Animal science

For the first time, engineers have digitally recreated the complex muscular architecture of the octopus arm and its unique movements involving around 200 muscles, which opens the door to developing soft robotics with unprecedented dexterity.

Ever been caught in the crossfire of a wet dog firing droplets of water away from their fur with a mad shake? Well, they can't help it. Scientists have identified the innate sense-motor function mechanism that drives dogs to twist and spout.

Despite observations of "wasps getting drunk" and "beetles consuming beer," it has been thought that alcohol in the non-human animal world hasn't been deliberate. Ecologists challenge this theory, saying it's far more commonplace and strategic.

Pythons have famously cartoonish eating habits, and they might be even better at it than we thought. A new study has found that Burmese pythons can eat even larger prey than was thought mathematically possible.

A surprise discovery in the Australian outback has delivered exciting insight into the origins of complex animal life. The animal fossil, dating back half a billion years, shows when bilateral symmetry emerged – a hallmark of most life on Earth now.

You might not hear it, but rodents are known to speak to each other in voices so high-pitched that human ears can’t pick them up. Now scientists have found that these vocalizations might have a second purpose – they help them smell better.

Imagine being horribly maimed and the only way to survive was to merge your damaged flesh with another injured human. Scientists have discovered this startling ability in comb jellies, which can fuse together to share a nervous and digestive system.

This stunning image of a bearded dragon soaking up the rays in southern Australian has taken out the overall prize in the 2024 British Ecology Society's photography competition, an annual contest open to any nature snapper around the globe.

Incredibly, for the first time, scientists have unraveled how static electricity works, something first recorded in 600 BCE but not fully understood until now. While cats are not the only culprits, their fur is a prime vessel for charging your hands.

A humble little lizard has developed a clever escape route from predators – it blows a bubble over its nostrils and scuba dives to safety for 20 minutes or more. Now, a biologist has explored exactly how it works.

From 350,757 coin flips to prove probability to the swimming skills of dead trout, the 2024 Ig Nobel Prize winners have been recognized for their absurd work scientific research. And they all walked away with a coveted $100-trillion Zimbabwean banknote.

Last year, it was discovered the bluestreak cleaner wrasse could pass the "mirror test", showing that it can recognize its own face in a mirror. Now researchers have found it can actually size itself up against a potential competitor before a fight.