Zoology

Protozoan fossil in Brazilian amber

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) have described a new extinct species of protozoan: Palaeohypothrix bahiensis

Rainforest marsupials

Study suggests opossums emerged in the Amazon about 40 million years ago

Unexpected feast

The crows and the empty set

With training, carrion crow were able to understand the empty set as a null numerical quantity close to one

A giant water and food vacuum

African elephants are able to fill their nostrils with 3.7 liters of water in just 1.5 seconds

The harvestman with eight canes

Of all the harvestman species found in Brazil, Giupponia Chagasi is the best adapted to living in caves—a trait known as troglomorphism

Toads in the mist

In well-preserved remnants of the Atlantic Forest, a team of zoologists identified a peculiar new species of toad

A very informative gesture

Mountain gorillas may be communicating with other members of their troop when they rise up on their hind legs and beat their chests with their hands to produce a loud, hollow sound

Gimli and Nigel, two dwarf giraffes

Gimli and Nigel are the first recorded examples of dwarfism in wild giraffes

Anti-predator chemical shield

Seemingly harmless at first glance, the African maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi) carries a lethal weapon in its coat

Bird sings at lower volume in quiet city

During the pandemic, the white-crowned sparrow's singing returned to the volume it sang at in the 1970s

Under the female gaze

Males with brightly colored wings attract more females to their territory, as well as more rival males, sparking a fierce competition for mating partners

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Photos taken in 2017 are the first record of wild chimpanzees with lesions indicative of leprosy on their faces and other parts of their bodies

A poisonous weave

A spider web commonly found in the Americas is composed of toxins that paralyze and help kill prey

A smell and heat detector

A dog’s nose is also capable of measuring nearby heat, according to a new study

The extinct manatee of Rondônia

Newly discovered species lived in the Madeira River region 45,000 years ago

What’s for dinner?

The cuttlefish eats less at lunch when its favorite dish is served for dinner

Colorful but discreet

If you look very closely through a patch of bromeliads, searching leaf by leaf, you may be lucky enough to find a brightly colored leafhopper

Millennia of migration

Some birds travel almost unbelievable distances, sometimes across continents, in pursuit of warmer climates and food to survive and reproduce

Rescuing the watercolors

New book gathers more than 500 "lost" drawings of Brazilian fish produced during a 19th century expedition

Cooperation between parrots

Biologists have discovered possible evidence of cooperative behavior among birds that has previously only been observed in mammals

A house in the trees

In the Amazon, bats of the Mesophylla genus sometimes sleep under large tree leaves

Matamata, a bizarre turtle from Amazonia

The description of a new species may help fighting against illegal trafficking of these rainforest animals | 4'03

How do rivers and floodplains influence species formation in Amazonia?

Throughout millenia, water bodies and landscape changes favor plant and animal diversification in the region

These parrots use probability to get food

Biologist Amalia Bastos shows that birds from New Zealand can make calculations that so far only humans and chimpanzees were known to use

Pirarucu scales form a special armor

The composition and structure of pirarucu scales make them highly resistant to punctures and tension

A comeback in the Atlantic Forest

Alagoas curassows are reintroduced into their habitat 40 years after going extinct in the wild

The tapir whisperer

Researcher from São Paulo and world-renowned expert on the mammal known as the "gardener of the forest" wins awards for her work

The life of an insect

Biologist from Paraná wins Marsh Award from the Royal Entomological Society of London

Vera Lucia Imperatriz Fonseca: The vast world of bees

For 20 years, the biologist has defended the role of pollinators in conserving native forests and expanding agricultural production