Animals
-
Animal magnetism is real
Snakes repel venom via a magnet-like mechanism.
Franz Mesmer might have been on to something when he described animal magnetism as an invisible force possessed by al...
-
Smart new snakey moves
Lasso-like reptilian locomotion is a killer for tropical island wildlife.
Brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) appear to have evolved a whole new way of moving that could help explain how th...
-
Conversation
Zooming in on the world of invertebrates
An environmental scientist shares photos from the field.
By Nick Porch from Deakin University Which animals are quintessentially Australian? Koalas and kangaroos, emus, ti...
-
Cats versus quolls
Why feral felines are a greater threat to native wildlife.
Sorry, cat lovers. More research has turned the spotlight on how our furry feline companions wreak havoc on wildlife....
-
So tell us, what is up Skip?
Kangaroos try to communicate, research suggests.
Fans of the iconic television show Skippy (and that oft-repeated question, “what’s up Skip?”) will be pleased to know...
-
NatureWrap: New to the tree of life
Plus two clever birds and tips on hibernating.
Pictured above is Hippocampus nalu, Africa's first and only-known pygmy seahorse and one of 213 newly described plant...
-
Tasmanian devils may survive cancer threat
New research suggests it is becoming endemic.
There’s more possible good news for Australia’s troubled Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) – and the implication...
-
Two interesting new uses for poop
Honeybees and pandas can be clever with compounds.
Scientists have discovered two, er, interesting things animals do with poop – in both cases, not their own. Honeyb...
-
Delving into domestic donkeys' past
Genome study reveals some clever breeding.
Donkeys have been helping humans for millennia, but our knowledge of their origins has previously been limited to arc...
-
NatureWrap: These guys mess with killer whales
Plus insect wings, sorghum tales and very old fish.
Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) off southern Australia mimic the calls of killer whales – their natural...
-
How on Earth did you get like that?
Study explores the blending of complex animal patterns.
A little mathematics has shown how animals get their extraordinary patterns. Previous studies have revealed how an...
-
Honeybees have unique personalities, like us
Being an individual is good for the whole.
Individuals shape a community and its collective patterns of behaviour – and not just in humans, it turns out. Sci...