Articles by

Susan Milius

Putting vampire bats on treadmills reveals an unusual metabolism

Vampire bats have become such specialized bloodsuckers that they metabolize their food more like some blood-feeding flies...

These hornets may be the alcohol-detox champs of the animal world

Don’t get into a drinking contest with Vespa orientalis hornets. They could out-booze a tree shrew, even...

To tell a right-trunked elephant from a lefty, check the wrinkles

There’s a Sherlock Holmes tale in here somewhere: A clever observer could check wrinkles and whiskers on...

Coyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ look

Coyotes turn out to have face muscles that look capable of making that big-eyed, sad-puppy face that...

It’s a big year for cicadas. Here’s what to know about this year’s emergence

One of the most peculiar of North America’s natural wonders — the synchronized mass mating frenzies of...

Want to see butterflies in your backyard? Try doing less yardwork

Making the world safer for butterflies can be as easy as doing a bit of nothing. Letting...

Plant ‘time bombs’ highlight how sneaky invasive species can be

A stealthy, destructive weed — the sycamore maple — began its “don’t worry, just love me” phase...

Big monarch caterpillars don’t avoid toxic milkweed goo. They binge on it

Maybe science has misunderstood the dining style of big monarch butterfly caterpillars. What insect watchers have called...