Mammals

Rats make a high-pitched sound similar to laughter when they're being tickled.

Tickling Rats Reveals a Brain Region Linked to Laughter and Play

This group of neurons could someday inform the treatment of depression and anxiety in humans, scientists say

Rice's whales were initially thought to be a subspecies of Bryde’s whales—until scientists figured out they were a distinct species.

Fishermen Spot Rare Endangered Rice's Whale in the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists say no more than 100 individuals of the species exist in the wild, placing the Rice's whale among the scarcest marine mammals in the world

Belugas head to Hudson Bay in the summer in droves to eat, molt and give birth.

Watch Tens of Thousands of Beluga Whales Migrate With These Live Streams

The marine mammals are gathering in Canada's Hudson Bay and Churchill River—and their journey is a reminder of sea ice's importance

An orca mother travels alongside her son. Older orca females past their reproductive years often lead their pods on hunts.

Aging Mother Orcas Keep Their Sons Out of Fights

In a new study, male orcas with mothers that had gone through menopause showed less tooth scarring on their fins compared to other males

A pink dolphin spotted in Louisiana.

Rare Pink Dolphins Spotted Swimming in Louisiana River

The cetaceans are likely bottlenose dolphins with albinism, and one could be "Pinky," an animal first seen in the area in 2007

The dinosaur and mammal engaged in a final tussle.

Rare Fossil May Show a Small Mammal Attacking a Dinosaur

The well-preserved bones could upend the traditional view of dinosaurs as predators and mammals as prey, if the findings are confirmed

Experts aren't sure why the otter is approaching surfers, as sea otters have a natural fear of humans.

A Surfboard-Snatching Sea Otter Is Vexing Wildlife Officials in California

While the animal's antics may look cute, the dangerous behavior could bring harm to humans or force authorities to euthanize the endangered mammal

Sightseers spotted the rarely seen creatures on a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat tour off the coast of California.

Tourists Spot 'Incredibly Rare' Whales Off California Coast

Cuvier's beaked whales can hold their breath for hours and don't spend much time at the surface, making them mysterious—and a treat to see

A sea lion receiving care at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California, shows signs of domoic acid poisoning.

Algae Is Making Sea Lions More Aggressive in California

A toxin present in algal blooms is moving through the food chain, leading to the deaths of sea lions and dolphins

Dolphins and humans both change how they communicate when they're around babies.

Dolphins Use Baby Talk When Their Calves Are Around

Like humans, female dolphins make higher-pitched vocalizations when communicating with their young

A variety of saber-toothed animals have evolved to fill different niches.

Eight Menacing Saber-Toothed Creatures That Stalked the Earth Long Ago

From before the dinosaurs to the Ice Age, several mammals and their forerunners sported the iconic, curved teeth

Nihohae matakoi swam in waters off the coast of New Zealand around 25 million years ago.

These Prehistoric Dolphins Had Tusk-Like Teeth

The animals likely thrashed their heads back and forth to injure or stun prey with their unusual, horizontal teeth

Because moose are largely solitary, it's unlikely a rabies outbreak will occur in Alaska's population, according to officials.

First Rabid Moose Recorded in Alaska Was Stumbling Through a Town

The large mammal likely contracted the virus from a fox, say wildlife officials

A SeaWorld team prepares to release a rescued manatee.

The Race to Save Florida’s Manatees

Researchers are nurturing sick and injured animals back to health while working to protect natural springs and curb seagrass decline

The mastodon tooth was discovered on Rio Del Mar State Beach in California.

Woman Finds Mastodon Tooth on California Beach

The photos she shared set off a search for the fossil, which she had left behind. Now, scientists have the tooth, just the third of its kind found locally

The wolverine sighting in Yosemite National Park

Rare Wolverine Spotted in California—the Second in 101 Years

The elusive creatures disappeared from the Golden State in 1922

After eight months of hibernation, Arctic ground squirrels emerge in the spring hungry and ready to mate.

Climate Change Is a Wake-Up Call for Hibernating Squirrels

As spring arrives sooner, female Arctic ground squirrels are emerging from their burrows earlier, according to a new study

Raffie the echidna, roaming through Australian rocks.

See the Rare Albino Echidna Spotted in Australia

Dubbed Raffie, the egg-laying mammal is an unusual color and "beautiful"

Representative Robert F. Broussard believed hippos imported from Africa would rid Louisiana and Florida of the water hyacinths smothering their waterways.

How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers

In 1910, a failed House bill sought to increase the availability of low-cost meat by importing hippopotamuses that would be killed to make "lake cow bacon"

An illustration of the giant gorgonopsian Inostrancevia scaring off the much smaller African species Cyonosaurus

During the 'Great Dying,' This Saber-Toothed Predator Reigned

This ancestor of mammals briefly thrived amid a massive extinction event, hinting at how carnivores may respond to climate change today

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