammoths and dodos, back from extinction. That may not be a good thing.
Greate white shark photo taken from a shark diving cage.
How did sharks become Earth's 'ultimate survivors'? Paleontologist John Long finds answers in new book 'The Secret History of Sharks' "The Secret History of Sharks" author John Long met with Live Science to discuss his new book, recent revelations about megalodons, and how he got over his fear of great whites.
an eastern lowland gorilla mother with a baby nursing in the jungle
'The simplicity of life just hits you': Watch rare footage of critically endangered eastern lowland gorilla feeding her baby in the wild Filmmakers captured a mother eastern lowland gorilla nursing her infant for the PBS show "Silverback."

Latest about Animals

Margay cat, Leopardus wiedii, licking lips. Endangered and native to Central and South America

13 crafty ways animals hunt their prey

By Elise Poore last updated

Spiders swinging lassos, ants setting deadly traps and turtles with deceiving tongues — these animals have the most cunning methods of hunting their prey.

Animals
Broken tooth shown in the jaws of one of the lions.

New DNA findings shed light on Tsavo's infamous man-eating lions

By Elise Poore published

Scientists extract DNA from hair embedded in the Tsavo lions' jaws that reveals the species of prey they ate while they were alive.

Lions
An illustration shows a top and underside view of Arthropleura, and a reconstruction of its head seen from the front.

Never-before-seen head of prehistoric, car-size 'millipede' solves evolutionary mystery

By Sierra Bouchér published

The fossil showed unique stalked eyes and centipede-like characteristics.

Extinct Species
A cat opens its mouth and looks out a window

Why do cats 'chatter'?

By Victoria Atkinson published

Some cats chatter, oftentimes when they see prey. But why?

Domestic Cats
A close-up photo of a warty comb jelly glowing in the deep sea

Scientists accidentally find deep-sea 'jelly' creatures merged into 'single entity' after injury, revealing bizarre new behavior

By Harry Baker published

Researchers discovered that some comb jellies can fuse their bodies together when injured. The unique adaptation, which involves merging their nervous systems and stomachs, has never been seen in any other species.

Animals
An underwater photo of a shark swimming with a sea urchin in the foreground

Stunning video shows sharks devouring sea urchins, spines and all

By Jeremy Day published

Sharks easily consumed large, spiky sea urchins – sometimes in just a few gulps.

Sharks
An Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) in water.

Alligator gar: The 'living fossil' that has barely evolved for 100 million years

By Melissa Hobson published

This living fossil can grow as large as an alligator, has two rows of needle-sharp teeth, and such strong armor that it survived predatory dinosaurs.

Fish
an eastern lowland gorilla mother with a baby nursing in the jungle

'The simplicity of life just hits you': Watch rare footage of critically endangered eastern lowland gorilla feeding her baby in the wild

By Hannah Osborne published

Filmmakers captured a mother eastern lowland gorilla nursing her infant for the PBS show "Silverback."

Land Mammals
Frozen carcass of a 4-year-old woolly rhino laid out on a sheet of plastic. The carcass is covered in mud but we see fur and mouthparts.

32,000-year-old mummified woolly rhino half-eaten by predators unearthed in Siberia

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers found the carcass in August 2020 in Russia's Sakha Republic, and the discovery has revealed a never-before-seen characteristic of woolly rhinos: a fatty hump on the animal's back.

Extinct Species
A huge sunfish faces a school of fish in the ocean

Which animal can have the most babies at one time?

By Katherine Irving published

How many offspring an animal can have depends on many factors, such as whether they're aquatic and how they get around.

Animals
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