Animals

A screenshot by NPR of a sea lion flinging an octopus

Science

Why Did An Octopus-Wielding Sea Lion Slap A Kayaker In The Face?

4:59pm September 28, 2018

by Rachel D. Cohen

A sea lion in a viral video was probably just messing around with its food. Researchers say sea lions don't care enough about humans to want to slap one of us with an octopus.

An artist's reconstruction of Ledumahadi mafube, which means "a giant thunderclap at dawn," foraging during the early Jurassic in South Africa.

Bones Reveal The Brontosaurus Had An Older, Massive Cousin In South Africa

9:32pm September 27, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The scientists think when this new dinosaur was alive, it was the largest creature ever to have walked the Earth. And unlike the lumbering creatures that came later, it could pop up on its hind legs.

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A different beluga whale swims under ice at the Arctic Circle dive center in northern Russia.

Beluga Charms British With Impromptu Visit

6:02pm September 26, 2018

by Ruben Kimmelman

People lined the River Thames east of London on Wednesday trying to catch a glimpse of a beluga whale swimming far out of its normal range.

A new study from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that bees exposed to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, lose some of the beneficial bacteria in their guts and are more susceptible to infection and death.

Study: Roundup Weed Killer Could Be Linked To Widespread Bee Deaths

8:06pm September 25, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin posit that glyphosate destroys specialized gut bacteria in bees, leaving them more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria.

The people-plaguing Asian tiger mosquito, or Aedes albopictus, typically lays its eggs in stagnant water.

Building A Better Mosquito Trap — One Scientist Thinks He's Done It

6:40pm September 25, 2018

by Joe Palca

A researcher in Australia has invented a low-tech, insecticide-free trap that might be able to reduce bites from a particularly pesky mosquito in some neighborhoods.

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Charlotte Gill, owner of Charlotte's Legendary Lobster Pound in Maine, says she believes that cannabis can calm crustaceans before they are tossed into boiling water.

National

Maine Asks Restaurant To Stop Giving Lobsters Cannabis Before Boiling Them

3:53pm September 25, 2018

by Susan Sharon

The owner of the eatery says she's giving compassionate cannabis to the crustaceans so that they don't feel pain. But the state isn't sure the practice is in line with health regulations.

Va. Woman Scoops Up Rare 2-Headed Snake And Snaps A Photo

6:24am September 25, 2018

She posted the photo to her neighborhood email group. Someone then forwarded it to a snake expert, who identified it as a venomous copperhead.

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A grizzly bear in 2011 in Yellowstone National Park. A federal judge restored the species to the endangered list on Monday.

Judge Restores Grizzly Bears' Protections As Endangered Species

10:25pm September 24, 2018

by Nate Hegyi

The ruling blocks planned hunting of grizzlies. Judge Dana Christensen said the federal government didn't use the best available science when it took them off the threatened-species list last year.

A nanny goat and her kids near a popular campsite in Olympic National Park. The National Park Service wants to move goats to the North Cascades, where they are a native species.

Via Truck And Helicopter, Mountain Goats Find New Home

6:50pm September 24, 2018

by Ashley Ahearn

The National Park Service is transporting hundreds of wild mountain goats via truck and helicopter from Olympic National Park to the North Cascades in Washington state.

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The ASPCA has a number of tips for how to keep pets safe during a storm. On the top of the list: Don't leave them behind.

PHOTOS: As Florence Floodwaters Rose, Rescuers Helped Hundreds Of Animals In Danger

9:49am September 24, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

Some evacuees are unwilling or unable to bring their pets with them, leaving them in a dangerous position. Rescuers have been tracking down scared animals in danger and bringing them to safety.