Animals

Animals

Cats play fetch — but only when they feel like it 

Most cats that play fetch pick up the behavior on their own, a study finds. And those felines tend to dictate when fetching sessions begin and end.

Animals

Which way is up? Insects may lose track near artificial lights

Flying insects may use light to figure out where the sky is. But artificial lights can send them veering off course, high-speed video suggests.

Animals

Reindeer can chew food in their sleep

Brain waves and behaviors suggest that reindeer can doze while chewing.

Animals

Spiders that fall into water use reflected light to find land

When elongate stilt spiders fall into water, they head for areas that don’t reflect light, studies show. This cue appears to signal dry land.

Ecosystems

A weird upside-down world lurks beneath Antarctica’s ice

A vast swath of ocean surrounds Antarctica, hidden under the ice. Here, strange creatures burrow into the dark underbelly of a floating glacier.

Animals

Let’s learn about birdwatching for beginners

One birdwatcher unpacks the personal and scientific rewards of birding, and how to get started.

Animals

Have you seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster? Probably not 

 Floe Foxon is a data scientist by day. In his free time, he applies his skills to astronomy, cryptology and sightings of mythical creatures.

Animals

Swimming in schools lets fish save lots of energy

Each tail flap uses less than half as much energy than swimming solo, making it easier for fish to catch their breath after an underwater sprint.

Animals

Paw-print DNA lets scientists track out-of-sight polar bears

This environmental DNA can aid in conserving species that are hard or dangerous to observe.

Animals

A newfound type of hedgehog is small, dark and adorable

At first, this hedgehog was mistaken for a lookalike relative. But its teeth, skull shape and DNA confirmed it as a new species.

Animals

Here’s how kingfishers avoid concussions during high-speed dives

Understanding the genetic adaptations that protect the birds’ brains as they dive might one day offer clues to protecting human brains.

Animals

Horned lizards and snakes tend to ambush their prey

The reptiles’ horns could help or hinder during foraging, depending on how they hunt. This might be why horns evolved in some species and not others.