Animals

Joe Craine grabs a handful of late-winter Kansas prairie plants. Cattle need the nutrient-rich green grass to grow.

Soaring Popularity Of Grass-Fed Beef May Hit Roadblock: Less Nutritious Grass

7:00am January 08, 2018

by Alex Smith

Since the mid-'90s, levels of crude protein in the plants, which cattle need to grow, have dropped nearly 20 percent, and it may just be a matter of time before prairie grasses can't support grazing.

Wild Turkeys In Cleveland Suburb Peck At Mail Carriers

6:12am January 08, 2018

A neighborhood outside Cleveland is overrun with wild turkeys, and now about two dozen residents have to pick up their mail at the post office.

You'd be doing us and yourself a favor if you'd just stay in bed.

It's Not Just A Cold, It's 'Sickness Behavior'

11:51am January 06, 2018

by Nancy Shute

Feeling grumpy and antisocial because you've got a cold? That's not just a random side effect. It's your body saying, "Hey, slow down and rest so you can get better."

What To Do If You Come Across A Frozen Iguana

4:58pm January 05, 2018

On Thursday, we reported iguanas were falling from trees in Florida. Now, we explain why it is happening and what citizens should do in reaction. Bottom line: don't touch them. They are not dead. They may thaw out and attack.

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A stunned iguana lies on the sidewalk after having fallen from a tree Surfside, Fla., in 2010. That cold snap lasted for a few weeks and significantly reduced the iquana population.

Cold Casualties: Sharksicles And Frozen Iguanas

1:15pm January 05, 2018

by Scott Neuman

The unusual cold slamming the U.S. East Coast is wreaking havoc with wildlife, particularly the cold-blooded variety. Social media has been flooded by photos of downed iguanas and frozen sharks.

How China's Ivory Ban Could Affect Elephant Poaching In Africa

6:31pm January 04, 2018

As China's ban on ivory goes into effect, NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to professor George Wittemyer of Colorado State University about the impacts on the global ivory trade and what it might mean for elephant poaching in Africa.

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Two bonobos play fight at the Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012.

Unlike Humans, Bonobos Shun Helpers And Befriend The Bullies

4:32pm January 04, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Given a choice, bonobos tend to prefer people who act like jerks and dominate. That's very different than humans, who even as infants consistently prefer people who are cooperative and not mean.

A man walks his dog during a snowstorm last February in Philadelphia.

Science

How Cold Is Too Cold For Pets?

7:54pm January 03, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

A common misconception is that dogs and cats are more resistant to cold weather than humans because of their fur, but the risks to animals can be greater during a cold snap than during extreme heat.

Foie gras made in a lab? This future of food is coming, says Barbara J. King.

Clean Meat, Via Lab, Is On The Way

10:27am January 02, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Would you eat beef, chicken, even foie gras grown from animal cells in the lab? Anthropologist Barbara J. King takes a look at new food technologies.

Canadian Cold Snap Keeps Penguins Inside Calgary Zoo Enclosure

6:04am January 02, 2018

There are about 50 king penguins living in the Calgary Zoo. When the weather gets very cold, zoo officials don't let the penguins outside. They're going to have to waddle indoors instead.