Animals
We live on a planet with millions of species of animals -and a rich, diverse collection of known wildlife, and yet new species are being identified seemingly every day — both living and extinct.
Whether it’s the deadliest snakes, longest-living creatures or the history of the dinosaurs, at Live Science, our expert writers are here to help you understand Earth's incredible fauna — past and present — with the latest animal news, features and articles.
Explore Animals
Editor's Picks
Latest about Animals
![A Scottish Fold cat rests its head on its owner's shoulders and looks at the camera](jpg/blwqvbwhweabpszcvinvsc-320-80.jpg)
Cats love to meow at humans. Now we know why.
By Grace Carroll published
Meows are more than a cute sound — they're also a window into the relationship between humans and their feline friends.
![A still of a dragon from the TV show "House of the Dragon"](jpg/ri6vdpog6hd7uhaf8yziwc-320-80.jpg)
Could a fire-breathing animal ever exist?
By Mark Lorch published
To create a fire-breathing animal, you would need to combine features found in a cow, a beetle and an eel.
![close up of a mako shark tearing at a piece of bait with water splashing](jpg/gycdl5qb9ryf7hcvqpqnzd-320-80.jpg)
Searching for 'Makozilla' — the supersized mako sharks in the North Pacific
By Hannah Osborne published
A decade after a huge mako shark dubbed "The Beast" was caught off the California coast, experts search for its enormous relatives.
![A herd of African elephants walks through the grass in front of Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya.](jpg/gpk7j296zlppouxysfckan-320-80.jpg)
6 animals where females reign supreme
By Sascha Pare published
From honeybees to elephants, here are six animals with female bosses.
![vampire squid V. pseudoinfernalis on a white background](jpg/wbumilzsps3vpt9fvzjhkm-320-80.jpg)
Never-before-seen vampire squid species discovered in twilight zone of South China Sea
By Richard Pallardy published
Scientists discover what appears to be the second known living species of vampire squid swimming in deep water off Hainan island, China.
![newly discovered fossils with flattened, circular head](jpg/49ws5cziggqjuus6zmw2k3-320-80.jpg)
280 million-year-old swamp monster with 'big, flat toilet seat-shaped head' discovered in Namibia
By Jacklin Kwan published
Giant salamander-like predator that lived 40 million years before the first dinosaurs had huge fangs and sucked up prey with its weird head.
![an ant amutating another ant's leg on a white background](jpg/wz2tqyvfnxsmvxir7jlywk-320-80.jpg)
Ants perform life saving operations — the only animal other than humans known to do so
By Jacklin Kwan published
Florida ants perform amputations and clean wounds to prevent the spread of infection, scientists discover.
![A guanaco stands behind red flowered bushes an in front of a snowy mountain range and lake](jpg/mukzeqc58issgfmpzo6lcm-320-80.jpg)
Which continent has the most animal species?
By Katherine Irving published
The diversity of even the largest animals depends on the smallest factors.
![Two polar bears, one with its mouth wide open and another with its paw on its head](jpg/yoboxbgmceub2n7pjteju8-320-80.jpg)
Zany polar bears and a '3-headed' giraffe star in Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
By Elise Poore published
Nikon release its best entries so far for the Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024.
![tasselled wobbegong resting on coral.](jpg/8aweu7pxnspgy666mykdj7-320-80.jpg)
Tasselled wobbegong: The master of disguise that can eat a shark almost as big as itself
By Lydia Smith published
Tasselled wobbegong sharks are so well camouflaged they can vanish on the seafloor, waiting for unsuspecting prey to pass before lunging forward to suck their victims into their giant mouths.
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