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Amazing Animals

112 curious, true stories.

Illustration of a pink flamingo standing on one leg in a pink lagoon at sunriseAmazing AnimalsA Flamingo on One Leg Looks Wobbly. Science Suggests the OppositeIllustration of a tabby cat curled on a patchwork quilt with its eyes half closed, purringAmazing AnimalsYour Cat's Purr Isn't Always About Happiness. Scientists Found Something ElseIllustration of an octopus reaching across colorful coral with its armsAmazing AnimalsOctopus Arms Can Taste What They Touch. That's Not Even the Strangest PartA ruby-throated hummingbird hovering beside a bright red flowerAmazing AnimalsThis Tiny Bird Can Fly Backward, Hover in Place, and Cross the Gulf of Mexico Nonstop
Illustration of two cows standing close together in a green pastureAmazing AnimalsCows Get Stressed When Separated, and the Cure Says a Lot About ThemIllustration of a cat twisting in mid-air above a soft rugAmazing AnimalsA Falling Cat Turns Itself Over With Nothing to Push Against. Here's the Trick
Illustration of a golden retriever tilting its head to one side in a cozy living roomAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Tilts Its Head When You Talk. Scientists Have a Few Good Guesses WhyIllustration of a tiny translucent jellyfish glowing in dark blue waterAmazing AnimalsThis Tiny Jellyfish Can Grow Old, Then Start Its Life All Over Again
Illustration of two sea otters floating on their backs in calm water, holding pawsAmazing AnimalsSea Otters Have a Clever Trick for Napping on the Open Ocean Without Drifting AwayIllustration of an elephant herd standing together on the savanna at duskAmazing AnimalsElephants Can Pick Up Messages Miles Away. Their Ears Aren't Doing All the WorkA barn owl turning its heart-shaped face back over its shoulderAmazing AnimalsAn Owl Can Look Over Its Own Back. Its Secret Is Hidden Inside the NeckIllustration of a small goby fish clinging to a wet rock beside a tall waterfallAmazing AnimalsThis Tiny Fish Climbs Waterfalls Taller Than a 40-Story Building
Illustration of honeybees gathered on a golden honeycomb while one bee performs a waggle danceAmazing AnimalsHoneybees Give Each Other Directions by Dancing, and the Map Is Hidden in the WiggleIllustration of a giraffe resting with its long neck curled back under an acacia tree at nightAmazing AnimalsGiraffes Get By on Just a Few Hours of Sleep. Their Deepest Naps Last MinutesIllustration of a goldfish in a round glass bowl on a kitchen windowsillAmazing AnimalsThe Goldfish Memory Joke Everyone Repeats Turns Out to Be Way OffA black crow perched on a wooden fence, watching a person walking along a sidewalkAmazing AnimalsScientists Wore Masks to Trap Crows. Years Later, the Birds Still Hadn't Forgotten
Illustration of a red-headed woodpecker tapping a tree trunkAmazing AnimalsA Woodpecker Slams Its Head Into Wood All Day. Its Skull Has a Hidden Safety BeltIllustration of an octopus resting in a rocky den on the sea floorAmazing AnimalsThis Sea Creature Has Three Hearts, Blue Blood, and Arms That Think for ThemselvesIllustration of a penguin offering a smooth pebble to another penguin on a rocky shoreAmazing AnimalsSome Penguins Court Their Partners With a Single Stone. The Reason Is Sweet and SmartIllustration of a chameleon on a branch with green and orange skinAmazing AnimalsMost People Get Chameleons Wrong. Their Color Changes Are Mostly About Something Else
Illustration of a herd of zebras drinking at a waterhole on the African savannaAmazing AnimalsScientists Have Argued About Zebra Stripes for Over a Century. A Tiny Pest May Settle ItIllustration of a male lyrebird with its lacy tail fanned out in a misty Australian forestAmazing AnimalsDeep in an Australian Forest, a Chainsaw Starts Up. There's No Logger in SightIllustration of thousands of monarch butterflies clustered on fir trees in the mountainsAmazing AnimalsMonarchs Fly Thousands of Miles to a Mexican Forest They've Never Seen BeforeA close-up of a beagle's wet black nose sniffing the grassAmazing AnimalsYour Dog's Cold, Wet Nose Isn't Just Cute. It's a Built-In Weather Vane for Smells
Illustration of a platypus swimming in a clear streamAmazing AnimalsScientists Once Thought This Egg-Laying Mammal Was a Hoax Sewn TogetherIllustration of a garden snail on a leaf after rainAmazing AnimalsA Museum Glued a 'Dead' Snail to a Card. Four Years Later, It MovedIllustration of a cat sitting proudly beside a toy mouse on a porch stepAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Leaves a Mouse on the Doormat. Scientists Have Two Theories About WhyIllustration of a pink pig nudging a puzzle toy with its snout in a wooden barnAmazing AnimalsResearchers Handed Pigs a Video Game Joystick. The Pigs Figured It Out
Illustration of a horse grazing in a misty green meadow at sunriseAmazing AnimalsA Horse Can Eat All Day, but There's One Thing Its Body Simply Won't Let It DoIllustration of a humpback whale swimming underwater with sunbeams shining downAmazing AnimalsHumpback Whales Sing Hit Songs, and Every Male in the Area Learns the New VersionA tiny green hummingbird flying low over blue ocean wavesAmazing AnimalsThis Bird Weighs About as Much as a Penny. It Flies Across the Gulf of MexicoIllustration of a squirrel burying an acorn among colorful autumn leavesAmazing AnimalsSquirrels Get a Bad Rap for Forgetting Their Nuts. The Truth Is Much Smarter
Illustration of a bat flying low over a calm pond at dusk, chasing small insectsAmazing AnimalsBats Hunt in Total Darkness by Shouting. Their Ears Turn the Echoes Into a PictureIllustration of a bronze Akita dog statue outside a busy Japanese train stationAmazing AnimalsHis Owner Never Came Home From Work. Hachiko Kept Showing Up at the Station AnywayIllustration of a ladybug walking on a green leaf with dew dropsAmazing AnimalsThose Cheerful Ladybug Spots Are Actually Sending Predators a Blunt MessageA tiny, plump, eight-legged water bear crawling across green moss under soft lightAmazing AnimalsThis Eight-Legged Animal Is Barely Visible to the Eye, Yet It Survived a Trip to Space
Illustration of a chain of ants forming a bridge between two leavesAmazing AnimalsWhen Some Ants Hit a Gap, They Don't Go Around. They Become the RoadIllustration of a bright red cardinal perched on a snowy bird feederAmazing AnimalsMost Songbirds Leave When Winter Comes. The Cardinal Has a Different PlanIllustration of a V formation of geese flying against an orange autumn skyAmazing AnimalsGeese Fly in a Perfect V for a Reason, and Pilots Have Been Trying to Copy ItIllustration of a cat kneading a soft knitted blanket with its pawsAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Kneads the Blanket for a Reason That Starts Long Before It's Grown
Illustration of an African grey parrot perched beside a row of colored wooden blocksAmazing AnimalsA Pet-Shop Parrot Named Alex Changed What Scientists Thought Birds Could UnderstandIllustration of a hummingbird resting on a tiny twigAmazing AnimalsA Hummingbird's Heart Can Top 1,200 Beats a Minute. At Night, Something ChangesA camel walking across golden sand dunes under a clear skyAmazing AnimalsMost of Us Learned Camels Store Water in Their Humps. The Real Answer Is StrangerIllustration of a common swift soaring high above the cloudsAmazing AnimalsSome Swifts Stay in the Air for 10 Months Straight. So When Do They Sleep?
Illustration of a shark gliding over a sandy ocean floorAmazing AnimalsA Shark Swam 12,000 Miles and Came Back Home. Its Secret Sense Is RemarkableIllustration of a puppy, a kitten and a duckling sitting together on green grassAmazing AnimalsA Puppy, a Kitten and a Duckling Have One Thing in Common That Melts Your HeartIllustration of a horse and a man with a chalkboard in a vintage-style courtyard sceneAmazing AnimalsA Horse Named Hans Could Answer Math Problems. One Psychologist Found His SecretIllustration of fireflies glowing over a summer meadow at twilightAmazing AnimalsFireflies Light Up Summer Nights, and Each Blink Carries a Secret Message
Illustration of two dolphins swimming side by side underwaterAmazing AnimalsEach Dolphin Has Its Own Signature Sound, and Friends Remember It for DecadesA tabby cat sitting snugly inside an open cardboard boxAmazing AnimalsYou Bought the Cat a Fancy Bed. It Chose the Box the Bed Came InIllustration of a large Greenland shark swimming slowly through icy, dark waterAmazing AnimalsScientists Checked the Eyes of an Arctic Shark and Found a Staggering AgeIllustration of several moths circling a glowing porch light on a summer nightAmazing AnimalsMoths Circle Your Porch Light All Night. The Leading Theory Involves the Moon
Illustration of a beaver dam made of sticks and mud on a calm forest riverAmazing AnimalsA Beaver Family Built Dams in a Czech Forest. It Saved the Government a FortuneIllustration of a herd of cows grazing in an open fieldAmazing AnimalsSatellite Images Hinted Cows Follow a Hidden Compass. Then Came a TwistA dewy spider web glowing in early morning sunlight between garden plantsAmazing AnimalsA Strand of Spider Silk Long Enough to Circle the Earth Would Weigh Less Than 5 PoundsIllustration of salmon leaping up a rushing riverAmazing AnimalsSalmon Swim Out to Sea for Years, Then Find the Exact Stream Where They Hatched
Illustration of a large dog leaning against a person's legs on a front porchAmazing AnimalsWhen a Big Dog Leans Its Whole Weight Against You, It May Be Telling You SomethingIllustration of a corn snake flicking its forked tongue on a tree branchAmazing AnimalsA Snake Flicks Its Tongue for a Reason, and It Has Nothing to Do With Tasting YouIllustration of a rooster crowing on a wooden fence at sunriseAmazing AnimalsRoosters Greet the Dawn Right on Schedule. Who Gets to Crow First Is No AccidentIllustration of a bowerbird beside its stick bower decorated with blue objectsAmazing AnimalsThis Bird Builds the Fanciest "House" in the Forest. Nobody Ever Lives in It
Illustration of a freshwater turtle resting on the muddy bottom of a quiet green pondAmazing AnimalsSome Turtles Spend Winter Under Ice Without Coming Up for Air. Their Secret Is OddIllustration of a close-up of a cat's face showing long white whiskersAmazing AnimalsYour Cat's Whiskers Aren't Just for Looks. They Help Her Hunt What She Can't SeeAn Arctic tern with a red beak flying low over icy blue waterAmazing AnimalsThis Small Seabird Skips Winter Every Year. Its Secret Is an Epic CommuteIllustration of a dog nibbling grass in a sunny backyardAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Is a Meat Lover, So Why Does It Graze Like a Cow in the Yard?
Illustration of a starfish on a tide pool rockAmazing AnimalsA Starfish Can Drop Its Own Arm on Purpose. The Regrowth Is Even StrangerIllustration of honey bees crawling over a close-up of golden honeycombAmazing AnimalsBees Build Six-Sided Cells With No Ruler. Mathematicians Needed 2,000 Years to Catch UpIllustration of a sled dog team running through deep snow in AlaskaAmazing AnimalsBalto Got the Statue in Central Park. Another Sled Dog Ran Nearly Five Times as FarIllustration of an opossum lying still on its side among autumn leavesAmazing AnimalsOpossums Are Famous for Playing Dead. The Surprising Part Is That They Can't Help It
Illustration of a cat's glowing eyes shining in a dim roomAmazing AnimalsCats Seem to See in the Dark. The Real Secret Is Hiding Behind Those Glowing EyesA red crab scuttling sideways across wet sand at the water's edgeAmazing AnimalsCrabs Can Walk Forward. Most Just Have a Better Reason to Go SidewaysIllustration of a dog sitting by a window, watching the driveway for its ownerAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Waits at the Window Before You Pull In. Scientists Have Argued Over WhyIllustration of a small brown wood frog with a dark eye mask resting on frosty fallen leavesAmazing AnimalsThis Little Frog Spends Winter Frozen With No Heartbeat. Then Spring Arrives
Illustration of a kangaroo standing upright in the Australian bushAmazing AnimalsKangaroos Are Built to Go One Way. Australia Even Put That on Its Coat of ArmsIllustration of an American robin pulling a worm from a lawnAmazing AnimalsThe First Robin of Spring Is Following an Invisible Line Across the MapA dark anglerfish with a glowing lure hanging in front of its toothy mouth in black waterAmazing AnimalsThe Anglerfish's Glowing Lure Isn't Powered by the Fish Itself. Something Else Lights ItIllustration of a cat sleeping in a sunbeam on a windowsillAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Sleeps Up to 16 Hours a Day. Blame the Tiny Hunter Hiding Inside
Illustration of a white goose standing guard in a farmyardAmazing AnimalsRome's Guard Dogs Stayed Silent the Night the Enemy Climbed In. The Geese Did NotIllustration of a hummingbird hovering and feeding at a colorful garden of flowersAmazing AnimalsA Hummingbird's Brain Is Tiny, but Its Memory for Flowers Is AstonishingIllustration of a dog howling with its nose in the air on a front porchAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Howls Along With Every Passing Siren. Its Wild Relatives Hold a Big ClueIllustration of a mother kangaroo standing in the grass with a joey peeking out of her pouchAmazing AnimalsA Mother Kangaroo Can Keep a Baby Waiting Inside Her Until the Time Is Right
Illustration of a gray city pigeon walking along a sunny sidewalk mid-strideAmazing AnimalsScientists Put Pigeons on a Treadmill. Their Famous Head Bob Simply StoppedIllustration of a rabbit leaping over a small garden fenceAmazing AnimalsA Pet Rabbit Cleared a Bar Taller Than a Garden Fence. The Record Is RealA sloth hanging from a tree branch above a calm jungle riverAmazing AnimalsThe Famously Slow Sloth Has a Surprising Hidden Talent UnderwaterIllustration of a cat watching birds through a windowAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Makes a Strange Clicking Sound at Birds. Here's What It May Mean
Illustration of a flock of birds over golden fields in autumnAmazing AnimalsBirds Raised in Cages Still Get Restless When It's Time to Fly SouthIllustration of a polar bear walking across Arctic sea iceAmazing AnimalsUnder That Snow-White Coat, a Polar Bear Looks Nothing Like You'd ExpectIllustration of a huge blue whale swimming in the ocean next to a tiny scuba diverAmazing AnimalsThe Biggest Dinosaurs Weighed Up to 80 Tons. A Living Animal Beats Them EasilyIllustration of a bloodhound sniffing along a forest trailAmazing AnimalsA Dog's Nose Can Pick Up a Trail Days Old. The Secret Is Hidden Inside the Snout
A line of leafcutter ants carrying green leaf pieces across the forest floorAmazing AnimalsLeafcutter Ants Haul Leaves All Day. They Never Actually Eat ThemIllustration of a cat sitting on the edge of a sink, watching a dripping faucetAmazing AnimalsMost Cats Run From a Bath. A Few Breeds Will Happily Jump Right InIllustration of a vintage homing pigeon with a small message tube attached to its legAmazing AnimalsA One-Legged Pigeon Became an American War Hero. Historians Still Debate His StoryIllustration of a colorful mantis shrimp on a sandy sea floor among coralAmazing AnimalsThe Mantis Shrimp Punch Gets Compared to a Bullet. The Real Numbers Are Still Wild
Illustration of a deer standing on a country road at night in soft lightAmazing AnimalsA Deer's Eyes Are Built for the Dark. That's Exactly the Problem at NightA huge cuckoo chick filling a small bird's nest while a tiny parent bird feeds itAmazing AnimalsThe Cuckoo Never Raises Its Own Babies. Its Bag of Tricks Is Downright SneakyIllustration of a husky with one blue and one brown eyeAmazing AnimalsSome Dogs Are Born With Ice-Blue Eyes, or One of Each. The Reason Isn't What You'd GuessIllustration of a brown rabbit thumping its hind foot on the grass in a sunny gardenAmazing AnimalsWhen a Rabbit Stomps Its Back Foot, It's Sending a Message. Here's What It Means
Illustration of a black-and-white dairy cow standing in front of a red barnAmazing AnimalsA Single Dairy Cow Can Make About 2,600 Gallons of Milk a Year. Here's the SecretA mallard duck floating on a pond with water droplets beading on its feathersAmazing AnimalsA Duck Can Dive Underwater and Come Up Nearly Dry. Its Feathers Hold the SecretIllustration of a small songbird singing on a blossoming spring branchAmazing AnimalsSongbirds Get Louder Every Spring for a Reason, and Their Brains Change Along With ItIllustration of white mountain goats standing on a steep rocky cliff high in the mountainsAmazing AnimalsMountain Goats Stroll Up Cliffs That Would Terrify Us. Their Feet Hold the Secret
Illustration of two bald eagles perched together in an enormous stick nest high in a treeAmazing AnimalsBald Eagle Couples Lock Talons Midair and Free-Fall Together. It's Part of CourtshipIllustration of a cat licking its pawAmazing AnimalsA Cat's Sandpaper Tongue Is Covered in Tiny Spines That Work Like a HairbrushTwo ants touching antennae on a green leaf in close-upAmazing AnimalsAnts Can't Talk, Yet a Whole Colony Finds the Shortest Path to Your PicnicIllustration of a dog hiding under a bed during a stormAmazing AnimalsSome Dogs Start Hiding Before the First Rumble. Scientists Think They Know Why
Illustration of a tiny hummingbird perched on the edge of a red feederAmazing AnimalsA Hummingbird's Heart Can Beat 1,260 Times a Minute. Some Still Live Past 10Illustration of a ginger cat curled up asleep inside a terracotta flower potAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Ignores Its Cozy Bed and Naps in a Flower Pot. Its Sleep Habits Help Explain ItIllustration of a dog sitting by the front door glancing up at a wall clockAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Can't Read a Clock. Scientists Found It Still Knows How Long You've Been GoneIllustration of a seagull grabbing a french fry on a boardwalkAmazing AnimalsGulls Swiping Your Fries Are Using a Survival Trick Scientists Have a Name For
Several hermit crabs in different-sized shells lined up on wet sand next to an empty seashellAmazing AnimalsWhen a New Shell Washes Up, Hermit Crabs Form a Line by Size and Wait Their TurnIllustration of two hummingbirds facing off at a feederAmazing AnimalsHummingbirds Look Sweet, but They'll Fight Over a Feeder. Their Hearts Explain WhyIllustration of fluffy alpacas grazing in a green field in the Andes mountainsAmazing AnimalsAlpaca Mothers and Babies Hum to Each Other Constantly. It's Only One of Their SoundsIllustration of a proud hen standing in a sunny farmyard with a faint dinosaur shadow behind herAmazing AnimalsThe Hen in the Barnyard Has a Surprising Family Tree, and T. Rex Is on It