Animals

Most people associate the Nile with Egypt, but the river also flows through South Sudan, where much of it is bordered by jungle. That makes it a excellent destination for rafting and wildlife enthusiasts, says travel guide author Max Lovell-Hoare.

For The Ultimate Getaway, Why Not South Sudan?

8:02pm October 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

You may not find South Sudan at the top of most dream destination lists, but the authors of a new travel guide say the young country, long isolated by a violent civil war, has much to offer tourists in search of wildlife, culture and natural beauty.

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National Zoo's Panda Cam Is Back

12:23pm October 18, 2013

The camera feed was down for 16 days while the federal government was closed. When the site resumed, the panda had gained two pounds.

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Birds Of A Feather Spy Together

6:12pm October 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Tom Vanderbilt discusses the nonhuman operatives — from pigeons to house cats — deployed by the United States government during the Cold War. He wrote about the program recently for the Smithsonian magazine.

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Bob Adams is a lab animal veterinarian at Johns Hopkins University.

Shutdown Imperils Costly Lab Mice, Years Of Research

8:33pm October 10, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

A lack of funding to labs is likely to mean an early death for thousands of mice used in scientific and medical research. The loss of specialty mice, many of which have genes that can cause them to develop versions of human diseases, is especially troubling to scientists — and expensive.

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The Truth About Lemmings, The Rodent, Not The Political Animal

8:48am October 08, 2013

The faction of House Republicans leading the charge against the Affordable Care Act amid a partial government shutdown have been referred to as lemmings by those who believe they are committing political suicide. But as Renee Montagne explains, the idea that lemmings commit mass suicide is a myth.

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Dawn and Don Burke opened a rat sanctuary, The Rat Retreat, in their home in Boise, Idaho. Most people don't realize what affectionate pets rats can be, Dawn says.

Science

Out Of The Rat Race: Lucky Rodents Find Their Own 'Taj Mahal'

11:12am October 07, 2013

by NPR Staff

Dawn and Don Burke never intended to turn their home into a rat sanctuary. But after Dawn brought home a rat from a pet store, it wasn't long until the couple began taking in abandoned rats. The rodents' cage doors stay wide open, giving them plenty of space to run around.

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Science

NYC Cockroaches Stick To Their Neighborhoods

11:11am October 05, 2013

Cockroaches, it just so happens, actually resemble humans, forming distinct groups and neighborhoods. Host Scott Simon talks to Mark Stoeckle of Rockefeller University, whose research uncovered this roach behavior.

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Animal Park In England Enforces Strict Dress Code

7:34am September 26, 2013

Officials at the Chessington World of Adventure noticed the animals getting really confused when they saw visitors in furs or leopard-print shirts.There will be bouncers enforcing the code, giving offending visitors bland gray jumpsuits to wear.

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Science

Ancient Fish Fossil Sheds Light On Modern Jaws

5:06am September 26, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

A newly discovered fossil of a fish in China changes what scientists know about the origins of jaws. It turns out, human jaws are remarkably similar to the jaw of this 419-million-year-old fish. That suggests jaws evolved much earlier than previously thought.

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Nature writer Jackson Landers kept a black widow alive in a jar on his desk for months.

Black Widow Spider Fan Gets Dangerously Close To His Subject

8:07pm September 21, 2013

by NPR Staff

The first time nature writer Jackson Landers spotted a black widow spider on his front porch, he was transfixed. He grew curious about the spiders and kept one for months as a pet. One day, he got bit.

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