Zoology
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Great White Sharks
It has taken 300 million years of evolution to create such a formidable predator as the shark, and the notorious Great White Shark is the most remarkable of all.
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Hippopotamus Endangered and Unique
In Africa there lives a type of lumbering beast who has adapted to both land and water, the hippopotamus.
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Octopus Enrichment at the National Zoo
Environmental enrichment helps zoo animals stay active. At the National Zoo in Washington, DC, biologists and volunteers work with Augusta, a giant Pacific octopus.
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General Chimpanzee Facts
Chimpanzees, or chimps as they are commonly known, are man's closest genetic relative but there is still a lot to learn about their behaviors.
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First Bees and Butterflies Disappear, Now Bats
Suddenly another highly important ecological canary in the coal mine, various northeastern bat species, have been found to be molding during hibernation, never to wake.
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850 New Species of Invertebrates Discovered
Thousands of previously unknown invertebrate creatures have been found in tiny caves and underground water sources in the arid areas of Western and South Australia
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Tennessee Aquarium Penguin Chick Learns to Swim
Swimming may seem like a cinch for a penguin baby, but the first Tennessee Aquarium penguin chick took his time learning. Read the story and see him in action.
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Coyote in Eastern Virginia
Coyote are territorial carnivores seen in welcoming areas of eastern Virginia where there are small mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits for them to eat.
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The Characteristics of the Classes of Sponges
Sponges have traditionally been grouped taxonomically into three classes.
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Halloween Nature Myths
Some images associated with Halloween have little connection to nature at mid-autumn.
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The Characteristics of Phylum Porifera
As the sole members of the subkingdom Parazoa, sponges represent the lowest level of organized animal life.
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The Ecology and Classification of Sponges
Sponges come in an incredible array of colors and an amazing array of body shapes. Their simple structure belies their wide spread distribution.
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The Origin of Sponges
Poriferans are ancient animals. Fossils and molecular data put their origin at somewhere around 650 million years ago, nearly back to the dawn of animal life.
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Altruism in Animals
Behavioral ecologists define altruism as an animal interaction in which one animal at cost to itself acts in such a way to benefit another animal(s).
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Animal Communication
Animal communication is any behavior on the part of one animal that has an effect on the current behavior of another animal.
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Foraging Behavior in Animals
Behavioral ecologists use foraging theory to study the foraging behavior of animals in relation to the habitat of the animal.
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Mating Behavior in Animals
The patterns of mating and the types of mating systems found throughout the animal realm are quite diverse.
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Territorial Behavior in Animals
Behavioral ecologists define territory as any space that an animal defends against intruders of the same species.
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Agonistic Behavior
Behavioral ecologists view agonistic behavior as any behavior associated with competition and fighting.
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Learning by Instruction
Learning by instruction or teaching occurs when one individual (the teacher) sets an example that causes another individual (the pupil) to change its behavior (learn).
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Learning by Imprinting
As an animal matures, it recognizes and socially bonds with others of its species through a process known as imprinting.
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Learning by Conditioning
Behaviorists explain learning by conditioning as the association and response an animal makes when two stimuli are paired.
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Learning by Imitation
Long seen as the lowest form of learning, imitation is now regarded as an important manifestation of intelligence in nonhuman species.
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Associative Behavior
Learned or associative behavior develops from an interaction between the genotype of an animal and repeated inputs from a changing environment.
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Innate Behavior
Innate or instinctive behavior patterns are "hard-wired" into the nervous system of animals. These behaviors are triggered by external and/or internal stimuli.
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Animal Behavior
Behavior is the organized and integrated patterns of activity by which an organism responds to its environment.
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The Doctrines of Modern Zoology
The biological principles of organic evolution, genetics, and ecology serve as the foundation of modern zoology.
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The History of Modern Zoology
Humans have always attempted to understand animals, to enslave animals, and to capture the strength and power of animals.
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Animal Nomenclature
There may be tens of millions of species of animals on the planet. What systems have animal taxonomists developed to scientifically name this multitude of animal types?
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Animal Classification
The field of animal systematics (or taxonomy) devises schemes for grouping (classification) and naming (nomenclature) animals.
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How Many Animals Inhabit the Earth?
"The most wonderful mystery of life may well be the means by which it created so much
diversity from so little physical matter."
(E. O. Wilson)
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The Characteristics of Animals
Animals come in bewildering array of different sizes and forms but do they all have anything in common?
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Ant Mega-colony
Scientists have discovered that ants from Argentina have taken up residence around the world and may all be part of a single colony.
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Efficient Ocean Killers
Researchers say that great white sharks off the coast of South Africa follow their prey methodically before striking.
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The World's Fastest Animals
Some animals are capable of reaching amazing speeds on land, in the air, and in water. These animals are the fastest of the fast.
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Do Animals Experience Emotions?
Learn whether animals can experience emotions, and what emotions and feelings they can have, feel, and express.
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The Montauk Monster In Long Island
In May 2009 a carcass washed up on a beach in Long Island and was heralded as the Montauk Monster. Is this really a monster, frenzy over a raccoon, or just a scam?
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Lions and Tigers, Ligers and Tigons
Napoleon Dynamite had it right. Ligers exist. Not in the natural world, but in zoos and habitats around the world. But where do they come from if not the wild
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Elephant Communication
Elephants communicate through infrasonic rumbles, sounds too low for the human ear to hear. Scientists are discovering new meaning behind these elephant rumbles.
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Community-Organized Pest Control
People in Northern Queensland and in England are trying to get rid of invasive species, just as the Chinese attempted to do fifty years ago.
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Physical and Behavioral Attributes of Bonobos
Bonobos are often confused with chimpanzees, but they are separate species. How exactly do bonobos differ from common chimpanzees?
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Seismic Communication in Elephants
Studies by ecologist Caitlin O'Connell reveal that elephants use bone-conducted hearing, which helps them detect low-frequency vibrations that travel through the ground.
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Rare Albino and White Animals
There are distinct differences between albino animals and those that are "white," and there are specific traits to look for in order to distinguish these rare conditions.
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Famous Albino and White Animals
People have witnessed a variety of rare albino and "white" animals across the world and gained better understanding about their differences.
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African and Asian Elephants
Physical characteristics of elephants, including ears, trunk, skin and tusks, are noticeably different depending on whether the animals originate from Africa or Asia.
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Cowering Giraffes Avoid Lightning
When you're a giraffe, lightning is definitely something to worry about. Rather than grimly accept fate, are some giraffes learning ways to avoid it?
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How to Speak Giraffe
How do giraffes communicate? A study at Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina was aimed at finding out.
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Knut the Polar Bear who Captured Hearts is Two
Knut was born at the Berlin Zoo in December, 2006. The polar bear cub was rejected by his mother and the adorable cub's plight made him famous around the world.
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5 Common Animal Myths
Certain ideas about the characteristics or behaviors of porcupines, flying squirrels, owls, bats and turtles persist, but they are only myths.
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The Most Unbelievable Extinction
The Passenger Pigeon was once the most numerous bird species in North America. By 1914, it was extinct. What did the bird look like and how did this tragedy happen
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