1+ day, 2+ hour ago   (1076+ words) The genes behind bat lifespan overlap with the genes that handle viruses, and one key immune gene comes in up to three copies. A bigger mammal usually lives longer, and bats are a striking exception. Among the mouse-eared bats, body…...

2+ day, 6+ hour ago   (1008+ words) Seattle coyotes live at nine times the density of Washington's wild lands, with fewer predators, fewer hunters, and far more to eat. Coyotes tend to avoid people. Yet they live far closer together in Seattle than in the wild country…...

4+ day, 2+ hour ago   (574+ words) A 22% drop in butterfly populations from 2000 to 2020 signals a troubling, widespread decline across the broader pollinator community. Scientists count butterflies more thoroughly than any other insect, which makes them an early-warning system for the health of other animal species that…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago   (1057+ words) Periodical cicadas have failed to return to many recovered forests, and new research suggests natural recolonization could take centuries. Periodical cicadas spend more than a decade underground before pushing out of the ground by the trillions, covering the trees for…...

5+ day, 44+ min ago   (777+ words) Trees protect wild animals from extreme heat and cold by keeping temperatures inside their cavities more stable than outside. Deep inside the trunk of an old tree, temperatures can remain surprisingly stable, even when the world outside is baking or…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (1067+ words) Snake embryos develop in remarkably consistent clockwise spirals, and their slower-growing gut may explain how the unusual shape forms. Inside a freshly laid snake egg, the embryo is already wound like a corkscrew. Nearly every one of those spirals turns…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago   (983+ words) A new study explores how birdsong, traffic noise, and the sounds of nature shape the way people experience and respond to green spaces. A park can look peaceful while sounding stressful. Birds may be singing in the trees, but traffic…...