While North America was captivated with Alaska’s Fat Bear Week (Chunk won, by the way), another playful animal competition was going down in New Zealand: The annual Bird of the Year contest, which aims to raise awareness for the country’s native bird species and the threats they face. Voting ran from Sept. 15-28, and this […]
This newly discovered mammal species may be just 4 inches long, yet it boasts immeasurable cuteness. Marmosa chachapoya, a red-furred, pointy-nosed creature from Peru’s Río Abiseo National Park, was first seen in 2018 — but scientists have only now identified it as a novel species of opossum. The critter has several distinct features: red-brown fur
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fattest of them all? Don’t worry, Disney princesses aren’t included in this query — the contenders seeking to be crowned the chubbiest are larger, furrier, and competing in this year’s Fat Bear Week.
Hold Onto Your Fish, Fat Bear Week Is Back: Meet the Chonky Contestants Continue Reading »
A dwarf minke whale, an Indo-Pacific leopard shark embryo, and two bobtail squid sharing an intimate moment — these are just a few of the mesmerizing creatures serving as subjects of the winning 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year images. But out of the 15,000-plus shots submitted by leading ocean photographers around the globe, Indonesia-based
Out of more than 5,500 submissions from 69 countries, the 11 winners of the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have been selected — and the stunning shot above claimed the top spot in the Stars & Nebulae category. Captured by German photographers Julian Zoller, Jan Beckmann, Lukas Eisert, and Wolfgang
Lake Tahoe is famous for water so clear, you can see 70 feet below the surface — but have you ever thought about what the lake bed looks like? Few have explored much farther beneath the frigid waves of the nearly 1,600-foot-deep lake, but thanks to a first-of-its-kind livestream from nonprofit the Tahoe Fund and
A Journey to the Bottom of Lake Tahoe Was Livestreamed for the First Time: Watch Continue Reading »
Jazz is notoriously divisive, but no matter how you feel about smooth saxophone and swinging piano, you can’t argue with the impact of one new entry in the genre: “Oysters Ain’t Safe,” composed and performed by students and faculty at St. Petersburg’s University of South Florida. In a project helmed by Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Octopuses rarely have access to cameras — but when they do, they turn into total divas. At least, that’s what happened when a giant Pacific octopus got a hold of a diver’s camera off the coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island and used it to conduct a mini video shoot underwater.
Octopus Hugs Divers Before Grabbing Hold of Camera for a Selfie: Watch Continue Reading »
You’ve heard of working dogs, and you’ve heard of paddleboarding dogs. But what about working paddleboarding dogs? At an animal sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, some impressive pups clock in by hopping on a board — their mission: helping conserve the area’s vulnerable platypuses. Exceptionally well-equipped for such an assignment, the canines use their noses to
These Paddleboarding Pups Are Helping Protect Australia’s Elusive Platypuses Continue Reading »
When the weather turns frigid, there’s no greater joy than traveling to a warmer climate to soak up some vitamin D. Hummingbirds feel this way too — but they’re not just looking for a little sun on their backs. Because their search for food is limited by decreasing daylight hours in late summer and early
