Animals
- Animals
Scientists Say: Autopsy and Necropsy
Sometimes when animals die, they need to be investigated. These examinations have two special names. One is for people, the other for non-human animals.
- Animals
This is no cold fish!
The opah is the fish closest to the whole-body warm-bloodedness typical of mammals and birds. This trait may give the species an edge in the ocean’s cold depths.
By Susan Milius - Microbes
The bugs within us
Hordes of bacteria live inside people and other animals. This ‘microbiome’ can affect the development of the blood-brain barrier, food choices — even mating.
By Roberta Kwok - Animals
Pesticides offer bees a risky allure
Honeybees and bumblebees sometimes cannot taste or avoid pesticides called neonicotinoids. And that may expose some of these important pollinators to harm.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Picture This: The real ‘early bird’
Long before dinosaurs went extinct, birds were emerging on Earth. These hummingbird-size wading birds are the earliest known ancestors of today’s birds.
By Meghan Rosen - Animals
Scientists feed bed bugs (on purpose)
To study bed bugs in the lab, scientists had to first learn how to keep the blood-thirsty critters well fed. And that proved easier said than done.
By Brooke Borel - Animals
Explainer: Eek — what if you get bed bugs?
A bed bug infestation requires attention. Some treatments you can undertake yourself, but many are best left to professionals.
By Brooke Borel - Animals
Return of the bed bug
Bed bugs have staged a comeback over the past 15 years. The bloodsucking parasites succeeded through a combination of evolution and luck.
By Brooke Borel - Animals
4 reasons not to ignore signs of bed bugs
Here are important reasons not to ignore signs of bed bugs. Above all, an infestation carries real risks to your health and wellbeing.
By Brooke Borel - Animals
What’s the buzz? A new mosquito lure
Broadcasting a fake buzz can lure male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes away from females. That could reduce populations of these annoying — and disease-causing — insects, reports a teen at the 2015 Intel ISEF competition.
By Sid Perkins - Health & Medicine
Do mosquitoes love you? Blame your parents
By studying twins, scientists found that how attractive we are to mosquitoes depends partly on our genes. That could lead to better bug repellents.
- Animals
What’s for dinner? Mom.
Female spiders of one species make the ultimate sacrifice when raising their young: The mothers feed themselves to their children.
By Susan Milius