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AnimalsOne of the loudest creatures on Earth is a 2 cm-long shrimp. The deadliest creature is a mosquito. Garden snails have around 14,000 teeth. Otters hold hands while sleeping to keep from drifting apart. Some jellyfish are immortal. From massive sea creatures to tiny land dwellers, animals are a critical component of our environment and ecosystems. They also offer companionship and, with it, health benefits. Explore the most interesting (and lighthearted) animal-related content here.Explore Animals

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Yes, many animals get malaria—not just humansBirds, rodents, monkeys, lizards, bats, apes, and livestock are among the species that can become infected with malaria. Infected animals' symptoms often resemble those of humans, including fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. Birds will also have ruffled feathers and drooped heads. Discover Wildlife Some animals may anchor their brain cells to specific landmarks to determine directionIn a study of bats exploring a new area, specific sets of "head direction cells" were seen becoming active based on bats' orientation when moving, and this activity became more coordinated over time. Researchers suspect, like humans, bats and other animals establish this sense of direction based on movement relative to known points of interest. Quanta Magazine Mosquitoes top the ranking of the world's deadliest animalsMosquitos kill about 760,000 people every year. The vast majority of those deaths are caused by malaria, which is transmitted and spread by the Anopheles mosquito. The second-largest killers are snakes. Our World in Data The DNA in the mitochondria of most animals' cells is only inherited from mothersA study in roundworms showed that this occurs because mitochondria in sperm cells are destroyed during fertilization, potentially due to damage sustained during the exhausting competition with millions of other sperm cells to reach the egg. This allows maternal lineage to be traced across generations through these cell subunits, which produce energy in cells. University of Colorado Boulder Natural toxins produced on plants or consumed by animals may cause food poisoningWhen humans eat plants with certain natural toxins on them—including a family of toxins called aflatoxins that fungi produce on crops like peanuts and corn— they can become ill with food poisoning. Toxins can still harm humans even if animals or plants appear fine to the human eye. The World Health Organization advises that we should throw away moldy or discolored foods, refrain from eating wild plants or mushrooms that aren’t definitively nonpoisonous, and remember that just because something is “natural” it’s not always safe to eat. World Health Organization US federal researchers are blocked from putting certain human cells in animalsIn 2015, US policymakers put a halt to any government-funded work that would insert human stem cells into animals. The reasoning was that human cells might spread through the animal's body and perhaps to its brain, blurring the line between humans and nonhumans. The ban remains in place today even as gene-edited pig parts are being placed in humans. The Conversation Calvin Coolidge had many animals—including a White House raccoonCalvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge adopted a raccoon named Rebecca, initially intended for Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, she became a beloved pet, roaming the White House lawn with a handmade collar reading "White House Raccoon." CBS Sunday Morning Zoo animals have developed allergies, tooAlthough scientists do not know if allergies manifest among wild animals—and if animals can survive with them—in a zoo setting, veterinarians have observed zoo animals with common allergy symptoms, including itchiness, crusty skin, and runny eyes. Veterinarians have identified Asian elephants with pollen allergies and at least one jaguar with an allergy to fleas. Discover Magazine Charles Darwin studied goose bumps by scaring zoo animals in London with a stuffed snakeRead the famous naturalist’s work from the late 1800s, detailing how he sought to draw comparisons between how animals and humans respond to fear. As part of that work, he exposed monkeys and a peccary to a stuffed snake and noted the animals’ hair-raising fear response. Project Gutenberg Animals get SAD—especially those in zoos, like pandasGiant pandas in locations outside their evolved latitudinal range (from southeast Asia to northern regions around Beijing) exhibit more sluggish behavior, even when they were born there. Researchers have observed that similar sensitivities to “photoperiods” (or time with light) impacts many animals, including birds, insects, and our pets. (Nautilus imposes a metered paywall.) Nautilus Farm animals help maintain the grounds at Chicago's O'Hare International AirportSince 2013, a herd of goats, sheep, and a donkey have grazed on the scrub vegetation at the airport. In the process, they also help keep out animals that can be dangerous for pilots, like coyotes. Atlas Obscura One prankster started a movement to clothe animals in the mid-20th centuryG. Clifford Prout founded the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, saying that animal nudity was rude and immoral. The campaign continued for years until CBS employees realized Prout was actually a comedian named Buck Henry. Museum of Hoaxes Prosthetics and orthotics have been 3D printed to improve the lives of animalsShells for hermit crabs, wheelchairs for guinea pigs and dogs, and horseshoes for improved running performance have been created using 3D printers. Other artificial body parts made using this technology include a jaw for a loggerhead turtle, a beak for a toucan, and a tail for an American alligator. 3Dnatives Why 75% of ocean animals glowAbout 75% of ocean creatures can make their own light. It's called bioluminescence—and it all comes down to a special chemical reaction happening inside their bodies. 1440 This Harvard philosophy professor suggests we should rethink our relationship with animalsChristine Korsgaard, a professor of philosophy at Harvard, wrote a book arguing that humans are not more important than other animals and that we should improve our treatment of them. In her view, we have a duty to value the life of our fellow creatures not just for their utility, but for their existence as sentient and conscious beings. Harvard Gazette Gastroliths, or ‘stomach stones,’ help animals digest plants in their stomachsMost often used by birds and reptiles, gastroliths help break down the cellulose of plant cells, which can resist decomposition from stomach acid alone. Over time, gastroliths become smooth and are regurgitated before being replaced by larger stones. HowStuffWorks Environment and genetics explain why animals have widely different lifespansBoth environmental conditions and genetic factors shape how long various animals live. For some creatures, colder conditions allow for less energy use and slower aging. Larger animals have fewer predators. While humans don't live the longest, we are a rare species that successfully lengthened its average lifespan over time. TED-Ed Some Colosseum fighters battled wild animals instead of other humansNot everyone who entered the Colosseum was a gladiator. Learn about the bestiarii—who ranged from trained animal fighters to condemned prisoners—and how their encounters with wild beasts became one of Rome’s most lethal spectacles. 1440 Animals' stomach lining produces cheeseCheesemaking would be impossible without rennet, the enzyme that separates milk’s liquid and solid components. Rennet occurs naturally in the stomach lining of young goats, cows, and lambs to help them digest milk, a process that also allows cheesemakers to use it to make curds. Now we have plant-based rennet that comes from thistles, artichokes, and other similar plants. The Spruce Eats Can animals understand fairness?Academics have long wondered if fairness is solely a concern of humans. In the largest meta-analysis to date, UC Berkeley researchers tested whether monkeys felt jealousy after receiving unequal rewards. The patterns showed low evidence for inequity aversion and instead frustration due to their expectations not being met by humans. These findings suggest that pursuing fairness and equality is uniquely human. Neuroscience News The animals that paved the way for space travelThe history of animals in space exploration is often overlooked. Before humans first made their way to space in 1961, fruit flies, primates, and canines preceded us. Watch this video for a further appreciation of the contributions and sacrifices made by animals for scientific progress. Aeon Zoonotic diseases: Pathogens that jump from animals to humansSuch diseases may be caused by a variety of pathogens—viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites—and can originate in creatures ranging from ticks and mosquitoes to pigs and bats. Because they develop in animals and are often new to human immune systems, zoonotic diseases have severe consequences for public health. 1440 Seven known types of coronaviruses have jumped from animals to humansCoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, belong to a large family of viruses characterized by their crown-like appearance under a microscope, due to spike proteins on their surface. While thousands are believed to exist in animals, only seven are known to have made the jump to humans. Yale Medicine Increasing contact between humans and wild animals is driving zoonotic threatsZoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to humans, present one of the most significant emerging threats worldwide. Scientists have identified around 200 viruses capable of infecting humans, and unfortunately, the number of such diseases are on the rise—at least 60% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin. USA TODAY Too small for big muscles, tiny animals use springsSmall creatures like fleas and mantis shrimp can expend force far beyond what their size might imply, flinging them several times their height into the air or putting the power of a bullet behind their punch. Without adequate space for the muscle fibers this sort of force would require, they've evolved to use latches and flexible spring- or bow-like structures that slowly store energy to be used all at once when the latch releases. This in-depth article dives into the biomechanics of this ability. Quanta Magazine Some animals seem to live well on little sleepAfrican bush elephants typically sleep for about 2 hours per 24-hour day, coming in well under a human's recommended seven-hour minimum. Other animals also appear to skimp on sleep, by human standards, without the consequences humans associate with being sleep deprived. This academic article details the sleeping habits of animals that appear to thrive on fewer than 40 winks and explores whether their sleep processes are just built different. Oxford University Press Some animals have little or no bacterial populations in their gutGut microbiomes are essential to human health, but many animals have a much smaller, transient, or even nonexistent microbiome. The discoveries have advanced our understanding of the evolution of the human microbiome. Quanta Magazine Brain studies suggest some animals do dream (sort of)Studies on sleeping cats, rats, fish, and finches show that their brains fire as if performing actions from waking life. Spiders and insects also have REM-like sleep. Whether these findings indicate that animals dream depends on one's definition of dreaming. National Geographic Evolution doesn't want you to see these animalsInvisibility is an oft-coveted superpower that many creatures throughout the animal kingdom have evolved to mimic through transparent camouflage. This article explores the science of this seemingly magical ability. The two critical ingredients in... Nautilus Magazine The adorable happiness of animals, in photosCan animals experience happiness? And even if they do, do their bodies manifest happiness in similar ways to humans? Regardless, you surely will derive some happiness after viewing these thirty photos of a variety of animals appearing to smile big, beautiful smiles. Bored Panda Adapt or freeze: How plants and animals thrive in the Arctic TundraThis article explores the fascinating ways both animals and plants adapt to survive in Alaska's arctic tundra, an ecosystem marked by its extreme weather. Most tundra plants are perennials with short growing seasons that focus on gathering and... Alaska Department of Fish and Game Explaining why animals don't cross this invisible line in IndonesiaAlthough the distance separating the two regions is small, East and West Indonesia have starkly different species, puzzling scientists for decades. Biogeographers use the theory of plate tectonics to explain the phenomenon, arguing the two regions... YouTube These animals are only found in the Amazon rainforest.The mighty Amazon River and its surrounding rainforest is home to millions of different species of animals, with new ones being discovered regularly. Reader's Digest Visualizing the 75 largest underwater animalsWith so many fish in the sea, which are the largest? This infographic shows fantastic illustrations of the 75 largest sea animals, ranked by average size. The detailed visual is organized in descending order of size, starting with the blue whale,... Staten Island Yacht Sales What animals live in the ocean?The oceans host an incredible diversity of fascinating species. Oceana's Marine Life Encyclopedia beautifully presents facts and photos of ocean animals from Atlantic Cod to Zebra Sharks. Oceana How animals sense the worldCatfish taste with their whole bodies - and that’s just one way animals sense the world totally differently than us. Big Think If trends continue, nearly 90 percent of animals will lose habitat to our farmsNew research projects 1.3 million square miles of habitat will be converted to croplands by 2050 Smithsonian Magazine Large animals like giraffes and elephants have evolved unique cancer defensesOne may expect the larger an animal is, the more likely it is to develop cancer—simply because there are more cells and more chances for a dangerous mutation. However, some large animals show cancer rates almost 10 times lower than humans—a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox. Visual Capitalist Watch how wild animals are projected into a mallCentered around a dynamic, ever-changing watering hole, the experience allows you to meet a diverse range of animals from Africa to the Arctic as they graze, drink, and interact with the environment around them. YouTube Insects, animals, photographyThe best 100 close-up, macro photography and photomicrography pictures of 2021. View the winners of Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY 03). 1440 Daily Digest The last Pinta Island tortoise died in 2012 at over 100 years oldUnfortunately, different animal species continue to go extinct. See a list of these recent extinctions, and learn the story of Lonesome George, who died without finding a mate in the Galapagos Islands. Mental Floss Poison frogs get their toxins from eating insects and miceOther animals, including royal ground snakes, are able to survive eating poison. Scientists study the creative antitoxin defenses in these animals to discover treatments for poisoning. Smithsonian Magazine The highly contaminated Chernobyl region suffers from reduced biodiversityAlthough isolation and radiation have driven adaptations in some organisms, decades of radiation have caused ongoing harm to wildlife and vegetation, including population declines in birds and insects. Higher rates of deformities and tumors have also been seen compared with animals in surrounding regions. The New York Times What we can learn from animal societies' ethicsFor millennia before we showed up on the scene, social animals—those living in societies and cooperating for survival—had been creating cultures imbued with ethics. NOEMA Noise pollution from humans and technology alters animal behaviorAnimals may experience chronic stress and health issues due to noise pollution, which often interferes with their mating sounds. Due to traffic, nightingales sing louder on weekday mornings, and birds near airports start singing earlier to avoid upticks in takeoffs and landings. Smithsonian Magazine One jellyfish species is biologically immortalTurritopsis dohrnii is a type of jellyfish that can revert back to a juvenile stage after reaching sexual maturity, theoretically allowing it to stay alive for good. But that's a tough sell in a world full of predators. See this list of some of the longest-living species on Earth. ThoughtCo A collection of fascinating facts about the planet and its creaturesYou may have already heard that cheetahs are the fastest animals on land, but did you know that Savannah elephants are the strongest? This page on the World Wildlife Fund's UK website features a diverse range of articles on mammals, underwater creatures, birds, reptiles, insects, and landscapes. Discover captivating information about Earth and the creatures you share it with. WWF Tardigrades can survive in a dehydrated state for decadesDespite being known as water bears, these microscopic creatures can shut down their metabolism when entering cryptobiosis, squeezing more than 95% of the water from their bodies. In this tun state, tardigrades can even survive the vacuum of space. Live Science The first appearance of bioluminescence was at least 540 million years agoAfter analyzing fossils, genetic data, and statistical methods, scientists believe octocorals were the first organisms to evolve light-producing abilities. As a result of independent evolution across at least 94 species, this phenomenon is connected to a diverse range of behaviors. Smithsonian Institution Animal wines: Wine bottles with pigs on the label had the lowest median prices at $23.22If you’ve ever spent too much time staring at a shelf in a wine store, you might have noticed something similar: animals, specifically, cats, pigs, or birds on the labels. So, what do these wines have in common? This interactive tool attempts to figure out what wines that include the same animal have in common. The Pudding

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