Animals

Zach Whitener, research associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, holds a cod while collecting samples for a study.

Why Is It So Hard To Save Gulf Of Maine Cod? They're In Hot Water

10:44am October 30, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

In the past decade, the Gulf of Maine warmed faster than 99.9 percent of the global ocean. The rapid warming explains why recent fishing policies failed to rebuild the cod population, a study finds.

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Meet some of the nightmarish parasites that live in London's Natural History Museum. Fortunately, they reside in jars.

Health & Safety

Fleas Are Great! But Watch Out For A Worm That Looks Like Vermicelli

1:44pm October 29, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

In honor of Halloween, NPR gets a guided tour of parasites that reside in London's Natural History Museum.

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When salmon was out of season, diners in restaurants were likely to get a species other than what they ordered 67 percent of the time, a new survey finds.

That Salmon On The Menu Might Be A Fraud — Especially In Winter

6:04pm October 28, 2015

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

Diners were likely to get duped 67 percent of the time when ordering salmon in restaurants out of season, a survey says. Much of the deception involved farmed salmon passed off as more expensive wild.

The Lone Star Tick May Be Spreading A New Disease Across America

4:15pm October 28, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

An uptick in cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever might actually be due to a newer tick-borne bacterium. It looks like it's causing milder infections — and a lot of confusion.

Lions in a game reserve in 2013 in South Africa, one of the few countries where the species is actually prevailing.

Lions Quickly Disappearing In Much Of Africa, Study Says

6:19pm October 27, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Over large parts of the continent, their numbers could drop by half in the next two decades. Only in four countries in southern Africa is the species holding its own.

Trigger Unhappy: Dog Shoots Owner In Foot

8:34am October 27, 2015

Allie Carter put her shotgun down during a hunt in North Webster, Ind., and her dog Trigger stepped on it, shooting her in the foot. Carter was treated for injuries at a hospital and released.

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Everyone knows beavers can swim, but at one point they also soared through the skies in Idaho thanks to a novel relocation method involving parachutes.

WATCH: Long-Lost Parachuting Beaver Footage From 1950

7:21pm October 22, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Circa 1950, Idaho Fish and Game tried a new way to handle beaver overpopulation: relocate some by dropping them from planes. A film was made to document the practice, but it was lost — until now.

Diners wait in line at a Subway sandwich shop on September 15, 2015 in Chicago, Ill. Subway will serve antibiotic-free turkey and chicken by the end of 2016, but it may take nine years for its suppliers of beef and pork to go antibiotic-free as well.

Subway Joins The Fast-Food, Antibiotic-Free Meat Club

5:32pm October 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

The chain says it will shift to buying only meat from animals that weren't fed antibiotics. It's set to serve antibiotic-free poultry by the end of next year, but beef and pork may take until 2025.

Flights Of Fancy: Exploring The Songs And Pathways Of 'The Living Bird'

2:53pm October 20, 2015

Wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn and essayist Scott Weidensaul share bird calls and discuss some of the remarkable abilities of birds. Both men contributed to a new book about North American birds.

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If humans went up against the rest of the animal kingdom in most physical challenges, they wouldn't do that well.

Here's How You Can Outrun A Horse

12:01pm October 20, 2015

by Adam Cole

Humans are pathetic at athletic feats compared to animals. We get outrun by ostriches and outswum by penguins. But human physiology makes us aces at one sport: endurance running. Sorry, horse.