Animals

This February 2021 photo released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a protected gray wolf near Yosemite, Calif.

Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump

4:16pm March 28, 2024

by The Associated Press

Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.

French bulldogs have skyrocketed in popularity. Legislation being considered in New Hampshire could put rules on breeding ones with chronic breathing problems.

Environment

Bulldogs are prone to health problems. New Hampshire could limit their breeding

6:53pm March 27, 2024

by Lauren Sommer

French bulldogs have soared in popularity, but they and other short-nosed dogs often have serious health problems. New Hampshire could be the first state to put health restrictions on breeders.

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National

How a Washington state woman narrowly avoided a mountain lion attack

5:54pm March 26, 2024

by Angela King

A Washington State woman narrowly survived a harrowing attack by a mountain lion. She and four friends fought off the animal for nearly an hour while biking near a forest

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Kermit the Frog has a new namesake: a 270 million-year-old fossil

6:57am March 22, 2024

The fossil was collected in 1984 but so many were found that researchers didn't get around to examining it until 2021, when they discovered a new member of the amphibian family tree.

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This week in science: whale menopause, bird rest stops and a speech-generating patch

6:12pm March 21, 2024

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Emily Kwong and Margaret Cirino about whale menopause, songbird rest stops along migratory routes, and a device that allows people with voice disorders to speak.

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The French bulldog is America's most popular breed, according to the American Kennel Club. This one, Manny The Frenchie, attended Time Inc.'s 2017 PetHero Pet Party to benefit animals impacted by hurricanes.

National

The French bulldog sits, stays at the top of U.S. dog owners' hearts

9:10am March 21, 2024

by Rebecca Rosman

The dog popularly known as the Frenchie has held its crown as America's most popular dog breed for the second year in a row, according to the American Kennel Club.

This photo provided by Tony Cavallaro shows his alligator, Albert, inside the custom enclosure he built for the reptile in his house in Hamburg, N.Y. The alligator was seized by the Department of Environmental Conservation in mid-March.

National

A New York man's pet alligator was seized after 30 years. Now, he wants Albert back

4:02pm March 20, 2024

by The Associated Press

The owner of a 12-foot alligator recently seized by conservation officers is fighting for its return, saying the reptile he has shared a home with is a gentle giant that's no danger to anyone.

Bats have a seven-octave vocal range. Researchers say, to make their low-frequency calls, bats use the same trick as throat singers and death metal growlers.

Death metal singers have a vocal counterpart ... in bats

10:47am March 20, 2024

by Mia Venkat

Bats and death metal singers have more in common than a love of the dark. A new study has found that some of bats' lower frequency calls appear to use a technique similar to death metal growling.

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A cicada perches on a picnic table in front of Nolde Mansion in Cumru Township, PA in May 2021. New research shows that these insects urinate in a surprising way.

Science

Scientists studied how cicadas pee. Their insights could shed light on fluid dynamics

5:01am March 20, 2024

by Ari Daniel

Cicadas, and the way they urinate, offer a 'perfect' lab for understanding fluid dynamics at very small scales, researchers say

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The unusual manner in which cicadas pee — and why the information is useful

6:07pm March 19, 2024

by Ari Daniel

Little insects pee in droplets. But it turns out that cicadas pee in jets — and why and how they do it could help scientists better understand microfluidics and advance all kinds of technologies.

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