In November of 2020, a volunteer-run monarch butterfly count across California spotted less than 2,000 of the insects. It was the third consecutive winter they’d tallied less than 30,000 individuals—a worrying trend. But the same count this past Thanksgiving brought a glimmer of hope: Volunteers found 247,237 butterflies over 283 sites, a remarkable turnaround in
With a color palette brighter than a bag of Skittles, you’d think the rose-veiled fairy wrasse would have no trouble standing out. But in the teeming waters of the Indian Ocean, it’s easy for a fish to swim under the radar, even when it looks like it’s ultraviolet. For decades, the rose-veiled fairy wrasse was
When fin whales capture their food, they end up scooping a lot of water into their mouths. Scientists in Canada have discovered a small, fatty structure in these marine mammals that may explain how they are able to engulf such vast amounts of prey-filled water without choking. When the researchers examined deceased whales, they identified
A new species of pterosaur has been discovered, a flying reptile that once graced the skies of the Australian Outback around 105 million years ago. The imposing, dragon-like creature, Thapunngaka shawi, was named to reflect its extremely pointy teeth in the now-extinct language of the local Indigenous Wanamara tribe. In 2011, a local fossil hunter
Male orb-weaving spiders risk it all to get intimate with female mates—even their lives. Like a number of spider species, these silk web architects participate in sexual cannibalism, where typically females feast upon male mates or nibble on their appendages during or after sex. But the males of one particular orb-weaving spider species, Philoponella prominens
Orca whales are known to be powerful predators, but the ones off the coast of Western Australia might be the most ruthless of their species. The individuals in this region are genetically distinct from other populations around the world—and they seem to stand out with their hunting prowess as well. In a just-published analysis of
Some call whales the sentinels of the sea, as these massive, long-living creatures affect entire food chains in marine ecosystems, contribute greatly to nutrient cycles in the ocean, and house and recycle tons of carbon in their lives. Because of their important role in these carbon processes, whale survival and populations are more important than
Chimpanzees howl. They squeak. They bark. And sometimes, they scream, then grunt, then bark, and then scream, all in a row. And according to a study published today in the journal Communications Biology, that series of expressions might carry its own meaning, almost like a chimp phrase. Over the course of 2019 and into 2020
Crows are seen as a commanding symbol around the world, including as a sacred animal in Aboriginal culture and as a harbinger of death in Ancient Greece. The birds have played a prominent role in several cultures due to their widespread presence—about 40 species occupy Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and Central America. Now
Fiddler crabs and snapping shrimp rely on enlarged claws to impress or fight off members of their own species—and the bigger the weapon, the better the odds of winning over a mate. But large appendages can be a real energy drain. “[It’s] this kind of slow burn of a cost that happens all the time,”
