Animals

When it comes to securing food, it was always thought that dolphins learn their foraging skills exclusively from their mothers, but scientists have now discovered that they can learn them off their peers, too.

A strange set of fossilized footprints has been discovered in South Korea which look like crocodile tracks – but the stride is that of a bipedal animal. Scientists concluded that ancient ancestors of crocodiles were walking around on two legs.

Of all the superpowers in the animal kingdom, the squid’s ability to turn invisible is one of the coolest. And now scientists at UC Irvine have managed to recreate that in human cells for the first time, granting them tuneable transparency.

Scientists have shown that the simple zig-zag pattern on the back of the European viper serves three different purposes; it helps it avoid detection; warns predators off if noticed; and can hide the snake's movement if it has to flee.

The Tasmanian tiger may be gone, but it’s not forgotten. New footage of the extinct marsupial has emerged from the vault of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), showing the last known member of the species in a dingy cage.

The 2020 BigPicture photography competition winners deliver some of the most impressive nature photography in the world, from a gorgeous grand prize winning shot of a hare sheltering itself to a mind-bending snap of a cheetah almost catching its prey.

New research is shedding some light on the longstanding mystery of koala hydration. The study presents the first description of a previously unknown drinking behavior, showing the unique marsupials drinking by licking tree trunks during rain storms.

The first fossil of a Spinosaurus tail has been discovered, revealing large spines that indicate a paddle shape like a crocodile’s tail. That means this gigantic predator was a proficient swimmer, making it the first aquatic dinosaur.

New research from Canadian anthropologists finds very few animals actually have the ability to quickly process alcohol, suggesting a famously debunked story about drunken elephants may have a kernel of truth in it after all.

Forget space – the oceans are Earth’s final frontier. The latest case in point is a diving expedition off the coast of Western Australia, which has discovered up to 30 new species plus what may be the longest animal ever recorded.

Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focused on animals in wild natural environments. Indonesian photographer Wibowo Rahardjo took out the top prize with a rare look at an orangutan risking attack from predators to grab a quick drink.

Most fossils are just bones, but occasionally striking specimens turn up bearing skin or feathers, encased in gemstones, and even preserving traces of DNA against all odds. Here's a look at some of the most incredible fossil finds of recent years.