Animals
-
AnimalsBlue-footed boobies dirty their eggs to hide them from predators
Blue-footed boobies lay bright white eggs on the ground. Dirtying the eggs camouflages them against gulls, a new study finds.
-
OceansGiant barrel sponges are hijacking Florida’s coral reefs
Giant barrel sponges are gradually taking over and threatening Florida’s coral reefs, a new census suggests.
-
AnimalsWhy we need predators
It might be easy to say that we should wipe out species that can kill us. But the effects of such action would be far ranging.
-
AnimalsWarmer waters give Arctic mosquitoes a growth spurt
Arctic mosquitoes develop faster in warmer waters, outpacing increased predation.
-
AnimalsDogs flub problem-solving test
Confronting a tough task, dogs are more likely than wolves to give up and gaze at a human
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsFor a female mosquito, the wrong guy can mean no babies
Male Asian tiger mosquitoes leave female yellow fever mosquitoes uninterested in mating with their own species, a process known as “satyrization.”
-
EcosystemsPatrolling bats protect corn fields from pests
Bats play a key role in protecting corn from pests and fungus.
-
AnimalsShipwreck provides window into Tudor-era cod fishing
In the 1500s, England was feeding its navy with fish caught far from home, a new study finds.
-
AnimalsLoss of vision meant energy savings for cavefish
Novel measurement feeds idea that tight energy budgets favored vision loss in cavefish.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsHow a seahorse dad is like a pregnant woman
Live birth has evolved at least 150 times in vertebrates, including in seahorses and humans. And there are some surprising similarities between the species.
-
AnimalsInvading Argentine ants carry virus that attacks bees
The first survey of viruses in the globally invasive Argentine ant brings both potentially bad and good news.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsInvading Argentine ant hordes carry a virus that attacks bees
Invasive Argentine ants may be reservoirs for a virus menacing honeybees — and for previously unknown virus.
By Susan Milius