These 7 Animals Would Absolutely Crush It at the Winter Olympics

The Olympics are designed to test elite athleticism, at least in the human realm. But what about the animal world? How would Arctic foxes fare in the Winter Olympics, or snowy owls for that matter?These Arctic animals, and others, are fast flyers and runners, and they hunt prey with deadly accuracy.Granted, these animals might not follow...

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Fluffy felines rule on 'cat island' Tashirojima

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- Here kitty, kitty! Visitors to Tashirojima Island here will have no trouble finding the fluffy winter coats of the feline inhabitants. Often called "cat island," Tashirojima, whose perimeter is 11 kilometers, is home to some 200 cats who live alongside human residents, and are no stranger to tourists from both inside...

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Pets are friends, not property

Whether you adopt, buy or come by it happenstance, giving a home to an animal is a huge responsibility. You become their lifeline and owning a pet is not something that should be taken lightly. I’ve seen students who live in a dorm or an on-campus apartment with puppies who know the rules regarding pets in on-campus housing, yet choose...

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'Vampire' Deer?! 5 South Korean Animals You May See at the 2018 Winter Olympics

A lizard with no lungs, a deer with vampire fangs and a little black bird carrying around human baby teeth in its beak all walk into a country.This is no joke set-up — this is a real snapshot of the eccentric biodiversity of South Korea (well, except maybe for the baby teeth thing… more on that in a minute).As the 2018 Winter Games unfold...

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Pets improve your mental health, new study suggests

It is estimated that there are 10 million cats and 11.5 million dogs kept as pets in the UK – and new research suggests they could be improving the mental health of their human companions. A new study, published in BMC Psychiatry, conducted by researchers from the universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Southampton, is the first systematic...

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Ancient Fish Strutted Seafloor Before Land Animals

The little skate has been both swimming and walking for hundreds of millions of years. Jeff Rotman/The Image Bank/Getty Images Where did you get that walk? Like many people, you might guess our vertebrate gait originates with the first backboned creatures to scramble out of the sea, but a study published in Cell on Feb. 8, 2018 indicates...

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Giant rabbits apparently make great pets

The Flemish Giant is also called the "king of rabbits" because of his large size, longevity and personality. These rabbits can reach immense size very quickly. By seven or eight weeks of age, they can already weigh four pounds or more. A Flemish Giant is a sweet, lovable companion that can be kept inside, and he blends well into family...

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Love stories from former shelter pets and their adopters

Lola Hawkins + Bellatrix  At 10 years old, Lola Hawkins has already experienced love at first sight. She was browsing the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center website this November when she came upon a tan and black tabby kitten with a half-pink, half-black nose.“I saw her picture online and I said, ‘That’s the one. I need her,”...

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Chinese scientists discover spider with a tail trapped in 100 million-year-old amber

Two teams of scientists on Monday unveiled a "missing link" species of spider with a scorpion-like tail found perfectly preserved in amber in Southeast Asia's forests after at least 100 million years. In studies published side-by-side in Nature Ecology and Evolution, one team argued that male sex organs and silk thread-producing teats...

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Rare Albino Dolphin Spotted Off California Coast

A 3-year-old albino dolphin was spotted swimming with its mom in California's Monterey Bay last week, and the little one appears healthy, scientists say. The crew of a Blue Ocean Whale Watch boat saw the albino Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) swimming with its mom on June 7 about 3 miles (nearly 5 kilometers) offshore near Moss Landing....

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