Wild Things
The weird and wonderful in the natural world
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Animal moms sacrifice a lot — sometimes even themselves
In the animal kingdom, there are bad mothers and good ones — and then there are those that let their kids eat them.
- Animals
Ivory listings found on Craigslist as elephant poaching continues
Elephants are hunted by the thousands to meet demand for ivory products.
- Animals
Lazy sunfish are actually active predators
Ocean sunfish were once thought to be drifting eaters of jellyfish. But they’re not, new research shows.
- Plants
A protein battle underlies the beauty of orchids
The petal-and-lip shape that draws pollinators to orchids results from a competition between two protein complexes, a new study finds.
- Paleontology
Your toy stegosaurus may be a girl
Male and female stegosaurs may have looked different, a new study finds.
- Animals
Growth of mining on land may promote invasions at sea
Ballast water taken in to keep ships stable could, when discharged elsewhere, release species that become invasive in their new homes.
- Ecosystems
Before you plant this spring, consider the birds
A study of Chicago neighborhoods finds that the plants in private yards influence the variety of birds that live in the area.
- Animals
How many manatees live in Florida?
The most recent official count reports more than 6,000 manatees in Florida waters, but a new estimate may give a better picture of the population.
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Flight delayed: There’s a coyote on the runway
A new study tallies up airport incidents involving carnivores and finds coyotes are the biggest threat.
- Animals
Tiny sea turtles are swimmers, not drifters
Young green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles moved in different directions than instruments set adrift in the sea, which shows the animals were swimming.
- Animals
Eggs and other land foods won’t feed polar bears
Polar bears will not be able to survive on land by eating birds, eggs and vegetation, a new review concludes.
- Animals
How human activities may be creating coywolves
Endangered red wolves will mate with coyotes when their partners are killed, which often happens because of human activities, a new study finds.
