Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 30, 2011

Snails Survive Being Eaten and Excreted by Birds

Tiny snails can actually benefit from being eaten by birds, according to a new study that found about 15 percent of the snails eaten by two species of bird survived their journey through the birds' guts and out the other end. The birds appear to spread the snails they have...

Jun 30, 2011

'Dog Attacks Shark' Video Explained

In a new YouTube video that has gone viral, a dog is seen diving into water off the coast of Australia in pursuit of (and possibly biting) a lurking shark. In another video uploaded in 2006 that has since racked up over 27 million views, a dog jumps off a...

Jun 30, 2011

New Guide: When to Move Species Struggling with Climate Change

As climate changes make native habitats unlivable to plants and animals, these species have two choices: Leave or go extinct. Now, researchers are offering guidance on when conservationists should undertake the last-ditch strategy of transplanting struggling species to new habitats. Rats, fire ants, Asian carp, kudzu vines — humans have...

Jun 30, 2011

Treatments for Deadly Frog Fungus Show Promise

The deadly frog fungus that has wiped out amphibian species across the globe may be contained with several innovative strategies, according to scientists who reviewed the effectiveness of all available strategies. However, the researchers warn it is still too soon to recommend the treatments, as the fungus may develop a...

May 31, 2011

Hungry Female Fish May Have Sex Change On Its Mind

Not many would recommend that a guy tell his gal pal to slim down, but for some fish in tropical coral reefs it's a necessary way of life. New research reveals that male cleaner fish aggressively nudge their mates to watch their diet, as a way to prevent their female...

May 31, 2011

Brainy Parrots Can Think Like 4-Year-Olds

Parrots are capable of logical leaps, according to a new study in which a gray parrot named Awisa used reasoning to figure out where a bit of food was hidden. The task is one that kids as young as 4 could figure out, but the only other animals that have...

May 31, 2011

How One Expert Creates Beard of Bees (Very Carefully!)

This Research in Action article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Among the many unique talents of Marla Spivak — a MacArthur Foundation Fellow at the University of Minnesota and an NSF-funded bee researcher — is her ability to safely create bee beards. Here she...

May 31, 2011

In the Crosshairs: Wildlife Survive Conflict in Afghanistan

Despite years of unregulated hunting and habitat loss due to wartime conflict in Afghanistan, large mammals such as Asiatic black bears, gray wolves and leopards are managing to survive in parts of the region, according to a new survey. Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) used data gathered between...

May 31, 2011

Happiness a Key to Long Life for Humans and Orangutans

Just like humans, happier orangutans live longer, scientists find. These findings might shed light on the evolution of happiness in humans. Past research suggested that happy people live longer. To see if this also held true in our ape relatives, scientists asked zookeepers starting seven years ago to rate the...

May 31, 2011

Woodpecker Revival Runs Out of Room

This Research in Action article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The red-cockaded woodpecker is very particular about its real estate, a quality that helped land it on the U.S. Endangered Species List. When building nests, these birds choose only living, mature Southern pines and...

Apr 30, 2011

The Weirdest Mothering Tricks in the Animal World

Moms -- we've all got them, and we all need them. But some animals have a slightly different idea of what it means to be a good mother. From moms who turn their bodies into food to others who encourage their young to become cannibals, here are the weirdest mothering...

Apr 30, 2011

Great Gorilla! Zoo Atlanta Welcomes Newborn Primate

There's a new princess at Zoo Atlanta. Kudzoo, a western lowland gorilla , gave birth to a baby girl on May 9. Kudzoo and her offspring are Zoo Atlanta royalty she was the first-born offspring of world-famous gorilla Willie B. The newborn is the third grandchild of the iconic silverback,...

Apr 30, 2011

Low Oxygen in Gulf of Mexico Has Fish Sexually Confused

You might get a little woozy without enough oxygen, but Atlantic croakers react to low oxygen levels in a completely different way: Their reproductive organs get confused. In such a hypoxic environment, female fish started producing sperm in their ovaries, the researchers found. Hypoxia has increased dramatically over the last...

Apr 30, 2011

Cannibalism Weeds Out Baby Alligators

Baby alligators can't depend on their elders for a helping hand. In fact, young gators are a perfect bite to eat for large gator adults. Now, a new study finds that between 6 percent and 7 percent of young alligators fall victim to the cruel fate of cannibalism. On the...

Mar 31, 2011

New Recordings of 'Extinct' Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

Every morning, Michael Collins heads to the Pearl River bayou near his Louisiana home to bird-watch for a couple of hours before work. He gets around the swamp by kayak, hauling cameras, tape recorders, and tree climbing ropes through the swamp, and searches, day after day, for the holy grail...