Squirrel Acrobats Are as Smart as They Are Athletic

Picking a launch spot, sticking a landing, throwing in a little parkour and recovering from mistakes: Squirrels do it all.

What Animals See in the Stars, and What They Stand to Lose

Humans aren’t the only species that navigate by starlight. Animals from birds to dung beetles may do it, too — and might become disoriented as our city lights drown out the heavens.

You Won’t Believe How This Beetle Walks on Water

Scientists observed a beetle walking upside-down on the undersurface of a pool of water.

Trash Parrots Invent New Skill in Australian Suburbs

Sydney’s clever and adaptable sulfur-crested cockatoos learn how to pry open garbage bins by watching one another.

Cats Are Better Than Dogs (at Catching the Coronavirus)

Cats and dogs can be infected by the coronavirus — but cats are more susceptible to infection, a new study suggests.

Officials Kill Grizzly Bear Suspected in Fatal Attack of Woman in Montana

Wildlife officials believe the bear was the same grizzly that killed a California woman on Tuesday, given the proximity to the attack and evidence found at both scenes.

Did a Cuttlefish Write This?

Octopuses and squid are full of cephalopod character. But more scientists are making the case that cuttlefish hold the key to unlocking evolutionary secrets about intelligence.

When an Eel Climbs a Ramp to Eat Squid From a Clamp, That’s a Moray

Moray eels can hunt on land, and footage from a recent study highlights how they accomplish this feat with a sneaky second set of jaws.

Opinion | Modern Zoos Are Not Worth the Moral Cost

Many of them aspire to be good civic institutions that care for animals on their grounds and in the wild. But is it really worth their captivity?

Opinion | Think Twice Before Helping That Baby Bird You Found

We were a team, this baby bird and me, and if I didn’t know how foolish it would be to keep it, I totally would have kept it.

What Has Four Legs, a Trunk and a Behavioral Database?

From tens of thousands of hours of observation, scientists have compiled a detailed library of African elephant behavior.

Elephant Trunks: Is There Anything They Can’t Do?

A new study highlights the impressive biomechanics and suction power of an elephant’s most defining appendage.

Scientists Drove Mice to Bond by Zapping Their Brains With Light

The study, a tour de force in bioengineering, comes after two decades of research on brain-to-brain synchrony in people.

No, People Are Not Returning Pandemic Dogs in Droves

Despite alarmist headlines, the happy truth is most people are keeping their newly adopted pets, animal welfare groups say.