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
Editor's Picks
Latest about Animals

Green-banded broodsac: The brain-hijacking parasite that creates disco zombie snails
By Megan Shersby published
This parasitic worm crawls into the eyestalks of snails, takes over its brain then pulsates to make the mollusk look like a dancing caterpillar.

Why is fish so smelly?
By Hannah Loss published
Fish smell is from degrading lipids and bacterial reactions that increase in potency over time.

Scientists investigate mysterious case of orca that swallowed 7 sea otters whole
By Elise Poore published
The female orca was found far from her normal hunting ground with six whole sea otters in its stomach and one lodged between its oral cavity and the esophagus.

Watch ghostly dumbo octopus swim with its massive 'ears' in rare new footage
By Harry Baker published
On an expedition in Hawaii, a remote underwater vehicle filmed a dumbo octopus swimming with its ear-like fins near the seafloor. The pale white creature is one of the deepest-dwelling octopuses on Earth.

'Parasitic provider of sperm on-tap': Why the sex lives of deep sea creatures demand extreme solutions
By Jon Copley published
From the opportunistic "have-a-go" approach of octopuses to "accessory males" that supply female anglerfish with a lifetime of sperm, author Jon Copley explores the sex lives of deep sea creatures.

Kelping is a 'global phenomenon' sweeping the world of humpback whales, scientists say
By Sascha Pare published
Humpback whales may enjoy rolling around in seaweed as a form of play, but "kelping" could also help maintain their skin health by removing parasites and bacteria.

125 million-year-old dinosaur feathers were remarkably similar to modern bird feathers, analysis reveals
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
A new X-ray analysis of dinosaur feathers shows that their chemical structure is similar to that of modern bird feathers.

Opportunistic orcas have developed a new feeding behavior that appears to be killing them
By Sascha Pare published
More orcas have died entangled in fishing gear in Alaska this year than in previous years, which may be linked to a "new behavior" where they feed in front of ascending fishing nets.

The strange story of sharks that lived in a golf course pond for 20 years — then vanished
By Richard Pallardy published
In the 1990s, a group of juvenile bull sharks were left stranded in a golf course pond in Australia, where they thrived for decades. Now scientists are trying to understand why.

Scientists have figured out when the biggest bull sharks are most active — and it's not when official advice suggests
By Lydia Smith published
Researchers tracked more than 200 bull sharks off the coast of New South Wales to find out exactly when they were most active and posed the greatest risk to humans.
Stay up to date on the latest science news by signing up for our Essentials newsletter.
Thank you for signing up to Live Science. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.