Animal Minds

The neuroscience of behavior in the wild.

Mary Bates Ph.D.

Healthy Ecosystems Need Fear

At Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, a bold experiment is playing out to rescue a wilderness on the brink—and demonstrate the powerful role fear plays in healthy ecosystems.

The Secret of How Frogs See the World

Why do frogs have the biggest eyes of any vertebrate in relation to body size? How does eye size relate to a frog's lifestyle? Scientists are starting to uncover the answers.

The Lizard and the Rotting Meat Lily

The dead horse arum mimics rotting flesh visually, chemically, and thermally to attract fly pollinators. But lizards come calling, too - with benefits for plant and lizard.

Domestication Likely Made Smaller-Brained, Less Fearful Chickens

When our ancestors bred wild junglefowl for tameness, they may have unwittingly selected birds with a different brain—one suited for a life among humans.

Bat Moms 'Baby Talk' to Their Pups

When talking to infants, people tend to change aspects of their voice in a phenomenon known as motherese or baby talk. According to new research, this may not be unique to humans.

Wolf Leader Pairs Stay Together for Life

Researchers studying Yellowstone National Park’s wolves are learning intimate details of these predators’ lives — and finding out wolf families are a lot like our own.

Dog Breeds and Cognitive Traits: How Much Do Genes Explain?

How heritable are cognitive traits in dogs? Researchers find breed differences in inhibitory control and communication skills, likely influenced by the domestication process.

Does Singing Give Birds a Natural High?

Why do birds sing when no one's listening? A new study links birdsong, reward, and endogenous opioids, suggesting birds sing because it feels good.

Insights Into Nursing and Weaning From Whale Teeth

Commercial whaling cut a swath through the northern bottlenose whale population. Now, samples from whaling expeditions are helping scientists learn more about these animals.

The Sharks That Hunt in Packs

In an area of French Polynesia where as many as 900 sharks pack into a narrow channel, scientists have observed a new behavior: sharks hunting in packs and competing for fish.

Skinks Avoid Danger by Eavesdropping on Bird Alarm Calls

Eavesdropping on bird alarm calls provides skinks with an early warning signal, allowing them to share space with a predator.

Pain Insensitivity in Mole-Rats, and How It Could Help Us

What can the physiological peculiarities of naked mole-rats and their kin teach us about pain relief?

C. cursor.

Ant Colonies Have Specialized First Responders

Some ant colonies have workers with special jobs: to rescue those who are trapped. Research shows these ant first responders inherit their specialization from their dads.

The Social Smarts of Horses

Horses are group-living animals that share a close relationship with humans. What sorts of sophisticated social skills have they evolved to manage their social lives?

Marine Mammals Actively Explore Their Environment With Whiskers

Seals, sea lions, and walruses have highly prominent and sensitive whiskers. Are they as adept at using them as land-living whisker specialists such as rats and shrews?

Bumble Bees Can Recognize Objects Across Senses

Bumble bees can discriminate objects they have only experienced through sight by touch and vice versa. Does it mean they have mental imagery?

How Cows Express Emotions

According to new research, cows talk to one another, expressing their emotions, both positive and negative, through individualized voices.

Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?

Can animals predict earthquakes? A study of farm animals in Italy shows that, collectively, they may be sensitive to some precursors of seismic activity.

Birds Hiss Like Snakes to Protect Nests

Some birds hiss like snakes to keep intruders out of their nests, but is it a true case of mimicry?

Giant Turtles Have Surprisingly Strong Memories

Once described as "living rocks," giant tortoises are proving that they have giant learning and memory prowess, too.

Empathy as a "Danger Antenna”

What can rats tell us about the evolution of empathy? Is it all about avoiding danger rather than helping others?

Delay of Gratification in Kids and Crows

What factors affect the ability to delay gratification? Researchers test the self-control of kids and crows under varying conditions.

Dogs Demonstrate Episodic-Like Memory

Does your dog remember specific personal events like you do? A new study suggests that they can form and use episodic-like memories.

Vampire Bat Friendships Persist from the Lab to the Wild

Mutual grooming and blood regurgitation form the basis of long-term social relationships in vampire bats.

These Fish Navigate with Electricity

How can a fish use electricity to navigate without the help of vision?

Ants Discriminate Snake Friends and Foes

These ants welcome one snake species into their nest, which may help protect them from another kind of snake.

Rats and Researchers Play Hide-and-Seek

Rats quickly learn to play hide-and-seek with humans—and they turn out to be quite strategic players!

Squirrels Eavesdrop on Bird Chatter as Sign of Safety

Squirrels look to neighboring songbirds for signs of danger, or signals that it's safe.

Why Do Female Birds Sing?

Male birds aren't the only ones who sing. But much less is known about when and why female birds break into song.

Giant Frogs Are Attentive Parents

Could building nests for their tadpoles be the reason Goliath frogs grow to be giants?

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