Posts in “Animals” Category

A new gecko species has been found in Papua New Guinea. This black and gold striped gecko is called Nactus kunan, from the word, kunan, which means "bumblebee" in the local Nali language. Scientists think that this lizard's coloration helps it stay hidden on the rain forest floor.

Learn more about the bumblebee gecko on National Geographic News.

Get the facts on geckos in this Creature Feature.


Photograph courtesy Robert Fisher, USGS

What's wrong with this bat's face? Nothing at all! This is a Griffin's leaf-nosed bat. It was first seen in Vietnam's Chu Mom Ray National Park in 2008, but has only recently been confirmed as a new species. Scientists think that the leaf-like features on the bat's face may help them with echolocation.

Read more about this new bat on National Geographic News.

Get the facts on vampire bats on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph courtesy Vu Dinh Thong

Next week, Boston's Franklin Park Zoo will host an animal election for "President" of the zoo. Among the candidates are a lion, an Andean condor, and a red panda. Visitors to the zoo can vote from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. If you can't visit the zoo, you can also vote by email.

Visit the Franklin Park Zoo to get information on the "candidates" and learn how to cast your vote!

Get the facts on your favorite animals on National Geographic Kids.


Photo courtesy of Fran Mandeville

A four-year-old Pekingese named CH Palacegarden Malachy (or Malachy for short) won Best in Show at the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on Tuesday. This is the fourth time a Pekingese has won, but the last time a member of this breed was top dog was 22 years ago! The Pekingese breed gets its name from the Chinese capital city of Beijing, which used to be known as Peking.
 
Learn more about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and watch a video of Malachy.

Read more about Malachy's win on Los Angeles Times website.

Read about last year's Best in Show winner on News Bites

How much do you know about different dog breeds? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

During the winter months, many animals seem to disappear as temperatures drop and the days grow shorter. Some of them migrate, but others hibernate. Hibernation is a state in which animals fall into a deep sleep-like state. The marmot hibernates for up to eight months every year! But it's not just mammals that hibernate. Reptiles such as snakes and turtles also hibernate. While the box turtle hibernates, its heart beats once every five to ten minutes, and it doesn't have to breathe--instead, it takes in oxygen through its skin. When warmer spring temperatures arrive, hibernating animals wake up and go out in search of food to fill their empty stomachs.

Learn more about hibernating animals on the Earth Rangers Wild Wire.

Get facts on your favorite animals on National Geographic Kids.

Scientists have discovered a new species of giant amphipods, or shrimp-like animals, in one of the world's deepest ocean trenches. The Kermadec Trench is found off of the northern coast of New Zealand. The largest of the amphipods is an amazing 11 inches (28 centimeters) long. "Amphipods are common to deep-sea trenches, but they're usually 2 to 3 centimeters [about an inch] long. They turn up in a matter of minutes like a swarm of bees and simply devour all of the bait," said Alan Jamieson, a marine biologist at the University of Aberdeen and co-leader of the expedition that found the animals.

Learn about the giant amphipods and see more pictures on National Geographic News.

Play Zipper's Great Barrier Grrr-eef on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph courtesy Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow when he came out of his tree stump this morning in Pennsylvania. According to the legend, if Phil sees his shadow, we should expect six more weeks of winter weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.

Read more about Punxsutawney Phil on National Geographic News.

Learn about groundhogs on National Geographic.


Photograph by Gene J. Puskar, AP

Scientists have been taking a closer look at the "dance" that dung beetles perform on top of their dung balls. So why do the beetles dance? They're using the sun to figure out which direction to travel. As the beetle moves on top of the dung ball, it is checking the position of the sun to help it navigate.

Read more about the dung beetle dance on the National Geographic News Watch blog.

Reunite dung beetles with their dung balls in the Dung Beetle Derby game.


Photograph by Chris Johns, National Geographic

Small spiders are just as good at spinning webs as large ones. But why is that? Scientists point to the fact that tiny spiders have relatively giant brains! They're so big, in fact, that their brains spill into their bodies--even into their legs! The smaller the spider, the larger its brain is relative to the rest of its body. Scientists think that web-spinning might be one reason for spiders to have such large brains.

Learn more about this spider study on National Geographic News.


Watch a jumping spider stalk a bee on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Don Johnston, All Canada/Getty Images