How Mountain Goats Climb Cliffs That Look Impossible
A mountain goat standing on a tiny ledge can look as though someone placed it in the wrong part of a photograph. Beneath its hooves may be a steep wall …
Animal Adaptations
Why the Tasmanian Devil Has Such a Powerful Bite
The Tasmanian devil may be roughly the size of a small dog, but its jaws are built for remarkably demanding work. Research comparing mammalian carnivores found that Tasmanian devil bite …
How Flying Squirrels Glide Instead of Fly
Flying squirrels have one of the most misleading names in the animal kingdom. They can cross impressive gaps between trees, turn in midair, and make controlled landings, but they never …
Why a Raccoon’s Paws Are So Sensitive
Watch a raccoon investigate a stream bank and its front paws rarely stay still. The long, mobile digits probe beneath stones, rotate objects, feel along surfaces, and gather information even …
Moose Antler Regeneration: How They Rebuild Massive Antlers
A bull moose walks through a northern forest carrying something extraordinary above its head: a huge structure made of bone that its body built in only a matter of months. …
Vulture Stomach Acid: How Vultures Survive Eating Carrion
A vulture drops from a wide circle in the sky and lands beside the remains of a dead animal. To us, the meal may look like something to avoid. As …
Why Reindeer Eyes Change Between Arctic Summer and Winter
For months of the Arctic summer, reindeer can live under almost continuous daylight. Then winter arrives and their visual world shifts toward prolonged darkness and extended blue twilight. Remarkably, reindeer …
How Dragonflies Control Four Wings for Remarkably Agile Flight
A dragonfly hovering over a pond can suddenly accelerate, bank into a tight turn, reverse direction, or intercept a flying insect with extraordinary precision. Behind those maneuvers is an unusual …
How Asymmetrical Ears Help Owls Locate Hidden Prey
An owl gliding over a dark field may be hunting an animal it can barely see. In some highly specialized species, owl asymmetrical ears provide additional information about where faint …
How the Nautilus Shell Helps Control Buoyancy and Depth
A chambered nautilus drifting along a deep reef slope carries one of the most distinctive buoyancy systems in the ocean. Nautilus buoyancy control depends partly on the animal’s coiled external …