Animal behavior is the scientific study of the observable actions, interactions, and behavioral patterns of animals, typically investigated within ethology, behavioral ecology, and comparative psychology. It encompasses mechanisms (proximate causes such as neural, hormonal, and genetic control), development (ontogeny and learning), function (adaptive value in survival and reproductive success), and evolution (phylogenetic history and divergence among taxa). Research on animal behavior quantifies activities such as foraging, mating systems, parental care, communication, social organization, and antipredator strategies, often integrating experimental, observational, and modeling approaches to understand how behavior emerges from organism–environment interactions and contributes to fitness and ecological dynamics.
Researchers at Washington State University have discovered a molecular "winter lock" that keeps animals in a less active winter state until favorable conditions return, a discovery that could improve pest control and lead ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 18, 2026
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46
Neil the Seal became a social media sensation almost overnight. Neil is a 5-year-old male southern elephant seal who weighs roughly 1 metric ton (1.1 tons). He was born on the Tasman Peninsula in October 2020 and has made ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 17, 2026
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14
Social animals use a suite of preemptive behaviors in anticipation of conflict, including staying quiet, monitoring their surroundings, conducting raids and bonding through play. In a review published in Trends in Ecology ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 16, 2026
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18
As homelessness increases around the world, more unhoused people are turning to parks and other urban green spaces to seek shelter. However, these places are also home to animals that live in and around urban areas.
Ecology
Jul 15, 2026
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11
Large seabird colonies have a surrounding boundary known as Ashmole's halo, where food sources are depleted, forcing the birds to travel farther to gather the food they need. The reason seems obvious—the more birds, the more ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2026
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26
Horses know a predator when they see one—even if it's only on a video screen while they're standing in a stall, with no sounds, smells or previous experience providing context for what they're viewing, a new study suggests.
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2026
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9
Most people in the U.K. don't fully understand dog laws in the country and often believe stronger protections exist than actually exist, according to a new University of Stirling study. The research, led by psychologist Sarah ...
Veterinary medicine
Jul 15, 2026
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9
New research involving Queen Mary University of London reveals that amphibians can change what they eat to cope with rising temperatures, but that this natural survival strategy has limits.
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2026
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16
The age-old question asks, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" While philosophers and scientists alike have pondered this question for centuries, the more relevant question ...
Ecology
Jul 14, 2026
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14
Who hasn't dreamed of flying like a bird? But do birds actually enjoy flying as much as we imagine? A new study by researchers at Utrecht University shows that galahs, Australian cockatoos, almost always choose to fly when ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2026
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