National Geographic News: Animals

Why Some Poison Frogs Taste Bittersweet When Licked

Dave Mosher — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:57:21 -0500

It's a discovery perhaps only a frog-licking scientist could make: Toxic frogs secrete sugars and bile acids in addition to their poisons.

Life on Earth Began on Land, Not in Sea?

Dave Mosher — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:57:06 -0500

The first cellular life on Earth probably arose in a vat of volcanic mud akin to Darwin's idea of a "warm little pond," a new study says.

Shark-Attack Deaths Highest in 19 Years—Travel Trends to Blame?

Brian Handwerk — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:32:47 -0500

Though down in the U.S., shark-attack deaths rose worldwide, perhaps due to increased tourism on far-flung shores, experts say.

"Vampire" Parasite Found Entombed in Amber

Rachel Kaufman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:43:04 -0500

The first known fossil of a rare bloodsucker called the bat fly has been found in 20-million-year-old amber, a new study reports.

Zebra Stripes Evolved to Repel Bloodsuckers?

Rachel Kaufman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:45:47 -0500

Stripes may do more than help zebras hide in tall grass—the pattern may scramble the vision of bloodsucking horseflies

Oldest Animal Discovered—Earliest Ancestor of Us All?

Ker Than — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:51:36 -0500

Could 760-million-year-old African "sponges" be humankind's earliest known ancestors?

Guinea Pigs Were Widespread as Elizabethan Pets

Christine Dell'Amore — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:59:24 -0500

The tiny South American rodents were bred as pets throughout 16th- and 17th-century Europe, a new study suggests.

Elephants Took 24 Million Generations to Evolve From Mouse-Size

Ker Than — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:32:02 -0500

For mammals, evolving into bigger sizes takes a lot longer than shrinking, new evolution study shows.

Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Forecast Is In

Ker Than — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:05:08 -0500

Early spring or long winter? "Immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil has made his forecast. Get the odd facts behind Groundhog Day 2012.

Groundhog Day 2012: Behind Phil's Immortal Allure

Ker Than — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:03:17 -0500

With ancient origins, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2012. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest U.S. weather prediction.

Prehistoric "Shield"-Headed Croc Found

Brian Handwerk — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:50:18 -0500

A fossil croc sporting an odd head "shield" has been found in Morocco, paleontologists say.

Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate?

Christine Dell'Amore — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:09:26 -0500

Invasive Burmese pythons are likely behind "dramatic" declines of the swamp's mammals—from rabbits to bobcats—new research suggests.

Near-Extinct Monkeys Found in Colombian Park

Christine Dell'Amore — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:59:20 -0500

A new population of one of the world's rarest primates has been found in a Colombian park, conservationists announced today.

Sharks Eating Songbirds in Gulf of Mexico

Rachel Kaufman — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:08:45 -0500

Land birds disoriented by oil-rig lights are becoming food for tiger sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, new research says.

"White," Albino-like Penguin Found in Antarctica

Christine Dell'Amore — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:28:39 -0500

Spotted by tourists, the rare bird has a genetic mutation that dilutes feather pigments.

World's Smallest Frog Found—Fly-Size Beast Is Tiniest Vertebrate

Christine Dell'Amore — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:44:59 -0500

No bigger than a housefly, the new species is the smallest known animal with a backbone, a new study says.

Worm-Eating Plant Found—Kills via Underground Leaves

Christine Dell'Amore — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:01 -0500

A Brazilian plant uses sticky underground leaves to trap roundworms, a new study says.

Cajun Crayfish Invading Africa, Eating Native Species

Ochieng' Ogodo in Nairobi, Kenya — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:44:11 -0500

A popular U.S. crayfish with a voracious appetite is wreaking havoc on African plants and animals, scientists say.

Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice

Dave Mosher — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:11:00 -0500

As global warming melts Arctic sea ice, harp seal babies are dying in record numbers, the first study of its kind confirms.

"Virgin Birth" Record Broken by Hotel Shark

Charles Choi — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:51 -0500

A zebra shark at the "world's most luxurious hotel" has experienced four straight years of reproductive success—no male required.

Old Mice Made "Young"—May Lead to Anti-Aging Treatments

Christine Dell'Amore — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:29:44 -0500

Aging mice injected with stem cells lived three times as long, according to findings one scientist found initially unbelievable.

Fish Mimics Octopus That Mimics Fish

Rachel Kaufman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:57:22 -0500

"We've never seen anything like that before," said one scientist of first ever video of a fish one-upping a marine master of disguise (with video).

Hybrid Silkworms Spin Spider Silk—A First

Rachel Kaufman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:08:39 -0500

Strong, stretchy hybrid silk may someday be used to make parachutes and artificial limbs, a new study says.

"Rapier Wielding" Shark Among New Species Found in 2011

Christine Dell'Amore — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:56:37 -0500

Four new shark species—including a "rapier wielding" sawshark—were discovered in 2011 by California Academy of Sciences researchers.

Wild Gorillas Groom U.S. Tourist in Uganda

Brian Handwerk — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:01:36 -0500

A tourist's encounter with gorillas in Uganda has become a YouTube sensation—and a reminder of the pros and cons of wildlife tourism.