Uncover stories carved by wind and water — extraordinary wildlife, extreme environments and the hidden forces of nature.
Researchers have observed that yellow-spotted river turtles nest more often near the full moon and that many hatchlings emerge together in a single-night burst.
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This list highlights bioluminescent fungi and shows how their glow can appear in different fungal structures, from gills and stems to hidden mycelium in wood and soil.
Read more →The line mattered because it argued that wild nature was necessary and became a lasting slogan for wilderness preservation and conservation.
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Virginia’s eelgrass restoration expanded from repeated seed plantings into more than 3,500 hectares of underwater meadow that helps clear water, stabilize sediments, and support bay scallops.
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Researchers in Norway documented Svalbard reindeer eating seaweed in winter when ice seals off their usual tundra forage.
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Repeated bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef can shift coral recovery toward brooding species, changing which corals recruit after damage and potentially altering reef structure and habitat value.
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New York removed thousands of urban trees, including apparently healthy maples, to stop the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle.
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Namib Desert beetles collect water from fog by tilting their bodies so condensation forms on their wing covers and rolls to their mouths, inspiring fog-harvesting technology.
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Kotogahama Beach’s “singing sand” squeaks because rounded, well-sorted quartz grains rub together under the right dry conditions.
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The article explains how Kawah Ijen’s blue sulfur flames form and how miners work in dangerous conditions extracting sulfur from the crater.
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Some ants in Australia tend root-feeding scale insects underground, protecting and moving them to keep a steady supply of honeydew.
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The Channel Islands fox’s recovery was managed as separate island lineages, using captive breeding, studbooks, and careful genetic tracking to restore populations without mixing them.
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House mice introduced to Gough Island became unusually large and predatory, and have been reported attacking and eating seabird chicks, including albatross chicks.
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Burmese pythons in South Florida’s Everglades are a major invasive predator because they can eat prey as large as alligators, along with a range of other animals.
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Some Alaskan stickleback fish evolved to lose much of their bony armor after becoming isolated in freshwater, likely because changing predation pressure made heavy plating less advantageous.
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Libyan Desert Glass is a natural glass formed about 29 million years ago by extreme heat, but scientists still debate whether that heat came from an impact or an airburst.
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Researchers found that some Acropora corals on the Keppel Islands regrew after severe bleaching by expanding surviving living tissue near their bases, rather than dying outright.
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The East African cichlid Astatoreochromis alluaudi can reshape its pharyngeal jaw in response to a snail-heavy diet, improving its ability to crush hard shells.
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Sable Island’s feral horses survive by adapting to scarce freshwater and harsh island conditions, including digging for shallow groundwater and sometimes tolerating brackish water.
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Lemurs in Madagascar have been observed chewing or crushing millipedes and rubbing their defensive secretions onto their fur and bodies, apparently to help repel insects and reduce irritation.
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Conservationists are relocating Aldabra giant tortoises to help manage vegetation through grazing, opening up habitat, and possibly spreading seeds.
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Reports and observations suggest some northern Australian raptors, such as black kites and whistling kites, may pick up smoldering sticks and move fire to flush prey and improve hunting opportunities, though the behavior is still not fully understood.
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The common cold is a broad category of infections caused by more than 200 viruses, so repeated colds usually reflect exposure to different viruses rather than a single illness.
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Fireflies make light through a luciferin-luciferase reaction in abdominal lanterns, and their species-specific flash patterns help them communicate and find mates.
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Naked mole-rats are studied for an unusual resistance to cancer that has been linked to high-molecular-mass hyaluronan in their tissues.
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Naked mole rats are unusual mammals that live in eusocial underground colonies with a single breeding queen, workers, and coordinated labor.
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The article explains that a blue whale’s heart is about 180 kilograms and that its aorta is only around 20 centimeters wide, showing that the whale is enormous without the exaggerated circulation claims often repeated about it.
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Turritopsis dohrnii, often called the “immortal jellyfish,” can reverse its life cycle after adulthood and return to an earlier stage under certain conditions.
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The mimic octopus defends itself by camouflaging and by impersonating other animals such as lionfish, flatfish, and sea snakes.
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Hippos produce a reddish skin secretion that helps protect them from sunlight, moisture loss, and bacterial infection.
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