Animals
We live on a planet with millions of species of animals -and a rich, diverse collection of known wildlife, and yet new species are being identified seemingly every day — both living and extinct.
Whether it’s the deadliest snakes, longest-living creatures or the history of the dinosaurs, at Live Science, our expert writers are here to help you understand Earth's incredible fauna — past and present — with the latest animal news, features and articles.
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Latest about Animals
Why do dogs sniff each other's butts?
By Clarissa Brincat published
And like dogs, why do cats also sniff fellow felines' behinds?
Hammer-headed bat: The African megabat that looks like a gargoyle and holds honking pageants
By Sascha Pare published
Hammer-headed bats are named after the males' oversized boxy heads, which evolved to amplify and project the honking sounds they produce to impress females during courtship displays.
How do cats land on their feet?
By Marlowe Starling published
Cats are masters of contortion — and the laws of physics — which helps them stick the landing more times than not.
Cicada double brood event: What to expect when trillions of bugs emerge in Eastern US
By Carys Matthews last updated
When and where will the double cicada brood emerge? Here's what to expect from this rare phenomenon, which occurs only once every 221 years.
15 extinct giants that once roamed North America
By Laura Geggel last updated
Until the end of the last ice age, American cheetahs, enormous armadillolike creatures and giant sloths called North America home. But it's long puzzled scientists why these animals went extinct about 10,000 years ago.
Pigbutt worm: The deep-sea 'mystery blob' with the rump of a pig and a ballooned belly
By Melissa Hobson published
Bizarre worm that looks "like the rump of a pig from one side and Mick Jagger's lips from the other" may be in the middle of an evolutionary leap, scientists say.
Giant prehistoric salmon had tusk-like teeth, just like a warthog's
By Caroline Tien published
The largest salmon species ever discovered, Oncorhynchus rastrosus may have used its distinctive, tusk-like teeth to compete with rivals, defend against predators and dig nests.
Ancient, 30-foot relative of great white shark unearthed in Mexico quarry
By Melissa Hobson published
"Exceptionally preserved" fossils of an ancient shark that lived alongside the dinosaurs has finally revealed what the predator looked like — and why it may have gone extinct.
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