Animals

Newts do it. Lizards do it. Even educated axolotls do it. Regenerating limbs isn’t something many animals can do, but now there’s a surprising new addition to the list – alligators. A study has shown that alligators can regrow part of a lost tail.

Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focuses on the most incredible shots of animals from all around the globe. Baby monkeys, ferocious lions and a herd of elephants all feature in these highlights from the impressive photo contest.

In order to observe specific behaviors, scientists will often rig wild animals up with tiny cameras or other "bio-logging" devices. A new technology could help these tools gather more data, by only fully powering up when needed.

A species of chameleon lost to science for over a century has now been found. Voeltzkow’s chameleon, or Furcifer voeltzkowi, was rediscovered during a research expedition to Madagascar, which identified several surprisingly colorful individuals.

Scientists exploring the Great Barrier Reef have discovered a huge, never-before-seen coral reef, taller than the Empire State Building. Standing detached, the massive structure is the first new reef to be discovered in the area in over 120 years.

The tardigrade is one of nature’s toughest creatures. Now scientists have discovered a new species that adds to an already impressive array of survival tools by employing a type of fluorescent shield to protect itself against lethal UV radiation.

The Tasmanian devil is so called because for thousands of years it has only been found in the wild on the island of Tasmania. Conservationists have now reintroduced the endangered marsupials to mainland Australia to help sustain their population.

The Close-up Photographer of the Year competition highlights seldom-seen close-up textures and details of animals, insects, plants and materials. Galice Hoarau's electrifying image of an eel larva snapped during a blackwater dive is the 2020 winner.

A persistent scientific mystery over the past century has been exactly how some animals seemingly have the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field. A team of researchers are suggesting the magnetic-sensing bacteria could be symbiotically generating this novel sense.

The oldest known animal sperm sample has been discovered, dating back 100 million years. Dozens of ostracods were found in a piece of amber with their “soft parts” out, and their giant sperm measuring around a third of the animals’ body length.

In a breakthrough that promises to revolutionize the precision breeding of animals, scientists have used the CRISPR gene editing tool to produce infertile animals that become "surrogate sires" and produce sperm containing only donor animal DNA

Lighting, composition, exposure, technique ... None of it matters if your photo can't tell a story and convey emotion – and the finalists from the 2020 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards each tell a thousand words, and hopefully give you a grin!