wildlife

An ocelot rests on a rock in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, in 2007. Only seven ocelots, including the one just spotted, have been seen in the state in the last two decades.

Rare Ocelot Caught on Camera in Arizona, the First Sighting in Its Area for 50 Years

Ocelots were federally listed as endangered in 1972, and their current U.S. population is thought to be fewer than 100 individuals

A sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Anemones eat prey that gets trapped in their sticky oral disk.

These Mesmerizing Anemones Have a Glowing Layer of Protection

Marine biologists discovered that a protein that boosts fluorescent output also enables an antioxidant property

Each day, elephants roam the dry riverbed in Amboseli National Park in search of water and food. 

15 Playful and Powerful Photos to Celebrate World Elephant Day

Never forget your favorite pachyderm with these memorable images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

The elephants are spending the summer in Newport, Rhode Island, before making their way to the Meatpacking District in New York City this fall.

A Herd of Life-Size Elephant Sculptures Is Marching Across America

Created by artists in India, the artworks are part of a larger effort to promote coexistence between humans and animals

Fe (pictured with her mate) hatched two chicks this breeding season, bringing the total number of her known offspring to 42.

She's the Oldest Common Loon in the World. She Just Had Her 42nd Chick

Fe, who is at least 38 years old, initially rose to fame as one half of the "resident power couple" at Michigan's Seney National Wildlife Refuge

With spikes as long as knitting needles, long-spined sea urchins may look like underwater villains, but their appetite for algae makes them the unsung heroes of Caribbean reefs.

The Valiant Effort to Restore the Caribbean's Sea Urchins

The very hungry, spiky custodians gobble up the algae that smother coral reefs

Firefighters in Jefferson County, Colorado, are encountering prairie rattlesnakes as they battle the Quarry Fire southwest of Denver.

'We Have a Rattlesnake Problem': Wildland Firefighters in the West Must Also Face a Slithering, Venomous Foe

Nearly 100 large fires are burning in the United States right now, including some in rattlesnake territory

A hazel-eyed tiger glares through a tangled web of branches in Satpura Tiger Reserve.

Feast on 15 Ferocious Tiger Photos From the Smithsonian Photo Contest

This majestic big cat is one of the world’s most recognizable

Peregrine falcons can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when they drop from great heights to catch prey.

Yosemite's Peregrine Falcons Are Rebounding Thanks to Unlikely Allies: Rock Climbers

After pesticides decimated the birds' numbers, climbers helped the species regain a foothold in the park

The out-of-place anhinga, spotted in Maine

Out-of-Place 'Devil Bird' Wows Spectators in Maine, the First Anhinga Ever Seen in the State

Anhingas normally live in South America and along the Gulf of Mexico—but one of these long-necked creatures flew farther north than Portland

A jar containing Ascaris, a parasitic worm that affects over one billion people worldwide

Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study Them?

Aging parasitologists are working hard to inspire more students to enter the field

The pups helped spread the seeds of foxgloves, bluebells, common spotted orchids and other plants.

These Backpack-Wearing Dogs Have an Important Job to Do

The pups are dispersing seeds at an urban nature reserve—just like their wild wolf ancestors used to do before being hunted to extinction

A rhesus macaque on Cayo Santiago, which is less than a mile east of Puerto Rico. Rhesus macaques spend upwards of 20 percent of their time engaged in cooperative behaviors like grooming.

How Do Animals Change Their Social Habits as They Age?

In patterns that may sound familiar, long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep and macaques are up to in their twilight years

Nearly 1,000 birds died in a single night after flying into windows at McCormick Place Lakeside Center in October 2023.

Chicago Building Where Nearly 1,000 Birds Died in One Night Last Fall Installs Bird-Safe Window Film

The glass-covered lakefront convention center has long been known among wildlife advocacy groups as a site of mass casualties for migratory birds

Rattlesnakes have gotten a bad rap over the years, but a live stream of their attentive parenting behaviors could help change that.

Look Into a 'Mega Den' of 2,000 Slithering Rattlesnakes With This Live Stream in Colorado

Run by researchers at Cal Poly, the stream is part of a citizen science initiative that aims to change the public's perception of the much-maligned reptiles

The remains of whales that sink to the ocean floor become biological oases. Since 1977, scientists had only identified about 50 such whale falls across the world’s oceans, but a recent effort uncovered a startling density of them off the coast of Los Angeles.

Why Have So Many Whale Remains Been Found on the Ocean Floor Near Los Angeles?

Scientists have discovered more whale falls there than in the rest of the world combined

Baby beluga whales and adults alike spend the summer in the Churchill River.

Watch Chatty Beluga Families Migrate With These Stunning Live Cams in Canada

Polar Bears International and Explore.org are once again capturing video footage and audio recordings of the social marine mammals as tens of thousands congregate in the Churchill River this summer

Some historians have suggested the giant turtle reported in 1948 was an alligator snapping turtle, pictured here. Other experts disagree with this theory.

Could Citizens of This Indiana Town Have Seen a 500-Pound Turtle?

Two men said they saw such an animal, dubbed the Beast of Busco, in 1948

American oystercatchers use their orange bills to pry open shellfish.

Nesting Shorebirds Are Mobbing Drones on New York City Beaches

The drones, equipped with inflatable life rafts, were intended to help improve public safety for humans this summer—but they're also upsetting orange-beaked birds called American oystercatchers

Estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 individuals, the koala population is the largest and healthiest in the state of Victoria, and second only in size to that of Kangaroo Island in the whole country.

This Island Is Inhabited by More Koalas Than Humans

Australia’s French Island is home to one of the country’s largest and healthiest koala populations, but it’s not impervious to the species’ struggles

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