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Animals

The lucrative bird-singing contests that are pushing species to the brink

Millions of songbirds in Southeast Asia are trapped and smuggled each year for keeping as pets or entering in competitions. Scientists warn that it's fueling a crisis.

Blood, poop and carcasses: How feasting bugs are helping map biodiversity

Critters that dine on flesh and waste also consume the animal’s DNA. That genetic material is helping scientists detect and map elusive species and their pathogens.

They call it stupid hot for a reason: Heat muddles animal brains

As temperatures rise, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The consequences of these behavioral changes may ripple through ecosystems.

Evolution of snakes: Scientists unravel the mysssteries

Huge snakes, tiny snakes, poisonous snakes and constrictor snakes, snakes that slither, burrow or swim: New fossils and modern technology are tracing serpent origins

How new fishing tech can reduce bycatch of turtles and other creatures

Nets equipped with water bottles and other tricks can help save some species, while allowing fisherman to still catch others

The strange animals that control their body heat

Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators

The curious case of low-protein diets

In the lab, animals live longer on less of the stuff. How could this be, and what does it mean for human aging?

Why disease outbreaks on Chinese fur farms are a serious risk to public health

Farming animals for fur is not only cruel but also provides an ideal environment for viruses to mix and cross over into humans

Field of clones: How horse replicas came to dominate polo

In Argentina, equine cloning in polo is no longer a rarity. It’s now a mature industry — although ethical dilemmas surrounding it persist.

Beating back the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Scientists are taking a multipronged approach to tackle this dangerous carrier of dengue, yellow fever and other noxious viruses

How plant-eaters snag their essential amino acids

Early in evolution, we animals lost the ability to manufacture nine of the 20 building blocks needed to make proteins. Herbivores evolved an impressive array of tricks to ensure their dietary needs are met.

Flying with whales: Drones are remaking marine mammal research

From collecting whale snot to capturing surprising behaviors, aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of life at sea

Animals that eat poisons and don’t die

Critters consuming species that contain deadly toxins have evolved a suite of clever strategies to keep out of harm’s way

Tracking down the hidden pollutants that make wildlife sick

A new technique for detecting unknown and unlooked-for chemicals is revealing dozens of contaminants in alligators, sea lions and condors

Animal origami: The physics of nature’s folds

Insects that tuck away wings; a protist with an accordion-like neck — studying these clever creases may inspire foldable structures for drones

The clock is ticking: How epigenetics could help save wildlife from collapse

In polar bears, dolphins, baboons and more, molecular signatures of aging are changing how conservationists assess population health, resilience and risk

Shucking the past: Can oysters thrive again?

Dredging and pollution devastated the once-bountiful reefs. Careful science may help bring them back.

How the cavefish lost its eyes — again and again

Mexican tetras that got swept into pitch-black caverns had no use for the energetically costly organs. They lost their eyes in multiple ways — and gained some nifty traits too.

Dogs and their people: Companions in cancer research

Canine and human cancers bear many similarities — studies in dogs are helping to develop treatments for both species

Worm-inspired treatments inch toward the clinic

Infection by certain wrigglers may reduce inflammation and fight obesity and diabetes. Scientists are at work to turn the findings into therapies.

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