New research led by Queen Mary University of London shows that rolling of wooden balls by buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) fulfils behavioral criteria for animal play and is akin to play in other animals. Ball-rolling action by a buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Image credit: Dona et al., doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.013. Play is not limited to humans,…
Scientists researching forest carnivores such as martens, foxes and coyotes spend hours clambering through rugged terrain, sometimes in deep snow, placing and baiting camera traps to learn about animals' behavior in relation to their habitat. In recent years, this on-the-ground work has received a big boost from what might seem to be an unlikely source:…
It’s always a good idea to take a moment and reflect on some of nature’s strangest creatures. There are plenty out there, from small and furry, like the alpaca, to large and fearsome, like the great white shark. The world is full of uncanny animals and plants that don’t get much attention because they’re too far off our radar or in places we can’t access easily.…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is urging the public to avoid contact with a mountain lion that’s been detected in the state capital using technology that tracked the rare animal to Springfield’s west side.The DNR said the big cat, which was fitted last year with a GPS collar by the…
Science|It Takes a Lot of Elephant Brains to Solve This Mysteryhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/science/elephant-brains-trunks-faces.htmlTrilobitesBy counting the facial neurons in African savanna and Asian elephants, researchers made a discovery about the animals’ trunks.Send any friend a storyAs a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.Scientists set out to understand how…
These are the silly finalists in the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards. Published October 26, 2022 09:00AM EDT A winking spotted owl peeks out from inside a pipe and a winking fox sits in the woods. Grinning fish swim up close in bright blue water. A squirrel vaults in the air during a rainstorm. One of…
Dog Daze, a new book by Christopher Mark Slattery, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. Dog Daze is a story about redemption. When Wesley Wade Williams slips into a coma following an attack by his dog Fang, he is raptured to the mysterious Land of Canine, alluded to as Sirius the Dog Star,…
Eight-armed, pink-spotted argonauts live what appears to be a mysterious life. Unlike other octopuses, they spend their days floating near the surface of tropical waters, detaching their arms to have sex, and curling up in a milky white case. And that’s only what we’ve observed in the wild so far. But through studying argonaut genomes,…
Fox’s Animal Control is ramping up casting ahead of its expected midseason debut. The workplace comedy has recruited Crazy Ex-Girlfriend grad Vella Lovell to co-star opposite Joel McHale. The straight-to-series single-camera comedy follows a group of local Animal Control workers whose lives are complicated by the fact that animals are simple, but humans are not.…
The day or night schedule of their ancestors makes a difference, study finds. Published October 25, 2022 09:00AM EDT Lots of animals are vibrantly colored, easily spotted in their surroundings. Some bright birds and lizards use their showy hues to lure mates. But some snakes and amphibians use their colors to ward off predators. Researchers…
