Animals
Long lives, top speeds, three hearts. True stories about animals that are a little hard to believe.
32 articles
Why is wombat poop cube-shaped?
On a rock in an Australian forest sits a little dropping shaped like a die. The people who cracked the mystery were, surprisingly, engineers.
How many hearts does an octopus have?
A heart that stops when it swims, blue blood built on copper, arms that think. The more you learn about the humble octopus, the more alien it seems.
How do bats fly in the dark?
They dart through pitch-black caves without hitting a thing and snatch tiny insects out of the air. How they do it puzzled scientists for more than 200 years.
How many hours a day do giraffes sleep?
Ever heard that giraffes hardly sleep at all? Look into it, and the answer depends a great deal on how you count sleep, and where the giraffe lives.
What is the fastest animal in the world?
There is a bird that falls through the sky faster than a bullet train. But change how you compare “fast,” and some surprising creatures turn up.
Why do koalas sleep all day?
Visit a koala at the zoo and it is almost always curled up asleep in a tree. It isn’t just laziness. The length of a koala’s sleep has a lot to do with what it eats.
What is the longest-living animal in the world?
When this clam was born, Japan was entering an age of civil war. In the northern seas live creatures that seem to have watched human history unfold.
How smart are crows?
Crows have a reputation as pests that raid garbage bins. But peek into researchers’ experiments, and a surprisingly rich world opens up inside those small heads.
Do goldfish really have a three-second memory?
Every lap around the bowl wipes the slate clean—or so the story goes. Let’s hold that familiar claim up against what experiments with goldfish actually found.
Do penguins have knees?
Penguins waddle along on stubby little legs. But peek at the skeleton beneath the feathers, and you find a posture you would never guess from the outside.
Are elephants really afraid of mice?
The largest land animal cowering before a creature that fits in your palm. How much truth is there in this cartoon classic?
What is the largest animal in the world?
An animal heavier than any dinosaur is swimming in Earth’s oceans right now. Learn about its heart and its appetite, and “big” starts to mean something new.
Why are flamingos pink?
Everyone knows the flamingo as the pink bird. But one look at a flamingo chick tells you that color isn’t something they’re born with.
Is it true that starfish have no brain?
A star-shaped body gliding slowly over the seafloor. Where is its head? Which way is forward? The more you think about starfish, the stranger they get.
Can a turtle climb out of its shell?
In cartoons, turtles slip out of their shells and dash around unencumbered. So what is really going on inside a real turtle’s shell?
Do dolphins really sleep with half their brain at a time?
When and how do mammals that live in the sea get any sleep? It turns out they have a remarkable trick for swimming and breathing while they rest.
Why do cats purr?
That low rumble vibrating on your lap is so familiar you barely notice it. Yet researchers are still arguing about where it comes from.
Do sea otters hold hands while they sleep?
Floating on their backs, holding paws as they doze: sea otters are internet stars for this pose. But is it something you would actually see out on the open sea?
How fast does a hummingbird’s heart beat?
A tiny bird hangs perfectly still in front of a flower, sipping nectar. Inside that jewel-like body, a heart is beating at an almost unimaginable pace.
Why are sloths so slow?
They hang from trees most of the day and move in slow motion. Behind the animal named for laziness lies a thoroughgoing energy-saving strategy.
Do naked mole-rats never grow old?
Wrinkled, hairless and decidedly odd-looking, this small rodent has become a favorite of aging researchers around the world. Why do some call it the animal that doesn’t age?
Why do chameleons change color?
Chameleons are famous for shifting color to melt into their surroundings. But when researchers took a closer look, the story turned out to be rather different.
What are a zebra’s stripes for?
On an open savanna, a bold black-and-white coat seems made to stand out. After puzzling scientists for over 150 years, the mystery is yielding a surprising answer.
Do cows really have four stomachs?
At a Japanese barbecue restaurant, the menu may list mino, hachinosu, senmai and giara. All four are cow stomach. So what exactly is going on inside a cow?
What is the giant panda’s “sixth finger”?
Giant pandas grip bamboo with surprising dexterity as they munch away. Hidden in their front paws is a tool that no other bear has.
Do honeybees talk by dancing?
In the pitch-dark hive, one bee starts to whirl and shimmy, and her sisters gather around. Packed into those moves is information of astonishing precision.
Can tardigrades survive in space?
A tiny animal about half a millimeter long that lives in moss. Sometimes called the toughest creature on Earth, it has actually been sent into space. What happened when it got there?
How many ants are there in the world?
Ants bustle around underfoot almost everywhere. If you could count every ant on Earth, what would the total be? Here is what a serious attempt at an “ant census” found.
Why can owls turn their heads so far?
The body stays put while the face swivels to look straight behind. A move like that could seriously hurt a human. How does an owl’s body pull it off?
Can a cockroach live without its head?
Cockroaches are practically a byword for toughness. Is the rumor that they keep living after losing their heads just an exaggeration?
Why don’t woodpeckers get headaches?
Day after day, woodpeckers slam their beaks into trees. It would leave any of us seeing stars. So how do their heads cope?
Do male seahorses really give birth?
A dragon-like face and a neatly curled tail. The seahorse, an aquarium favorite, splits family duties in a way almost no other fish does.