Zoology

Most U.S. tuna isn’t really tuna, and confusion can lead to oily anal leakage

Here’s some unsettling domestic news for any Americans who have grown complacent amidst the beef/horse meat scandal unfolding in Western Europe: here in the U.S., genetic analyses of fish sold in restaurants, grocery stores and sushi outlets recently revealed 59% of the fish labeled “tuna” at restaurants and grocery stores isn’t actually tuna. The investigation…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 25

This is probably the most disgusting thing you’ll watch this week, but it’s also absolutely fascinating

Fair warning: this video is graphic right off the bat. Probably NSFW, unless you’re a butcher or a taxidermist (intestines, bile, and blood abound). But, if you’ve got the stomach for it, this is really captivating stuff. Watch it if you can. Seriously. The video above is one of the more recent installments in an…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 25

Baby Sloths: Adorable AND Generous

Matthew (aka “Matty”) the baby three-toed sloth bestows upon his handler/the luckiest woman on Earth (aka “Claire”) a single hibiscus petal at the Sloth Sanctuary/Miracle Factory in Costa Rica. WHAT I WOULDN’T GIVE TO BE YOU, CLAIRE. DO YOU EVEN KNOW? Thanks, Kat!

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 22

Our first glimpse ever of a baby giant armadillo

For the first time ever, scientists working in the Brazilian Pantanal have documented the birth of a giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus). These solitary creatures, which can weigh as much as 110 pounds (50 kg), are so elusive that some consider them more myth than reality. But when a team of biologists suspected that a female…

io9 George Dvorsky Feb 20

Don’t be fooled: dolphins are actually huge assholes

The crew of marine-minded misfits running the show at Deep Sea News recently posted a rebuttal to Treehugger’s well-meaning, but ultimately ingenuous, list of 10 Reasons Why Dolphins Are Undeniably Awesome. DSN’s list? 10 reasons that dolphins are raging assholes. “[Treehugger’s] list is all nice and well but… does overlook some key aspects of dolphins…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 20

Ex-Lab Chimps Show Remarkable Improvement After Treatment With Anti-Depressants

One can only imagine the psychological and emotional states of research chimpanzees who have been poked, prodded, and confined for a good portion of their lives. No doubt, once relieved from the burdens of medical testing, many chimpanzees have a difficult time adapting to “normal” life. But as a recent small-scale experiment has shown, anti-depressants…

io9 George Dvorsky Feb 19

Conservationists rescue 150 dolphins from shallow waters, using a baby dolphin as a lure

Earlier this month, a pod of about 100 to 150 pantropical spotted dolphins became stranded and disoriented in shallow waters at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve about 250 km south of Perth, Australia. The Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation arrived on the scene, where they quickly assessed the seriousness of the situation. After…

io9 George Dvorsky Feb 14

Owl Survives Collision With SUV, Takes Up Residence Inside Grille

In doing so, it has also become one of the greatest, most appropriate reaction GIFs in recent memory. (Only “one of,” because this.) Please note that the collision reportedly happened near Yeehaw Junction, which… yeah. https://gizmodo.com/watch-this-squirrel-deliver-the-greatest-oh-sh-t-face-5978647 Vehicles pose a serious threat to owls and other birds that like to fly low over roads while hunting,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 13

Zoologists watch as monkey midwife delivers baby

Human labor is long and difficult, so it’s only natural that someone be there to lend a helping hand — that’s where the midwife comes in. It’s not the kind of thing that’s typically observed among other animals, however. Imagine the surprise of these zoologists working in southwest China when they witnessed the birth of…

io9 George Dvorsky Feb 11

12 Real Animals We Can’t Believe Aren’t Pokémon

Those who question the theory of evolution generally do it on religious grounds. But there’s a non-faith-related reason to question evolution. A lot of animals are too absurd to have been shaped by any kind of natural selection process. Here’s our working alternate explanation: these animals were designed by tired anime artists slaving away in…

io9 Rob Bricken and George Dvorsky Feb 8

A 62 year-old wild albatross has hatched a healthy chick — for the 35th time

Tracked by scientists since 1956, a Laysan albatross dubbed “Widsom” has hatched a healthy chick at the tender age of 62. The (apparently) elderly bird has now successfully given birth for the sixth consecutive year and is assumed to have parented at least 35 chicks over the course of her preternaturally long lifetime. And what…

io9 George Dvorsky Feb 7

What Is This? (Answer)

It is in fact… the rough surface of a starfish, snapped by zoologist Alexander Semenov. He explains: When I first began to experiment with sea life photography I tried shooting small invertebrates for fun with my own old DSLR camera and without any professional lights or lenses. I collected the invertebrates under water and then…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 7

All the proof you need that bloodthirsty dinosaurs live among us

There are dinosaurs among us, and ruthless ones at that. Don’t scoff — it’s true. Need proof? Look no further than the Great Tit, aka “The Zombie Tit.” Why is it called “The Zombie Tit?” Because it’s a killing machine with a single mission. To eat brains. Warning: animal gore ahead. Most researchers accept that…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 6

Meet the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. It’s f*cking strange as all hell and we love it.

Seriously. Just look at this guy. (And make no mistake: it is a guy. Andean Cocks-of-the-rock exhibit all manner of sexual dimorphism.) This showy little dude has got so much plumage happening on his face, you can barely even tell there’s a beak hidden under there. Top image by nathaninsandiego via the ever-excellent WTFEvolution? Speaking…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 5

The sticky truth about Spider-Man’s “web”

Spiders make their webs from silk extruded by special organs known as spinneret glands. But spinnerets are located at the tip of a spider’s abdomen, not its limbs. So is Peter Parker anatomically incorrect? Well… not exactly. We had the pleasure of hanging out with the entomologist known online as Bug Girl this weekend, during…

Books & Comics Robbie Gonzalez Feb 4

“Lost” tortoise found alive in storeroom after 30 years, immediately crowned hide-and-seek champion of the world

Manuela the red-footed tortoise was believed to have made her grand escape back in 1982. Her owners, the Almeida family of Rio de Janeiro, had been preoccupied with a home renovation at the time; Manuela, they surmised, had slipped unnoticed through a door left open by some careless workers. They thought Manueala had escaped. They…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jan 29

Here, have a limerick about four-headed penises

Because it’s Friday, and that’s just how we do. (Warning: uncensored quadriphallus below the fold.) By Michele Banks, an incomparable maker of Science-y art and slinger of dirty, dirty rhymes: If you seek someone handsome or quick This echinda would not be your pick But Grumpy would win For his shit-eating grin And remarkable four-nozzled…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jan 25

Tigers brutally maul snowmen, look adorable in the process

Siberian tigers — aka Amur tigers — are the largest cats alive on Earth. My favorite Siberian tiger description comes from nature journalist John Vaillant, who once characterized them as creatures that possess “the agility and appetite of the cat and the mass of an industrial refrigerator.” The video below shows what happened when four…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jan 24

Watch this squirrel deliver the greatest “oh sh*t” face in the history of nature documentaries

David Attenborough narrates as a leopard blows its cover, and a squirrel delivers one of the animal kingdom’s greatest “oh shit” faces since dramatic chipmunk. From the first episode of Africa, the BBC’s latest nature documentary. (We’ve included the obligatory reaction GIF, but we think the audible nut-drop and scamper are what really make this.)…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jan 24

Government Scientists in the U.S. Are Set to End Most Research Done On Chimps

It has been a long time coming, but it looks like the vast majority of medical research performed on chimps in the United States is about to come to an end. A report from an internal working group was approved yesterday by the National Institutes of Health — and pending a final review by NIH…

io9 George Dvorsky Jan 23

Most U.S. tuna isn’t really tuna, and confusion can lead to oily anal leakage

This is probably the most disgusting thing you’ll watch this week, but it’s also absolutely fascinating

Baby Sloths: Adorable AND Generous

Our first glimpse ever of a baby giant armadillo

Don’t be fooled: dolphins are actually huge assholes

Ex-Lab Chimps Show Remarkable Improvement After Treatment With Anti-Depressants

Conservationists rescue 150 dolphins from shallow waters, using a baby dolphin as a lure

Owl Survives Collision With SUV, Takes Up Residence Inside Grille

Zoologists watch as monkey midwife delivers baby

12 Real Animals We Can’t Believe Aren’t Pokémon

A 62 year-old wild albatross has hatched a healthy chick — for the 35th time

What Is This? (Answer)

All the proof you need that bloodthirsty dinosaurs live among us

Meet the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. It’s f*cking strange as all hell and we love it.

The sticky truth about Spider-Man’s “web”

“Lost” tortoise found alive in storeroom after 30 years, immediately crowned hide-and-seek champion of the world

Here, have a limerick about four-headed penises

Tigers brutally maul snowmen, look adorable in the process

Watch this squirrel deliver the greatest “oh sh*t” face in the history of nature documentaries

Government Scientists in the U.S. Are Set to End Most Research Done On Chimps

Trump Is Reportedly Going Full Steam Ahead With The Golden Dome

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‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

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