zoology

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Unsurprisingly, 'Hitler' Bug Is Causing a 'Ferocious Debate'
This Bug's Scientific Name
Is Causing a Big Uproar
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 6, 2024 4:20 PM CST

This Bug's Scientific Name Is Causing a Big Uproar

'Anophthalmus hitleri,' aka the 'eyeless Hitler' beetle, is now the subject of 'ferocious debate'

(Newser) - Slovenia: home to former first lady Melania Trump, "breathtaking" landscapes , and one of the most controversial insects on the planet. Not that the Anophthalmus hitleri ground beetle is inherently a troublemaker—but, as you may have surmised from its longer scientific moniker, its designation as the "eyeless Hitler"...

Spiders Eat More Meat Than All the Planet's Humans Do

As much as 800M tons, compared to 400M

(Newser) - When it comes to eating meat, spiders do their share—and then some. Zoologists at the University of Basel in Switzerland and Lund University in Sweden report in the journal the Science of Nature that, according to their calculations, spiders kill between 400 million and 800 million tons of prey...

3 New Kinds of Pocket-Sized 'Dragons' Found

Andes cloud forests yield spiky, colorful lizards

(Newser) - Even in the year 2015, and even with widespread destruction of the world's wilderness, zoologists who look hard enough can still find new species of dragons—the dwarf kind, at least. Researchers combing the cloud forests of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru have uncovered three new kinds of...

Stunning New Jellyfish Named, but Still Mysterious

Pelagia benovici's native habitat remains unknown

(Newser) - A new species of jellyfish has been discovered in the Gulf of Venice—but where it hails from remains a mystery. In a phenomenon known as a bloom, the now-named Pelagia benovici showed up in such force in September that it interfered with fishing; citizen jellyfish trackers who were unable...

New Life Form Discovered at Truck Stop
 New Life Form 
 Discovered at 
 Truck Stop 
in case you missed it
Apr 30, 2011 8:34 AM CDT

New Life Form Discovered at Truck Stop

Biologist makes big find en route to collecting trip

(Newser) - The world is teeming with undiscovered species, as biologist Piotr Naskrecki discovered at a ... South African truck stop. Naskrecki was part of a team hunting for specimens of Mantophasmotes—an entirely new order of carnivorous insects only discovered in 2002—in a remote area of Namibia. When he paused at...

Team Digs Up London 'Moby Dick'
Team Digs Up London
'Moby Dick'
Sep 9, 2010 4:56 AM CDT

Team Digs Up London 'Moby Dick'

56-foot giant whale died 200 years ago

(Newser) - Archaeologists in London have discovered the bones of a whale the size of Moby Dick that met its end on the River Thames some 200 years ago. The 56-foot whale, which was as old as 100 when it died, was found buried beneath six feet of mud on the bank...

Pea-Size Frog Found in Borneo

Tiny amphibian lives in carnivorous plants

(Newser) - The smallest frog ever discovered outside the Americas has been found dwelling inside a carnivorous plant in the jungles of Borneo. The tiny amphibians, just under half an inch long, were discovered by chance by researchers making their way up a mountain road. They tracked the pea-size frog by following...

This Leech Wants to Live in Your Nose
 This Leech Wants to 
 Live in Your Nose 
in case you missed it
Apr 18, 2010 12:50 PM CDT

This Leech Wants to Live in Your Nose

Large-toothed leech infests Amazon—and, of course, noses

(Newser) - If the piranhas aren't enough to deter you from swimming in the Amazon region, this thing probably will be. A new species of leech has been discovered in Peru—and it's especially fond of dwelling inside the human nose, the BBC reports. The creature, discovered after a doctor pulled one...

'Extinct' Species That Are Still Kicking

Scientists find a plethora of animals presumed dead

(Newser) - Some 17,291 species are on the brink of extinction, but every so often a creature appears that scientists had already given up on. Above, a bunch of critters that, to quote Monty Python, think they might go for a walk.

'Montauk Monster' Killed in Panama

Hairless creature on beach confounds cryptozoologists

(Newser) - A bizarre-looking creature found on a Panama beach has excited the world of cryptozoology, the Daily Telegraph reports. A group of teens said they feared for their safety and beat the hairless creature to death as it crawled from a cave and moved toward them. The animal—dubbed "Gollum"...

Lazy, Gluttonous Dinos Were Prehistoric 'Couch Potatoes'

(Newser) - Dinosaurs grew to their massive sizes because of lack of exercise and easy access to food, according to a leading zoologist. Dr. Brian McNab studied large mammals for comparison and concluded that a lack of energy expenditure, combined with abundant resources and a blood temperature somewhere between warm and cold,...

Scientists Spot 6 Giraffe Species
Scientists Spot 6 Giraffe Species
Dec 24, 2007 3:40 AM CST

Scientists Spot 6 Giraffe Species

And some are in trouble

(Newser) - Giraffes had long been thought to be one species with several subspecies, but researchers now believe they have identified six distinct species—some of which are on the brink of extinction, reports the BBC. Only 160 Nigerian giraffes remain. But there's hope the researchers' find will spur greater conservation efforts.

12 Stories