The biological family commonly referred to as cats is Felidae, a monophyletic group of carnivorous mammals within the order Carnivora. Felidae comprises two extant subfamilies, Pantherinae (large cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) and Felinae (smaller to medium-sized cats including the domestic cat, lynxes, cougars, and many wildcat species). Members of Felidae are characterized by obligate carnivory, specialized dentition for shearing flesh, retractile or semi-retractile claws, highly developed sensory systems, and typically solitary, territorial behavior. They exhibit diverse ecological adaptations across terrestrial habitats worldwide, excluding Antarctica and some isolated islands.
Why do cats often leave food unfinished? Many cat owners have experienced this puzzling behavior. Domestic cats are well known for eating multiple small meals throughout the day, a pattern thought to reflect their evolutionary ...
Veterinary medicine
Apr 6, 2026
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Humans have always imagined the natural world. From Ice Age cave paintings to the modern day, we depict the animals and landscapes we value—and ignore those we don't.
Ecology
Apr 4, 2026
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A team of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso has uncovered new evidence explaining why the rattlesnake's rattle—one of nature's most iconic warning signals—has persisted and proven so effective across millions ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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45
A five-year study on California's Central Coast, led by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Western Center for Food Safety at the University of California, Davis, is helping scientists better understand how harmful ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 5, 2026
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12
Animals of the same species don't always look the same. From birds with different beak shapes to mammals that vary in size or color, populations living in different places can often look very different.
Evolution
Mar 1, 2026
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A research team led by Dr. Chris Baumann and Dr. Dorothée Drucker from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen has found that the European wildcat is increasingly using ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 26, 2026
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132
Adelaide University researchers have shown that pairing sniffer dogs with a simple air-sampling device could dramatically improve the detection of illegally trafficked wildlife hidden inside shipping containers.
Plants & Animals
Feb 23, 2026
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23
A study from an international team of experts in veterinary medicine, human medicine and genomics provides the first large-scale genetic map of feline cancer, revealing that cats may hold the key to understanding several ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Feb 21, 2026
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24
A camera-trap survey conducted throughout 2025 has revealed the bewildering breadth of biodiversity hidden within the Annamite Mountains, a largely unexplored forest haven stretching for 1,100 kilometers through Laos and ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 14, 2026
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27
Artificial light is one of the most ingrained features of modern life. For humans, light after dark offers convenience and a sense of safety. For wildlife, it's a growing environmental disturbance. "When humans introduce ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 6, 2026
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