Wildlife

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Ten Wildlife Photographers Zoom In on Their Favorite Birds

Get up close and personal with a birder’s-eye view of the United States, as reflected by our beloved feathered neighbors

Caribbean reef sharks are as comfortable cruising coastal coral reefs as diving 1,000 feet into the depths. 

Efforts to Bring Back the Caribbean Reef Shark May Become a Conservation Success Story

The endangered creature is a target for fishing off the coast of the Bahamas—and a magnet for ecotourists who just might save it

Outside of Earth, is there any place a human could survive unprotected for even ten seconds?  

Could Humans Survive Unprotected Outside of Earth's Atmosphere for Even Ten Seconds?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

A team including research scientists at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute became the first in the world to successfully cryopreserve coral using a technique called isochronic vitrification.

Scientists Cryopreserve and Revive Coral Fragments in a World First for Conservation

The new freezing technique could reinvigorate corals suffering from warming oceans—or even preserve human organs in the future

Antlers remain intact for hundreds to thousands of years.

How Conservation Paleobiology Serves as a Guide for Restoring Ecosystems

Researchers use historic remnants like antlers, shells, teeth and pollen to learn how natural communities once worked

One of the most popular species identification tools is iNaturalist. Since its creation in 2008, the app has logged more than 145 million observations from around the world.

The Race to Develop Artificial Intelligence That Can Identify Every Species on the Planet

Scientists are building machine-learning-powered software that can recognize a species based solely on a cellphone picture

Researchers are rediscovering the forgotten legacy of Charles Henry Turner.

This Pioneering Black Zoologist's Insights Were a Century Ahead of Their Time

Charles Henry Turner conducted trailblazing research on the cognitive traits of bees, spiders and more

As one Nile crocodile rests, another perks up near a river in Tanzania.

Nile Crocodiles Recognize and React to the Sound of Crying Babies

The reptiles may be aware that primate infants are in trouble—and an easy meal

An artistic reconstruction shows a group of Burgessomedusa phasmiformis swimming in the Cambrian sea.

These 508-Million-Year-Old Fossils May Be Earth’s Oldest Swimming Jellyfish

Researchers found the rare remains in Canada

A female American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, catches a bug in her beak. Among other traits, female kestrels can be identified by black bars on the tail; males have red tail feathers with black tips.

See Stunning Images of Female Birds, Often Overlooked by Wildlife Photographers

The sex frequently neglected by birders and scientists takes the spotlight in the Audubon Photography Awards’ Female Bird Prize

Spider wrestling can range from casual matches played by children to more high-stakes games involving gambling.

Does Playing Games With Spiders Reduce Arachnophobia?

An anthropologist ponders whether a children's pastime in the Philippines, pitting the creatures against each other in wrestling matches, decreases fear

Antler coral can host different types of algae, sometimes resulting in differences in color. 

This Pacific Coral Can Withstand Warming Waters With the Help of Algae

The heat-resistant organism in antler coral may help it adapt as ocean temperatures increase

Trub, a leftover of the brewing process, could be key to scientists’ quest to develop a cheap, effective artificial scent guide for hatchery-raised salmon.

How Far Will Salmon Swim for a Craft Beer?

Researchers in Oregon hope a surprising aroma will lure stray fish back to their home hatcheries

An orca hunts sea lion pups on a beach in Argentina.

Five Astounding Orca Behaviors Explained, From Ramming Boats to Hunting Great White Sharks

The apex predators also surge onto shorelines to capture seals and engage in mysterious greeting ceremonies

Can a shark be aerodynamic? Like a rocket shooting up into the sky, aiming toward the sun, this blue shark near Pico Island in Portugal’s Azores archipelago rips through the water. Blue sharks’ average top speed is around 40 miles per hour.

15 Shark Photos That Will Terrify and Delight You This Summer

In a collection pulled from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest, catch a wave with these predators of the sea

A nesting Hawaiian green sea turtle, or honu in Hawaiian, struggles while trapped in a hole in the sea wall on Tern Island in 2014. This female was rescued, but in 2021 at least seven females died after being trapped on the island.

The Lonely Battle to Save Species on a Tiny Speck in the Pacific

As Tern Island, a former military outpost in the Hawaiian archipelago, falls apart and harms turtles, birds, seals and more, scientists wonder what’s next

Humans hunt, kill or capture a massive number of species. Surprisingly, most of this is for non-food reasons.

Humans Take Out More Wild Species Than Any Other Predator on Earth

We kill, collect or otherwise use about 15,000 vertebrate species

A variety of saber-toothed animals have evolved to fill different niches.

Eight Menacing Saber-Toothed Creatures That Stalked the Earth Long Ago

From before the dinosaurs to the Ice Age, several mammals and their forerunners sported the iconic, curved teeth

Why do chickens have wings if they can’t use them to fly?

Why Are Chickens So Bad at Flying? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

A bandicoot uses its nose to sniff out subterranean insects, leaving behind shallow holes known as “snout pokes.”

The Unlikely Survival Story of Australia's Bandicoots

The defenseless marsupial was nearly wiped out by invasive species. Now rescuers are pinning hopes on a remnant island population

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