Animals

The infectious and contagious rabies virus, shown here in a colorized micrograph, can be transmitted to humans through the bite or saliva of an infected animal. Thanks to protective vaccination of pets, rabies was eliminated from the U.S. dog population i

Health & Safety

The U.S. Bans Importing Dogs From 113 Countries After Rise In False Rabies Records

7:20pm June 14, 2021

by Rob Stein

A surge in pet adoptions has increased demand for dogs imported from around the world. Most are fine, but federal officials turned up 450 dogs in 2020 with false records — 50% more than in 2019.

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Minks in a cage at a mink farm in Pushkino, Russia, more than 20 miles from Moscow.

World News

Israel Has Become The 1st Country To Ban The Sale Of Most Fur Clothing

3:42pm June 14, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

Israel has become the first country to outlaw the controversial clothing material that opponents say leads to the slaughter of millions of animals each year.

Crazy worms — an invasive species from Asia — pose a threat to forests, scientists say. The worms can thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose.

'Crazy Worms' Threaten America's Trees — And (Gasp!) Our Maple Syrup

7:00am June 13, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The invasive worms, which reproduce rapidly, are creating havoc in forests. They thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose.

A humpback whale jumps in the surface of the Pacific Ocean at the Uramba Bahia Malaga National Natural Park in Colombia in 2018. Michael Packard says he was nearly swallowed by one such whale on Friday as he dove for lobsters off the coast of Provincetown

National

A Lobster Diver In Cape Cod Says A Humpback Whale Scooped Him Up And Spat Him Out

5:59pm June 12, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Michael Packard says he was trapped in the whale's mouth for 30 to 40 seconds before it tossed him back in the water, bruised but otherwise unharmed. Experts tell NPR such events are extremely rare.

Black-legged ticks carrying the bacterium that causes Lyme have been found in the coastal chaparrals surrounding California beaches.

Lyme Disease-Carrying Ticks Are Turning Up On California's Beaches

2:34pm June 11, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

The blood-sucking critters are capable of thriving along the West Coast, according to new research, though experts don't exactly know how they're picking up the bacterium that causes the illness.

Science

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Why The Strange and Wonderful Parrot Fish Is In Trouble

10:23am June 11, 2021

Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is obsessed with one research subject — the parrot fish. She says there is urgent work to be done to save them and their home, the coral reefs.

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Catherine Mohr: A Love Story... That Begins With A Sea Urchin

10:23am June 11, 2021

Catherine Mohr shares the story of a scuba diving trip gone wrong, where getting stabbed by a sea urchin transformed her relationship with the ocean... and ultimately led her to the love of her life.

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Marah Hardt: What Can We Learn From The Sex Lives Of Fish?

10:23am June 11, 2021

Marine biologist Marah Hardt is fascinated with the mating habits of marine life. If we want to save the oceans, she says we have to understand the weird and whimsical sex that helps populate it.

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Mandë Holford presentation on the TED MainStage, as part of TED2020: Uncharted. July 02, 2020. Photo courtesy of TED.

Mandë Holford: Could Snail Venom Someday Save Your Life?

10:23am June 11, 2021

Cone snails are deadly sea predators; their venom can kill fish and even humans. But chemical biologist Mandë Holford says that powerful venom can actually be used for good — to treat human diseases.

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A Froggyland diorama shows a teacher trying to control a class in which students are hitting each other with rulers, arriving late to class and balancing pencils on their noses. Each diorama displays anthropomorphized frogs in human scenes of the early 2

World News

Welcome To Froggyland, The Croatian Taxidermy Museum That May Soon Come To The U.S.

8:00pm June 10, 2021

by Rob Schmitz

The museum features the work of a Hungarian taxidermist who created anthropomorphized exhibits. It had 50,000 visitors in 2019, but numbers fell during the pandemic and the owner now plans to sell.

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