Scientists uncover the unexpected identity of mezcal worms
Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from the boiled and fermented sap of agave plants. Most mezcal beverages — including…
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Shark bites tied for 10-year low in 2022 but spiked in regional hotspots
The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased last year, tying with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents…
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Rodent extinctions in Hispaniola may have been caused by humans
The island of Hispaniola once had among the highest rodent diversity in the Caribbean, supporting 11 species that coexisted for…
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Rare and iconic Atala butterflies retain ancient pattern of wing symmetry
Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of inspiration when it comes to butterflies. With over 18,000 species, each with…
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Tracking the origin of southern California’s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California’s most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of…
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North America’s rarest snake found biting off more than it could chew
North America’s rarest snake, Tantilla oolitica (rim rock crowned snake), was recently spotted in a park in the Florida Keys…
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Researchers use AI to create a treasure map of undiscovered ant species
E. O. Wilson once referred to invertebrates as “the little things that run the world,” without whom “the human species…
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Miniature frogs set record as first vertebrates to lose the ability to balance
Amphibians are exceptionally good at being small. There are salamanders the size of your thumb nail, pygmy newts that live…
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Park rangers use butterflies to take planet’s pulse in a biodiversity hotspot
In 2017, a group of scientists raised alarm bells by showing that flying insects had declined in Germany by more…
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Researchers discover new species in critically imperiled ecosystem
Researchers working in one of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems have discovered a new plant species, Castela senticosa,…
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