Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 9, 2023

Bison are being introduced to the Russian Arctic to replace extinct woolly mammoths. But why?

Scientists have introduced bison to the Russian Arctic to take on the role of extinct mammoths and help restore ancient ecosystems. Twelve plains bison (Bison bison bison) have arrived at Ingilor Nature Park, a protected area covering more than 2.2 million acres (900,000 hectares) in the northern Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area....

Aug 31, 2023

Critically endangered donkey with stripy 'zebra legs' born in UK zoo

One of the world's most endangered animals, an African wild ass — which looks like a donkey with zebra legs — has been born at a zoo in the U.K., raising hopes for its species' continued survival. African wild asses (Equus africanus) are a species of donkey native to Eritrea,...

Sep 6, 2023

Scientists finally figured out what's making German wild boars radioactive, and it's not just Chernobyl

After puzzling scientists for decades, researchers have finally figured out what's making Bavaria's wild boars radioactive, even as other animals show few signs of contamination. Turns out, the animals are still significantly contaminated with radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons detonated over 60 years ago — not just from the Chernobyl...

Oct 21, 2023

Takins: Strange, mountain-dwelling mammals with mythical golden fleeces

Name: Takin (Budorcas taxicolor); four subspecies: Bhutan takin (B. taxicolor whitei); golden takin (B. taxicolor bedfordi); Mishmi takin (B. taxicolor taxicolor); and Sichuan takin (B. taxicolor tibetana) Where it lives: Alpine zones and forested valleys in Asia, ranging through areas of Bhutan, Myanmar, northern India, central and southern China and...

Oct 27, 2023

Chimps go through menopause. That could shed light on how it evolved in humans.

Wild female chimpanzees in Uganda live well past the point when they can reproduce and probably go through menopause similar to humans, a new study has found. The finding raises fresh questions about why humans experience menopause. Until now, humans were one of only three animal species known to go...

Oct 27, 2023

22,000-foot volcano summit is home to Earth's highest-dwelling vertebrates, study confirms

The hostile, snow-capped tops of volcanoes in the Andes are home to the world's highest-dwelling vertebrates, new research confirms. The finding that small mammals live 22,000 feet (6,700 meters) above sea level challenges assumptions about the limits of vertebrate life, researchers told Science magazine. In the past, scientists repeatedly found...

Nov 2, 2023

Can rats 'imagine'? Rodents show signs of imagination while playing VR games

Do lab rats have the ability to imagine, like humans do? A new study says yes. Rats may be capable of a type of imagination that's crucial for route planning, research from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) suggests. Although the creative arts spring to mind when we think of...

Nov 7, 2023

Watch rare footage of wolf hunting sea otter in Alaska at low tide

Wolves on the Alaskan coast now regularly kill and eat sea otters and harbor seals, scientists have discovered. The finding suggests that the coastal wolves can adapt their hunting behavior — and may have developed unique strategies to prey on marine mammals when food on land is scarce. The study...

Nov 9, 2023

Chimps use military tactic only ever seen in humans before

Chimps use an ancient military tactic to make decisions and avoid potentially fatal clashes with rival groups, scientists have discovered. Researchers observed two western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) communities in Africa take to the hills to carry out surveillance on each other — much like reconnaissance missions used by militaries....

Nov 18, 2023

Do lemmings actually jump off of cliffs?

In 1958, Disney released a wildlife documentary called White Wilderness. One scene depicts a tiny, brown-furred rodent — a lemming — scuttling about in the Arctic snow. There is an actual living legend, the narrator declares, before diving into an explanation of the so-called lemming suicide myth. In a turn...

Nov 24, 2023

Giant 1.5-foot-long rat that can crack open coconuts photographed for 1st time on remote island

The first ever images of the Vangunu giant rat, an elusive rodent that can grow up to 1.5 feet long and is known from only a single specimen that fell out of a tree six years ago, have been recorded by researchers in the Solomon Islands. Using camera traps and...

Dec 1, 2023

Kangaroos might try to drown your dog. Here's why.

Mick Moloney was walking on the banks of the Murray River in northwestern Victoria, Australia, when he noticed his dog Hutchy was missing. He glanced toward the water and saw a kangaroo standing waist-deep in the river with its arms submerged. Next thing you know, Hutchy came up gasping for...

Dec 1, 2023

Shimmering golden mole thought extinct photographed and filmed over 80 years after last sighting

A golden mole that has not been seen for over 80 years has been rediscovered in sand dunes in South Africa. The blind animal was filmed and photographed after an extensive search for the species, which researchers feared was extinct. De Winton's golden mole (Cryptochloris wintoni) is an elusive blind...

Dec 12, 2023

Some female meerkats have a brutal, bloodthirsty streak, and now we may know why

Meerkats may look cute, but the dominant females are notoriously deadly and will kill female relatives and eat their offspring to suppress reproduction and eliminate future competition. Now, scientists may finally know what helps these murderous matriarchs become dominant — and stay on top. In a new preprint study posted...

Dec 23, 2023

Tufted ground squirrel: The Borneo rodent once believed to disembowel deer and feast on their organs

Name: Tufted ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis) Where it lives: On the ground and low branches of hilly forests in Borneo What it eats: Extremely hard seeds from a handful of tree species Why it's awesome: Rumor has it that tufted ground squirrels, nicknamed vampire squirrels in a 2014 Science article,...