Animals

Rats experiencing positive emotions showed a more "relaxed" ear angle, such as the one on the left, compared to the control group, such as the rat on the right.

Science

Tickled Pink: Scientists Have Determined What A Happy Rat Looks Like

6:00am December 16, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

By tickling rats and then photographing them, researchers found that a rat's ears are more pinkish and are positioned at a more relaxed angle when it is experiencing positive emotions.

A group of mule deer in Colorado in 2008.

Colorado To Kill Some Mountain Lions, Bears To Boost Mule Deer Numbers

7:42pm December 15, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The state plans to kill up to 15 mountain lions and 25 black bears beginning in the spring. Some biologists worry the plan ignores the threats of habitat destruction and energy development.

After reaching adulthood, a mosquito emerges from the water looking for trouble.

To Fight Malaria, Scientists Try Genetic Engineering To Wipe Out Mosquitoes

5:07pm December 14, 2016

by Rob Stein

A powerful genetic engineering technique holds promise for wiping out diseases and improving agriculture. But the species-altering approach stirs anxiety about unintended consequences.

Science

Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids

5:55pm December 13, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Typically, when insect females evolve to become larger than males, it's in order to produce more offspring. But female orchid mantises evolved to look like flowers for a sinister reason: to hunt prey.

Portland's Gulf of Maine Research Institute has designed a trawl net that aims to target species that can still be profitable while avoiding cod.

Fishermen Team Up With Scientists To Make A More Selective Net

4:32pm December 13, 2016

by Fred Bever

A trawling experiment in the Gulf of Maine aims to scoop up abundant and profitable flatfish, while bypassing the once plentiful but now depleted cod population. So far, the results are promising.

A photo provided by Zoo Atlanta, shows giant panda twins Ya Lun (left) and Xi Lun on Dec. 9.

National

Meet Lun Lun's Elegant And Happy (Panda) Daughters

5:06pm December 12, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Atlanta's zoo announced the names of two 100-day-old panda babies born there this fall. Their names Ya Lun and Xi Lun mean "elegant" and "happy," and honor their mother, Lun Lun.

World News

A Push For The Gray Jay To Take Its Perch As National Bird Of Canada

9:01am December 11, 2016

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with ornithologist David Bird about his effort to make the gray jay the national bird of Canada. The race to choose which bird is ruffling some feathers.

Monkeys' vocal equipment can produce the sounds of human speech, research shows, but they lack the connections between the auditory and motor parts of the brain that humans rely on to imitate words.

Say, What? Monkey Mouths And Throats Are Equipped For Speech

2:58pm December 09, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Monkeys weren't thought to have the right sort of vocal tracts to speak. But a study finds they can make many sounds common in human speech; it's just that their brains aren't "language ready."

Mental illness can be isolating, making the companionship of pets even more precious.

Pets Help People Manage The Pain Of Serious Mental Illness

1:55pm December 09, 2016

by Erin Ross

People living with schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses say a pet can be not just a comforting companion but a reason to stay engaged with other people — and with life.

National

Wyoming Anglers To Hold Raffle On Ugly Fish

6:14pm December 08, 2016

Anglers in Wyoming are keeping their eyes out for burbot, an unattractive fish that impacts other sport fish populations because it could help them win $1,000. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the group Trout Unlimited have teamed up to tag 25 of the fish. When caught, anglers can enter those tags into a lucrative raffle.

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