Animals
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![A long-exposure shot of specks of light from fireflies in the forest](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m5pUHcdJuj5YibB3r6RSCJ-320-80.jpg)
How do fireflies light up?
By Freda Kreier published
Fireflies use a glowing chemical reaction to signal to one another in the dark of dusk and night.
![The face of an aardwolf with its mouth open.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aoLT6pu96t9qaN96hCcJBA-320-80.jpg)
Aardwolf: The weirdo hyena cousin that eats 300,000 termites each night
By Hannah Osborne published
Aardwolves — the "weird cousin" of the hyena world that has peg teeth and only eats insects — are an evolutionary mystery, stemming from a ghost lineage that scientists haven't been able to figure out.
![A photograph of a carrion crow perched on a log](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PXKKG9aaobohnAUj5xjqXX-320-80.jpg)
Crows can count out loud, startling study reveals
By Ben Turner published
This is the first time an animal other than humans has been seen performing the feat of vocal numeracy.
![A giant huntsman spider crawling over rock.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DZUvGjjLnPfuoUx68cW9XH-320-80.jpg)
Giant huntsman spider: The world's largest spider by leg span
By Jessie Szalay, Ailsa Harvey last updated
Reference Giant huntsman spiders are the largest member of the huntsman spider family Sparassidae with a leg span stretching up to 12 inches across — roughly the size of a dinner plate.
![A puppy with large eyes.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dekU275HMsdM7ieEJC6xHQ-320-80.jpg)
'Puppy eyes' didn't evolve just for humans, study of wild dogs finds
By Joanna Thompson published
A new study debunks the idea that domestic dogs specifically evolved puppy dog eyes to tug on our heartstrings.
![A photograph of a herd of elephants marching in a line on the savannah.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yNanHABzgWp4pUvkRX7PYT-320-80.jpg)
32 animals that act weirdly human sometimes
By Carys Matthews published
From chimps that wage war over territory to parrots that outperform Harvard students on memory tests, many other members of the animal kingdom demonstrate surprisingly human-like behavior.
![An owl-shaped bloom of a parasitic plant, glowing green against a black background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xRaX3Dq8KcupgkRwLXnT5G-320-80.jpg)
Mesmerizing photo shows weird, scowling parasitic plant that looks like a owl
By Elise Poore published
A stunning photo of the peculiar parasitic plant species, Thismia thaithongiana, wins gold in the Plants and Fungus category of the World Nature Photography Awards.
![An orca swimming next to a small orange boat](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v7R2tcz7PuHTv9qdWNCQd-320-80.jpg)
Orcas have attacked and sunk another boat in Europe — and experts warn there could be more attacks soon
By Harry Baker published
A group of orcas known to attack boats in southwest Europe have sunk a 50-foot sailing yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar after ripping open its hull. It is the fifth time these killer whales have sent a ship to the seafloor in the last three years.
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