Science & Nature
Many-Banded Krait
Many-Banded Krait, a black-and-white banded snake of East and Southeast Asia, carries potent neurotoxic venom that can cause fatal respiratory paralysis.
Cane Toad
Cane Toad, a toxic toad native to Central and South America, was introduced to Australia to fight crop pests and instead became an ecological disaster.
Which Planet Has the Most Moons?
Saturn now holds 293 confirmed moons, more than any other planet. See how it overtook Jupiter, and meet Titan and Enceladus.
Naked Mole-Rat
Naked Mole-Rat, one of the only eusocial mammals, is a wrinkled East African rodent famed for resisting cancer, pain, and the usual signs of aging.
Eyelash Viper
Eyelash Viper, a small arboreal pit viper of Central and South America, is named for the bristly scales above its eyes and comes in vivid colors.
Which Planet Has The Most Eccentric Orbit?
Mercury holds the record among the eight planets orbiting the Sun, while HD 20782 b is among the most eccentric confirmed exoplanets known.
Where Coyotes And Wolves Overlap In The United States
Coyotes and wolves overlap across the US, from Yellowstone and Denali to North Carolina's Albemarle Peninsula, where the two canids sometimes hybridize.
Which Planet Has The Fewest Visitors From Earth?
Uranus and Neptune have each had exactly one visitor: Voyager 2, in 1986 and 1989. No spacecraft has returned to either ice giant since.
Wandering Albatross
Wandering Albatross, a giant seabird of the Southern Ocean, has the largest wingspan of any living bird and can glide for years over the open sea.
Malayan Blue Krait
Malayan Blue Krait, one of Southeast Asia's most venomous snakes, delivers a potent neurotoxic bite that can paralyze and kill without antivenom.
Which Moon Could Be Shooting Geysers Into Space?
Computer models hint at geysers erupting from Europa's icy crust, the kind already confirmed on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Europa Clipper arrives in 2030.
Why Mountain Lions Disappeared From The Eastern US
Mountain lions once roamed much of the eastern US, but bounties, hunting, fewer deer, and habitat loss eventually wiped out most populations.
Alligator Gar
Alligator Gar, one of North America's largest freshwater fish, is an ancient, armored predator named for its broad, toothy, alligator-like snout.
Red-Bellied Black Snake
Red-Bellied Black Snake, a glossy Australian elapid with a crimson underside, is venomous but notably shy, and rarely a serious danger to people.
What Happens If Kessler Syndrome Starts
One shattered satellite could start a chain reaction in orbit, multiplying debris until entire regions of space become too dangerous to use.
The Most Snake Infested Lakes in Missouri
Discover the most snake-infested lakes in Missouri, where diverse species, both venomous and non-venomous, make their homes in scenic waters.
Forest Cobra
Forest Cobra, the largest true cobra in Africa, is a fast, highly venomous snake at home in the rainforests and waterways across the continent.
Which Planet Has The Weakest Gravity?
Mercury has the weakest gravity of any planet. Its huge iron core still makes it pull harder than its small size suggests.
Killer Whale
Killer Whale, the ocean's top predator and the largest member of the dolphin family, hunts in tight-knit family pods across every sea on the planet.
Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra, the spectacled snake of snake charmers, is one of India's deadliest reptiles and a revered figure in Hindu mythology and folklore.
Why Doesn't the Moon Fall?
Gravity pulls the Moon toward Earth every second, yet it never lands. Tangential speed and Earth's curved surface turn that fall into a stable orbit.
Markhor
Markhor, the largest species of wild goat and the national animal of Pakistan, is famous for the long, corkscrew horns that spiral above its head.
Which Planet Would Float On Water?
The massive planet of Saturn, a gas giant, has a density such that if you could place it in a giant tub of water, it would float.
Impala
Impala, a graceful antelope of eastern and southern Africa's savannas, can leap enormous distances to escape the lions and leopards that hunt it.
Monocled Cobra
Monocled Cobra, named for the single ring on its hood, is a highly venomous snake of South and Southeast Asia often found near water and rice fields.
Where America Watches For Asteroids From
Mountaintop telescopes, a Cambridge clearinghouse, and JPL orbit specialists share the job of spotting asteroids early in America.
Blue Whale
Blue Whale, the largest animal ever known to have lived, is a colossal baleen whale that filter-feeds on tiny krill across the world's open oceans.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra
Mozambique Spitting Cobra, one of southern Africa's most dangerous snakes, can spray venom into a threat's eyes and inflict a tissue-destroying bite.
Which Moon Is The Coldest?
Triton is frozen almost beyond imagination, but Earth’s Moon hides an even colder secret inside craters untouched by sunlight.
Scientists Discover The World’s Largest Snake Species
The green anaconda, now recognized as a separate species, is the heaviest and possibly longest snake, reaching over 21 feet and 200 kg.
The K2-18b Biosignature Debate And What It Actually Means
Scientists found possible signs of life on K2-18b, but the evidence soon weakened. Here is what the latest research actually tells us.
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Pygmy Hippopotamus, a shy, forest-dwelling relative of the common hippo, is an endangered West African species far smaller than its famous cousin.
Which Planet Is The Densest?
Earth is the solar system's densest planet at 5.514 g/cm³. See how mass, volume, and rocky composition determine planetary density.
Puff Adder
Puff Adder, a thick-bodied African viper blamed for more snakebite deaths than any other snake on the continent, stays still rather than fleeing danger.
Birds That Start With B
Some of the birds whose names begin with B include the bald eagle, the barn owl, the blue jay, the bowerbird, the budgerigar, the booby, the bustard, the buzzard and the bittern.
What Is The Most Volcanic World In The Solar System?
Io has at least 400 active volcanoes, throwing lava fountains dozens of miles high. The cause is not tectonics but Jupiter's gravity.
What Is The Largest Object In The Solar System After The Sun?
Jupiter isn't just the biggest planet; it's the largest object in our Solar System after the Sun, 11 times wider than Earth.