Wildlife(Page 5)

The latest on the fascinating flora and fauna of our planet.

Latest in Wildlife

a larger shark and smaller one photographed from below near the surface

17 fascinating images from the 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year awards

By Popular Science Team

A harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) on the beach during the summer premoult stage.

When wily sea lions and determined wildlife officials sparred in Seattle

The acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea and its host cricket.

This parasitic fly gives birth inside of crickets

By Laura Baisas

several small fish with colorful organa and blue scales

Orange male guppies are hornier

By Laura Baisas

plastic coyotes on robots

US Army deploys plastic coyotes attached to mini four-wheelers

By Mack DeGeurin

a team of greenland sled dog puppies with white fur pulls a sled

Oldest known dog breed reveals hidden human history

By Lauren Leffer

a yellow crab on a beach

Endangered Species

Australia’s ghost crabs decapitate baby sea turtles

By Laura Baisas

Images of prehistoric multitool made from cave lion bone

Neanderthals made a ‘Swiss Army knife’ from cave lion bone

A pseudoscorpion from the genus Nipponogarypus in South Korea.

New pseudoscorpions with dragon-like jaws discovered in a South Korea cave

By Laura Baisas

Steven Spielberg, director of ‘Jaws,’ films the mechanical shark on set.

50 years of the ‘Jaws effect’

By Laura Baisas

Burmese python on ground

Pythons can devour bones thanks to unique stomach cells

Masked boobies on Johnston Atoll

Pacific island wildlife refuge spared from SpaceX rocket project

baby elephant under mother in water

12 compelling wildlife photographs from BigPicture 2025

By Annie Colbert

a yellowtail parrotfish swims by a coral reef

Real Coral Reefs of Miami: A Q&A with the marine biologist behind a popular livestream

By Laura Baisas

a close up of a hermit crab, with brown coloring and dark eyes

What makes a hermit crab more bold? Hairy claws.

By Laura Baisas

A jumping spider devours a hoverfly. The hoverfly has evolved to look like a wasp, but in this case the resemblance is not sufficient to deter a spider from attacking it.

Flies disguised as wasps can’t fool birds

By Lauren Leffer

Orca whale on beach

Wild orcas will sometimes offer food to humans

Eryops megacephalus’ (left) skull alongside Rex from the film “Toy Story” (right).

Skull that looks like a ‘Toy Story’ character unearthed in Texas

By Laura Baisas

two sea turtles released into the ocean wearing transponders

Endangered Species

17 rehabilitated sea turtles released off Cape Cod

By Laura Baisas

a leopard in a forest in myanmar

Endangered Species

Elusive and critically endangered leopard caught on camera

By Margherita Bassi

Portrait of a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis helleri).

Spring rain could mean more rattlesnake bites

Birdfy smart bird feeders on a plain background

Our favorite budget smart bird feeder is cheaper than it has been all year at Amazon

By Stan Horaczek

An artistic reconstruction of Swaindelphys. it has black fur, pointy pink ears, and pointy nose, and very large brown eyes

Shockingly large extinct possum uncovered in Texas

By Margherita Bassi

several baby turtles all crowded together

3,427 trafficked baby turtles rescued in Mexico

By Margherita Bassi

eight chipmunk specimens with tags on them in a museum collection

City living is changing rodent skulls in Chicago

By Laura Baisas

Cissy, a Sumatran orangutan mother, is taking a nap in her day nest.

Orangutans sacrifice sleep to socialize–but naps can help

By Lauren Leffer

An artist’s view of what the area of the Zvejnieki cemetery (present-day northern Latvia) might have looked like when animal parts were processed in the cooking pits.

Stone Age humans extracted animal teeth with flames, blades, and fleshy stews

By Laura Baisas

A turtle basking with its legs outstretched on a rock. This activity is normal and beneficial to turtles.

Why do turtles do the ‘Superman pose’?

By Laura Baisas

two orca whales come into contact with one another and a piece of kelp is between them

Orcas spotted using seaweed to groom each other

By Laura Baisas

a close up of a sedated black bear undergoing an examination by a team of vets. the bear's mouth open, showing his teeth

This is how you give a bear a check-up

By Margherita Bassi

a baby sea turtle in the sand

13 serene nature images from the Florida State Parks photo contest

By Popular Science Team

small fish in a net being rescued

Endangered Species

After a devastating wildfire, rescued fish make a triumphant return to Malibu

By Margherita Bassi

Koala female with her baby at the Perth Zoo in Australia.

Endangered Species

Secret koala population discovered near Australian city

By Margherita Bassi

A bird on a feeder eating seeds.

How to pick the right bird feeder and feed for your area

By John Alexander

a beige and brown moth on a stone

Endangered Species

Migrating moths can read the stars

By Lauren Leffer

illustration of a large lizard with a bulging head carrying a large egg

Bones of a raccoon-sized prehistoric lizard sat in a jar for 20 years

By Laura Baisas

a long black amphibian with feathered gills called an axolotl swims in a fish tank

Axolotl mucus peptides attack breast cancer cells and MRSA

By Laura Baisas

A Guatemalan tiger rump tarantula (Davus pentaloris) in a terrarium with reflections.

Tarantulas adapt their running style after losing legs

By Laura Baisas

Fuzzy beetle on red flower

Most bugs can’t see red—but these beetles can

A great hammerhead shark swimming close to the surface in Bimini, Bahamas, Caribbean Sea.

Endangered Species

Young hammerhead sharks love Biscayne Bay. Leave them alone, humans.

By Laura Baisas

Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park, South Carolina, showing old growth bottomland hardwood forest.

This National Park uses a ‘Skeeter Meter’ to inform visitors about mosquitoes

By Laura Baisas

an anaconda coiled sitting on straw

Q&A: How anacondas, chickens, and locals may be able to coexist in the Amazon

a leopad seal with its mouth wide open

15 riveting images from the 2025 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition

By Popular Science Team

a weedy seadragon swimming. they have long snouts and raised backs

Weedy seadragons in the running for nature’s best dads

By Margherita Bassi

a baby skunk is held by a person wearing blue latex gloves

Rescued baby skunks enjoy a good song

By Margherita Bassi

an adult osprey looks on as the heads of three chicks pop out over a nest

Three osprey chicks hatch in 500-pound steel nest boxes

By Laura Baisas

European Gray Wolf Cubs in a Grass in a Spring Day

Two Ice Age ‘puppies’ weren’t exactly dogs

Thrush songbird

Ancient Romans snacked on deep-fried songbirds

Examples of the pig molar teeth specimens analyzed for a study on pig domestication.

Wild boars began shrinking down to domesticated pigs 8,000 years ago

By Laura Baisas

Hammerhead shark in water

Osprey drops hammerhead shark onto disc golf field

Gonatus Antarcticus squid seen underwater

Watch the mesmerizing first-ever footage of a rare Antarctic squid

Lab grown salmon on sushi rice on a plate

FDA approves lab-grown salmon

Sunny (top) practicing her hovering skills on May 29. She remained airborne for 3.3 seconds.

Famous eaglets Sunny and Gizmo have both officially left the nest

By Laura Baisas

fuzzy, orange-ish rodent in a person gloved hand

A baby porcupine is fluffier than you’d imagine

By Margherita Bassi

a blue fish with a pointy face in a california kelp forest

Q&A with the team behind ‘Ocean with David Attenborough’

By Laura Baisas

a violinist poses with his violin next to a pond with turtles

Turtles gather for sweet sounds of violinist

By Margherita Bassi

two yawning robot heads and a chimp

Chimpanzees ‘caught a yawn’ from this robot and researchers aren’t sure why

By Mack DeGeurin

an image taken with a microscope that shows a fruit fly approaching a tower made of tiny roundworms

Worm towers are all around us

By Lauren Leffer

an illustration of an extinct marsupial with brown and white fur and a small trunk-like nose

Australia’s giant extinct marsupials may be ID’d using tiny bone bits

Dead coral sit on the ocean bed in the Straits of Florida near Key Largo, Florida, on September 23, 2021. The coral is very gray and white

Probiotics can help heal ravaged coral reefs

By Laura Baisas

Close up of white cockatoo

Wild cockatoos are learning how to use water fountains

A female Anopheles mosquito is sitting on a green vine of the forest a

Scientists engineer mosquito STD to combat malaria

By Laura Baisas

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025 Mark Meth-Cohn MILNTHORPE United Kingdom Title: Aaaaaww Mum! Description: Caring Gorilla mum giving her infant a big sloppy kiss! Animal: Gorilla Location of shot: Rwanda

10 delightful images from the 2025 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

By Popular Science Team

a small frog on a road, with a person's bright sneakers in the background

Wildlife underpass reduces squished amphibians by 80%

By Laura Baisas