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
Amphibians
All Amphibians-
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'Kermit the Frog' creature that lived 270 million years ago looked like a 'stout salamander' with 'cartoonish' grin
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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Why is a mushroom growing on a frog? Scientists don't know, but it sure looks weird
By Elise Poore Published
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Dinosaur-era frog found fossilized with belly full of eggs and was likely killed during mating
By Jacklin Kwan Published
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Annual cane toad kill-a-thon is about to start in Australia. Here's how to eliminate the pests humanely.
By Sascha Pare Published
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World's tiniest fanged frog with males that 'hug' their babies discovered
By Emma Bryce Published
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Paradoxical frog: The giant tadpole that turns into a little frog
By Megan Shersby Published
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Toxic pigment that causes red hair discovered in 10 million-year-old frog fossil
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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These female frogs fake their own deaths to get out of sex
By Carissa Wong Published
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Axolotl: The adorable amphibian that can regrow its body and stay looking young forever
By Megan Shersby Published
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Black rain frog: The bizarre, grumpy-faced amphibian that's terrible at jumping and swimming
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Arachnids
All Arachnids-
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Reference
Brown recluse spiders: Facts, bites & symptoms
By Laura Geggel Last updated
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Giant, invasive Joro spiders with 6-foot webs could be poised to take over US cities, scientists warn
By Harry Baker Published
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Diving bell spider: The only aquatic arachnid that creates a web underwater to live in
By Megan Shersby Published
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Deadly male funnel-web spider 'Hercules' breaks record as biggest ever discovered
By Stephanie Pappas Published
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Why are tarantulas so hairy?
By Elise Poore Published
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Newly discovered Antarctic sea spider with 'boxing glove' claws pulled up from ocean floor
By Ethan Freedman Published
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Brazilian wandering spiders: Bites & other facts
By Jessie Szalay Last updated
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Wolf spider mama wearing crown of babies captured in stunning photo
By Hannah Osborne Published
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When stressed, these male spiders woo mates with empty 'take-out containers' instead of dinner
By Ethan Freedman Published
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Horrifying photo captures moment parasitic fungus bursts from huge spider's body
By Hannah Osborne Published
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No, this spider's venom will not give you a permanent erection, but it might last a few hours
By Ben Turner Published
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Spooky, subterranean daddy longlegs with ghostly pale bodies discovered
By Ethan Freedman Published
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Birds
All Birds-
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Eleonora's falcon: The raptor that imprisons birds live by stripping their feathers and stuffing them in rocks
By Megan Shersby Published
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Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak
By Sascha Pare Published
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Aldabra rail: The bird that came back from the dead by evolving twice
By Megan Shersby Published
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4 never-before-seen emperor penguin colonies discovered in Antarctica, thanks to poop smears spotted from space
By Kiley Price Published
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Loggerhead shrike: The brutal 'butcherbird' that impales its prey on barbed wire
By Megan Shersby Published
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See 'incredible' photos of bird that is both male and female
By Patrick Pester Published
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Watch thousands of starlings perform an 'incredible ballet of life and death' in new murmuration footage
By Sascha Pare Published
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Weird Chinstrap penguins sleep over 10,000 times a day for just 4 seconds at a time
By Ben Turner Published
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Stunning footage captures tiny bird's fight for survival in massive Saharan sandstorm
By Hannah Osborne Published
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120 million-year-old birds tracks near South Pole are the oldest ever discovered in the Southern Hemisphere
By Carys Matthews Published
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1st-known 'highly pathogenic' bird flu cases in Antarctic could threaten penguins
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Upcoming solar maximum could scramble migrating birds' internal compass, new study shows
By Harry Baker Published
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Cnidaria
All Cnidaria-
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Newly discovered jellyfish is a 24-eyed weirdo related to the world's most venomous marine creature
By Sascha Pare Published
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Alien-like giant phantom jellyfish spotted in frigid waters off Antarctica
By Patrick Pester Published
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Thousands of cannonball jellyfish wash ashore after swarming North Carolina’s Outer Banks
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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Thousands of jellyfish swarm near Israel, mesmerizing images reveal
By Jamie Carter Published
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Largest crown jellyfish ever discovered is a blood red, saucer-like weirdo
By Brandon Specktor Published
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Scientists inserted disco 'strobe lights' into jellyfish to see how they function without brains
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Giant 'phantom jellyfish' that eats with mouth-arms spotted off California coast
By Ben Turner Published
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Photo trickery captures ethereal jellyfish 'ballet' in Spanish lake
By Harry Baker Published
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Mysterious blood-red jellyfish may be rare species unknown to science, researchers say
By Brandon Specktor Published
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Translucent jellyfish, with fish trapped inside it, washes up on UK beach
By Harry Baker Published
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Why are thousands of stinging jellyfish crowding the Rhode Island coast?
By Laura Geggel Published
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Millions of dead jellyfish are washing up around the world. 'The blob' could be to blame.
By Brandon Specktor Published
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Crustaceans
All Crustaceans-
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'You can see its guts and things': Weird see-through crustacean with giant eyes discovered off the Bahamas
By Melissa Hobson Published
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Crabs keep evolving to go from the sea to the land — and back again
By Carys Matthews Published
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More than 10 billion snow crabs starved to death off the coast of Alaska. But why?
By Sascha Pare Published
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'Hauntingly beautiful' image of a golden horseshoe crab wins wildlife photography competition
By Sascha Pare Published
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Hoff crab: The hairy-chested crustacean that farms bacteria on its hairs
By Megan Shersby Published
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Pom pom crab: The crustacean that uses anemones as boxing gloves
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Watch cannibal crab gobble up baby crablets in Australia in David Attenborough's 'Our Planet II'
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Why do animals keep evolving into crabs?
By Laurel Hamers Published
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Reference
What are Sea-Monkeys?
By Ailsa Harvey Published
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What made billions of snow crabs disappear from the Bering Sea?
By Joanna Thompson Published
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Natural Sunscreen Explains Mantis Shrimp's Amazing UV Vision
By Stephanie Pappas Last updated
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Can you spot the crab in this photo? (Hint: It's under the fuzz.)
By Nicoletta Lanese Last updated
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Extinct Species
All Extinct Species-
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Like 'walking through the woods of millions of years ago': Ancient ecosystem brimming with dinosaur tracks discovered in Alaska
By Patrick Pester Published
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Triassic 'tank' unearthed in Texas was a croc cousin that lived 215 million years ago
By Patrick Pester Published
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Courtship cut short for termites trapped in 38 million-year-old amber fossil
By Patrick Pester Published
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Colossus the enormous 'oddball' whale is not the biggest animal to ever live, scientists say
By Patrick Pester Published
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Woolly mammoth de-extinction inches closer after elephant stem cell breakthrough
By Sascha Pare Published
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Dinosaur-age sea monster with 'face full of huge, dagger-shaped teeth' discovered in Moroccan mine
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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Stunning 240 million-year-old 'Chinese dragon' fossil unveiled by scientists
By Ben Turner Published
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'Cut down in their prime': Dinosaurs were thriving in Africa before the asteroid hit
By Nicholas R. Longrich Published
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Only part of rare 280 million-year-old fossil is real — the rest is mostly paint
By Patrick Pester Published
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Watch 30-foot Jurassic sea monster come back to life in David Attenborough's new pliosaur show
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Dinosaurs dominated our planet not because of their massive size or fearsome teeth — but thanks to the way they walked
By Richard Pallardy Published
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Temperature inside Chicxulub crater after dinosaur-killing asteroid hit revealed with 'paleothermometer'
By Patrick Pester Published
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Fish
All Fish-
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Watch rare endangered pink handfish walking in 19th-century shipwreck off Tasmania
By Elise Poore Published
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'Ghost shark' with enormous head and giant iridescent eyes discovered off Thailand
By Elise Poore Published
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Prehistoric fish with giant jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth are the ultimate living fossils
By Richard Pallardy Published
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Elusive megamouth shark caught off Zanzibar for 1st time, gets sold for $17
By Rhett H. Bennett Published
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Great white shark gets liver torn out by lone orca in under 2 minutes in shocking shift of hunting methods
By Melissa Hobson Published
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16-foot-long shark bites stranded pygmy whale's head off as human tries to rescue it
By Patrick Pester Published
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'Unnerving' rise in fatal shark attacks recorded last year. Should we be worried?
By Harry Baker Published
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325 million-year-old shark graveyard discovered deep within Mammoth Cave harbors new fossilized species
By Melissa Hobson Published
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365 million-year-old 'alien' fish had one of the most extreme underbites on record
By Kiley Price Published
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'One of the holy grails of shark science': Watch 1st ever footage of baby great white shark moments after birth
By Melissa Hobson Published
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Color-changing fish turns black with rage when provoked
By Richard Pallardy Published
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Humans now kill 80 million sharks per year, 25 million of which are threatened species
By Melissa Hobson Published
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Insects
All Insects-
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Giant 'toe biter' water bugs discovered in Cyprus for the 1st time
By Patrick Pester Published
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Watch bizarre video of termites trapped in 'death spiral'
By Lydia Smith Published
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Hummingbird hawk-moth: The bird-like insect with a giant sucking mouthpart
By Rohini Subrahmanyam Published
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How do insects know which flowers have pollen?
By Alice Sun Published
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A trillion cicadas will descend on the US this spring in rare event that could leave unforgettable stench
By Sascha Pare Published
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Why are insects attracted to artificial lights?
By Meg Duff Last updated
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Watch 5,000 fire ants create raft with their bodies to save colony and queen from death by swimming pool
By Elise Poore Published
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A bizarre 'snake worm' has baffled scientists for over a decade, now they know what it is
By Patrick Pester Published
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American burying beetle: The meat-eating insect that buries bodies for its babies to feast on
By Megan Shersby Published
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More than 1,000 species live in and around an ordinary suburban house, survey in Australia shows.
By Matthew H. Holden Published
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Watch ancient, giant millipede the size of a car brought back to life in remarkable reconstruction
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Hercules beetle: The titan insect with giant horns for love and war
By Megan Shersby Published
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Land Mammals
All Land Mammals-
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Patagonian mara: The monogamous rodents that mate only a few times a year but pee on each other constantly
By Sascha Pare Published
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Genetic quirk in 25% of Labrador retrievers can lead to overeating, obesity
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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'They are very well aware of their agency': Elephant calf burial ritual discovered in India
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Prairie vole orgasms 'rewire' their brains for long-term love
By Lydia Smith Published
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Why do cats have bald spots in front of their ears?
By Victoria Atkinson Published
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Watch a rare pink albino elephant baby playing by a waterhole in adorable footage
By Elise Poore Published
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Honduran white bats: The fluffy little bats that roost together in leaf tents
By Megan Shersby Published
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Fishing cats seen feasting on chicks at the tops of 26-foot-tall trees in Bangladesh
By Carys Matthews Published
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Polar bear sleeping on tiny iceberg drifting in Arctic sea captured in heartbreaking photo
By Sascha Pare Published
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French bulldog puppy spontaneously regrows jaw after surgery in 1st known case of its kind
By Lydia Smith Published
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'Devil monkeys' are attacking people in Thailand, Japan and India. Here's why.
By Tracie McKinney Published
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1st-ever white rhino IVF sparks hope that 'doomed species' could still be saved, despite there being no males left
By Harry Baker Published
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Marine Mammals
All Marine Mammals-
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Orca calf refuses to leave a lagoon where its mother stranded and died off Vancouver Island
By Sascha Pare Published
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Sperm whales drop giant poop bombs to save themselves from orca attack
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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Brutal footage shows orca mom and son team up to drown another pod's calf
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their melon heads to communicate, scientists discover
By Richard Pallardy Published
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Why some whales go through menopause
By Gennaro Tomma Published
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7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific over 10 years — and 'the blob' is to blame
By Elise Poore Published
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'Should not really exist in these waters': Scientists spot gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic, off Massachusetts coast
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
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Male humpback whale seen forcing sex on emaciated, injured male in extremely rare encounter
By Sascha Pare Published
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Critically endangered right whales are shrinking, with drastic consequences for their population
By Melissa Hobson Published
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Millions of mystery holes at the bottom of the North Sea are not what scientists thought they were
By Andrew Chapman, EoS.org Published
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Eerie photograph captures whales hunted off Greenland lying in their watery grave
By Hannah Osborne Published
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How do marine mammals sleep underwater?
By Cameron Duke Published
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Mollusks
All Mollusks-
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Oldest known sex chromosome emerged 248 million years ago in an octopus ancestor
By Stephanie Pappas Published
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4 never-before-seen octopuses discovered in deep sea off Costa Rica
By Ashley Balzer Vigil Published
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Black-eyed squid dragging thousands of eggs like a cape captured in video off Costa Rica
By Sascha Pare Published
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Blue-ringed octopus, one of the most toxic animals on Earth, bites teen after hiding in shell
By Harry Baker Published
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Adorable, newfound pygmy squid species named after Japanese forest fairies
By Elise Poore Published
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Bright yellow sea snail named 'margarita' in honor of late musician Jimmy Buffett
By Harry Baker Published
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Mangrove leaf slug: The solar-powered mollusk that gobbles up sunlight then goes months without eating
By Sascha Pare Published
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Green-banded broodsac: The brain-hijacking parasite that creates disco zombie snails
By Megan Shersby Published
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Watch ghostly dumbo octopus swim with its massive 'ears' in rare new footage
By Harry Baker Published
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See extremely rare photos of alien-looking '7-arm octopus' spotted near Washington coast
By Harry Baker Published
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Watch elusive, sucker-less squid in rare footage captured off the Galapagos
By Elise Poore Published
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Watch a see-through squid with demon-like eyes swim in Alaska's deep waters
By Harry Baker Published
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Reptiles
All Reptiles-
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What does python taste like? Because it could be slithering onto our dinner plates.
By Sascha Pare Published
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We're finally close to a universal antivenom that works against cobra, krait and black mamba snake bites, say researchers
By Camille Abada Published
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Giant ball of Burmese pythons having sex discovered in Florida Everglades in record-breaking catch
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Mary River turtle: The green-haired oddball that can breathe through its butt for 72 hours
By Megan Shersby Published
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Snakes are built to evolve at incredible speeds, and scientists aren't sure why
By Hannah Osborne Published
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How we found the northern green anaconda, a new species of the heaviest snake on Earth
By Bryan G. Fry Published
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Watch chameleon erupt in color 'as if uttering her last words' in her final moments before death
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Alligators survive cold snap by becoming 'frozen solid' in North Carolina and Texas ponds
By Sascha Pare Published
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Slow-motion footage of snake attacks reveals surprise discovery about how they kill
By Sascha Pare Published
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'Eyes coming straight for me': Huge crocodile launches itself into boat with jaws wide open in strange attack
By Sascha Pare Published
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Pinky-white leucistic alligator with blue eyes born in Florida is 1 of only 8 in the world
By Lydia Smith Published
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Why does Australia have so many venomous animals?
By Elana Spivack Published
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Latest about Animals
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Orca calf refuses to leave a lagoon where its mother stranded and died off Vancouver Island
By Sascha Pare Published
-
Watch rare endangered pink handfish walking in 19th-century shipwreck off Tasmania
By Elise Poore Published
-
Giant 'toe biter' water bugs discovered in Cyprus for the 1st time
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Eleonora's falcon: The raptor that imprisons birds live by stripping their feathers and stuffing them in rocks
By Megan Shersby Published
-
Sperm whales drop giant poop bombs to save themselves from orca attack
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
-
'Kermit the Frog' creature that lived 270 million years ago looked like a 'stout salamander' with 'cartoonish' grin
By Jennifer Nalewicki Published
-
Like 'walking through the woods of millions of years ago': Ancient ecosystem brimming with dinosaur tracks discovered in Alaska
By Patrick Pester Published
-
'Ghost shark' with enormous head and giant iridescent eyes discovered off Thailand
By Elise Poore Published
-
Triassic 'tank' unearthed in Texas was a croc cousin that lived 215 million years ago
By Patrick Pester Published
-
Watch bizarre video of termites trapped in 'death spiral'
By Lydia Smith Published
-
Brutal footage shows orca mom and son team up to drown another pod's calf
By Hannah Osborne Published
-
Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their melon heads to communicate, scientists discover
By Richard Pallardy Published
-
Worm-like creature squirts 'milk' from its butt to feed its young in 1st-of-its-kind video
By Elise Poore Published
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Hummingbird hawk-moth: The bird-like insect with a giant sucking mouthpart
By Rohini Subrahmanyam Published
-
What does python taste like? Because it could be slithering onto our dinner plates.
By Sascha Pare Published
-
Why some whales go through menopause
By Gennaro Tomma Published
-
Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak
By Sascha Pare Published
-
7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific over 10 years — and 'the blob' is to blame
By Elise Poore Published
-
Prehistoric fish with giant jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth are the ultimate living fossils
By Richard Pallardy Published
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Striking virtual 3D scans reveal animals' innards — including the last meal of a hognose snake
By Elise Poore Published
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