Animals & Science

Every animal species, including homo sapiens, or humans, has evolved eye placement that best ensures its survival. The location of eyes in an animal's body determines how the animal receives...

Generally, wildlife avoids conflict. Conflict takes energy. When food resources are limited, it's a gamble. Factoring into this is the animal's perception of danger, whether it be to themselves or...

Throughout the eastern and central United States, fishermen have competition. Northern water snakes inhabit rivers, streams, pond and lakes, and they enjoy a nice fish dinner. These dark brown and...

Bird feeders can attract a wide variety of colorful and interesting birds to your yard or garden. Many bird lovers and nature lovers put up feeders to attract birds that would not normally come...

Common house geckos, also sometimes called brown or Asian geckos, are becoming an increasingly popular pet because of their hardiness and ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions. Provided...

Spiders are eight-legged carnivorous arachnids. They are found over most of the world in a wide range of habitats from jungle to desert. Most spiders spin sticky webs in which to trap their prey.

The range of ring neck snakes stretches from Canada to the United States to parts of Mexico. California ring neck snakes inhabit eastern and central states and some western ones. As their name...

Cookiecutter sharks, so named for their uniform circular "cookie cutter" bite, are not especially dangerous to humans because of their small size. Considered a parasite, these sharks eat pieces of...

Foxes are small, primarily carnivorous mammals of the dog family. They range in size from the tiny African fennec to the European red fox. Diet includes birds, rabbits, mice, grasshoppers and...

The term snapping turtle refers to two species of freshwater turtles native to the rivers, lakes and streams of North America. These turtles are known for their powerful snapping jaws and their...

The mantis shrimp is a small predatory crustacean and one of the most aggressive animals known. They can be divided into two main groups: spearers and smashers. Spearers have sharpy, spiny...

Aquatic habitats include all bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes and oceans, as well as streams and rivers. Wetlands specifically are some of the most productive and important ecosystems on the...

The bobcat is the most common wildcat in the United States and has the greatest habitat range of any cat native to North America. Fierce, adaptable hunters, bobcats are experts at surviving with...

African wild dogs, or lycaon pictus, belong to the canidae family, which includes wolves, jackals and domestic dogs. They're also known as African painted dogs, Cape hunting dogs and tricolor...

Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most famous dinosaurs. As a powerful and dangerous member of the prehistoric race, T-rex has been used in TV shows, movies and books. As a meat eater, this dinosaur...

Despite incredibly hot temperatures and dry, dusty terrain, many species of animals flourish in the desert. These creatures' senses make them especially adept at finding food, and their fur or...

Fish obtain food in a wide variety of ways. The numerous species of fish have evolved many unique ways of feeding. Their diets range from microscopic plants to other large fish and aquatic...

What birds eat varies with the species of birds and where they live. There are approximately 10,000 different species of birds with habitats all over the globe.

With their height, slenderness and beaks designed for specialized feeding, flamingos can't attack when they're threatened. Though flamingos aren't able to fight predators, they do take a number of...

The boa constrictor is a large species of snake typically found in Central and South America. The boa constrictor can range in size from 20 inches as a baby to 13 feet as an adult. The lifespan of...

The largest rattlesnakes in the world, eastern diamondbacks can reach a length of eight feet, though five to six feet is average. They are found in the southeastern United States, from the...

Taking care of a bat involves setting it up in the proper environment and providing its natural prey, but bats are best suited under the care of zoos or conservation centers. Find out where to...

Bluebirds catch their prey, which consists of crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles and moths, by either perching on a low branch to watch the ground or hovering over the ground to find...

The typical mental picture of a buzzard is often the familiar image of a long, desolate stretch of road with the scavenger bird eating off a dead animal. The buzzard's scientific name, Buteo...

Swordfish are a marine animal species called Xiphias gladius. Swordfish are also known as broadbills for their long bills. Their bills are stronger and longer than other bill fish species....

A feeding frenzy is a term usually applied to sharks, but it can apply to any large group of the same species of creatures that are so overstimulated by the presence of food that they literally...

The Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins have been clocked swimming at about 25 miles per hour, which is a speed that allows them to catch their prey. Learn about the amazing speed, strength and agility...

The prey of dolphins is a variety of fish, as fish make up the primary parts of their diet. Discover how sharks can be considered to be the only predator that a dolphin has to worry about with...

Starfish have two stomachs, and they can eat bivalves, such as clams and oysters, despite the fact that their prey may be larger than themselves. Discover how starfish use one of their stomachs to...

Hawks live all over the world in diverse habitats, particularly forests, woodlands, open fields and any place with high places to nest. Find out how hawks, like many birds of prey, like to have a...

The American peregrine falcon is considered one of the most widespread birds of prey and can be found throughout the world. Look for peregrine falcons in tall trees or mountain tops with help from...

Eagles live on all continents except Antarctica, and are usually found living in tall trees near a body of water. Discover how bald eagles are able to catch their prey in the water with insight...

Sharks have an incredibly heightened sense of smell, and can smell tiny amounts of scents and fluids emitted by prey, including blood, from a great distance. Sharks' noses consist of two nasal...

Throughout the centuries people have been fascinated by the beauty and mysterious nature of wolves. People have feared them and persecuted them, yet wolves still hold a mystique that is not...

Since the early 1900s, the population of tigers in the wild has decreased significantly. The population has declined from about 100,000 to approximately 4,000, although this is not a firm number....

Hawks are carnivores, meaning they are strictly meat eaters. They are opportunistic hunters and will eat anything that they happen to find. The majority of their diets consist of small rodents and...

Tigers are beautiful animals that are easily recognizable by the striped pattern of their coat. Tigers are the largest members of the big cat family. These solitary hunters use camouflage, short...

If you've ever seen a hippo up close and personal (or at least on the other side of a fence), you can easily attest to its size. But you may be surprised to know that it is actually the third...

Whales are the largest creatures on earth, and while not all of them are bigger than a school bus, few would argue that any of them are less than majestic. While they are all to some extent social...

Dolphins are some of the friendliest creatures in the ocean, but if they ever bite you with their large jaw full of teeth, they could actually tear you apart. Dolphins grow a large amount of teeth...

The menacing sight of an open shark's mouth is characterized by many sharp teeth. This leads one to the question: Just how many teeth do sharks have?

Tigers are beautiful creatures recognized by their characteristic striped pattern. They are the largest of all cats and as such, they need an adequate amount of food to meet their dietary needs....

Contrary to popular misconception, the mole is not truly blind. A mole's eyes are very small (an evolutionary advantage, as it protects them from dirt and infection) and their eyesight is poor...

The yellow anaconda is the cousin of the world famous green anaconda, and is notably smaller in size. Even still, the yellow anaconda is one of the larger snakes in the world. This boa is found in...

Whales are one species that use echolocation to communicate and locate prey. Echolocation is the process of emitting sound and interpreting its vibration. Echolocation helps whales to navigate and...

Snakes are very intriguing creatures that incite fear in most humans by the mere sight of them. But the truth is most snakes fear us as much as we do them and would rather avoid us than bite us....

Tigers are in the cat family. Tigers are known for their reddish-orange coats that have dark, rich brown to black stripes. Tigers are also known for their beautiful amber-gold colored eyes. ...

Lions are truly one of the most captivating mammals on our planet. At one point, thousands of years ago, they ruled vast parts of our world. Lions were prevalent throughout areas of southern...

The osprey, also called the fish hawk, was once endangered in the United States due to the effects of pesticides. However, it has recently made a strong comeback and their numbers are increasing....

The yellow rat snake is one of the most popular snakes for people to own as pets, so finding and identifying them in the wild is common. Though they are harmless as far as venom, they are...