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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Extremely rare dolphin with thumbs photographed in Greek gulf
By Sascha Pare published
A dolphin with deformed flippers that look like thumbs was spotted in the Gulf of Corinth in July 2023. It likely acquired what appears to be a genetic defect during development in the womb, experts say.

Hammerhead sharks are vanishing from their mountain homes in the Gulf of California, divers say
By Patrick Pester published
Scalloped hammerhead sharks used to seek refuge at two Mexican seamounts, but it appears fishing has killed them off.

Cannibal animals: 12 creatures that gobble up their own kind
By Patrick Pester published
Cannibalism is more common in the animal kingdom than you might think.

More than 1,000 species live in and around an ordinary suburban house, survey in Australia shows.
By Matthew H. Holden, Russell Q-Y Yong, Andrew Rogers published
A house in Australia harbored more than 400 moths and butterflies, and hundreds of other species, including ones never documented before.

Clouded leopard: The cat with saber-like teeth that can walk upside down in trees
By Megan Shersby published
Clouded leopards can rotate their ankle joints by almost 180 degrees and they kill prey by biting the back of their necks with their huge teeth.

Teenage tyrannosaurs gorged on dino 'drumsticks,' 1st-of-their-kind fossils show
By Harry Baker published
Paleontologists have found two pairs of hind legs from a small, bird-like dinosaur in the stomach of a juvenile Gorgosaurus unearthed in Canada. It is the first time that any food remains have been discovered within a tyrannosaur.

120 million-year-old 'plants' turn out to be ultra-rare fossilized baby turtles
By Patrick Pester published
A new study re-examining old fossils collected by a Colombian priest more than 50 years ago has found they are actually rare hatchling turtles.

Scientists may have finally figured out how elephants got their incredible trunks
By Jacklin Kwan published
Elephants appear to have evolved their long, grasping trunks as a result of climate change pressures on their ancestors millions of years ago.
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