Why the Horned Lizard Shoots Blood From Its Own Eyes to Survive
A predator corners a small horned lizard in the desert. Running may not work, and its spines have failed to discourage the attack. Then the lizard deploys one of the …
The Killdeer’s Fake Broken-Wing Display: A Bird’s Predator Decoy Trick
A killdeer suddenly appears in front of you, dragging one wing across the ground as though it has suffered a serious injury. It stumbles forward, gives distressed calls, and seems …
How Manta Rays Use Cleaning Stations — And Wait Their Turn
Above certain coral reefs, manta rays perform an unusual daily ritual. Instead of feeding or migrating, they slow down, hover over particular coral outcrops, and allow tiny fishes to swim …
How the ‘Zombie Ant’ Fungus Takes Precise Control of Its Host’s Behavior
Deep in tropical forests, a carpenter ant leaves its colony and begins behaving in ways that seem completely out of character. It wanders through vegetation, climbs to a particular location, …
The Leaf-Tailed Gecko: Camouflage So Complete It Erases Its Own Shadow
On a tree trunk in Madagascar, what looks like a patch of bark may suddenly open its eyes and move. The animal is a leaf-tailed gecko, and leaf-tailed gecko camouflage …
Inside the World’s Largest Garter Snake Mating Gathering
Every spring in Manitoba, Canada, the frozen ground releases one of the most extraordinary concentrations of reptiles on Earth. Tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes emerge almost simultaneously from …
How Weaver Birds Engineer Complex Nests — And Why Females Reject So Many
Across Africa and Asia, small birds transform flexible strips of grass into some of the most sophisticated structures built by any animal. Weaver bird nest building involves far more than …
How Male Bowerbirds Build and Decorate Elaborate Bowers to Attract a Mate
In the forests and woodlands of Australia and New Guinea, some male birds spend weeks constructing structures that look surprisingly like miniature art installations. This remarkable behavior, known as bowerbird …
How Alligator Holes Help Wildlife Survive Drought
When people think about American alligators, they often picture powerful predators gliding through rivers or basking along swamp banks. Yet one of the alligator’s most important ecological roles has little …
How Trap-Jaw Ants Use Their Mandibles to Escape Predators
At first glance, a trap-jaw ant appears much like any other forest ant. It patrols leaf litter, searches for food, and communicates with nestmates through chemical signals. Yet hidden inside …