Animals
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AnimalsFungi threaten sea turtle nests
The pathogens can kill up to 90 percent of eggs in a single nest.
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AnimalsDisco clams put on a streak show
Scuba divers call Ctenoides ales the disco or electric clam because the restless, curling lips of its mantle flash bright streaks.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsSynchronous birth
For young banded mongoose moms, there’s only one choice for when to give birth — the same day as older, dominant mothers. In communities of these cat-sized animals, all females give birth together, no matter when they became pregnant.
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AnimalsWhen snakes fly
A gliding snake gets some lift by spreading its ribs, but much about its flight remains a mystery.
By Susan Milius -
PlantsSexually deceived flies not hopelessly dumb
Pollinators tricked into mating with a plant become harder to fool a second time.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsWindows may kill up to 988 million birds a year in the United States
Single-family homes and low-rise buildings do much more damage than skyscrapers.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsGray seals snack on harbor porpoises
Photo evidence confirms seals' fatal attacks on harbor porpoises in the English Channel, suggesting that declines in the seals' usual fare are forcing the animals to seek out other high-energy food.
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AnimalsAnimals were the original twerkers
From black widow spiders to birds and bees, shaking that booty goes way back.
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AnimalsMantis shrimp’s bizarre visual system may save brainpower
The mantis shrimp sees each color separately with one of a dozen kinds of specialized cells, a system that may help the animal quickly see colors without a lot of brainpower.
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AnimalsEight ways that animals survive the winter
Migrating to a warmer place is just the start when it comes to finding ways to stay toasty as temperatures drop.
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AnimalsSloths, moths, algae may live in three-way benefit pact
Insects and green slime may justify the slow mammal’s risky descent from trees.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsSperm on a stick for springtails
Many males of the tiny soil organisms sustain their species by leaving drops of sperm glistening here and there in the landscape in case a female chooses to pick one up.
By Susan Milius