The Overlooked Biodiversity of Appalachian Caves

The cave habitats of Tennessee and Kentucky have species that most will never see. Here are some of the unusual creatures found there.

Ken Keffer

Meet the Mole Crab, a Common and Surprising Beach Creature

Get up close with a fascinating crustacean you can find (and catch) on your next trip to the beach.

Matthew L. Miller

Meet Four Amazing Endemic Parrots from New Zealand

New Zealand is home to a small handful of endemic parrots, including the nocturnal, flightless kākāpō to the mischievous alpine kea.  

Justine E. Hausheer

These Carnivorous Snails Slurp Earthworms Like Spaghetti

Meet the powelliphanta snail, a weird and wonderful New Zealand endemic that slurps earthworms like pasta.

Justine E. Hausheer

From Slow Loris to Gibbon: Meet 8 of Borneo’s Coolest Primates

You've heard of orangutans, but what about the grizzled langur, or a slow loris? Here are 8 amazing primates benefitting from conservation efforts in Borneo.

Matthew L. Miller

The Science of Snakehead Slime

How do invasive snakeheads move on land? The answer may lie with another of the snakehead’s infamous features: its slime.

Matthew L. Miller

Freshwater Mussels: The Livers of the River

A snorkeling outing on a creek brings the author up close with often overlooked and unappreciated freshwater mussels.

Keith Williams

Meet the Channel-billed Cuckoo, the World’s Largest Brood Parasite

Summer in eastern Australia means one thing: the arrival of the channel-billed cuckoos, the world’s largest brood parasite and one very cool bird.

Justine E. Hausheer

Goblin Shark & Ghost-faced Bat: Cool Critters with Creepy Names

People have a penchant for slapping Halloween-style names on creatures that are more cool than creepy.

Kris Millgate

Caught on Camera: the Long-Nosed Chilean Shrew Opossum

Camera traps in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve document an increase in sites where one of Chile's least-known marsupials is known to live.

Cara Cannon Byington

Story type: TNC Science Brief

Meet the Mysterious Long-Nosed Chilean Shrew Opossum

Spoiler alert: it's not a shrew. It's a relict marsupial, and has lived in the forests of Chile's Valdivian Coast for millennia.

Cara Cannon Byington

Crested Rats & Hairy Porcupines: Meet 7 of the World’s Coolest Rodents

Rodents don’t always have the best reputation, but they can be beautiful, surprising and just downright bizarre. Here are seven of the world’s coolest rodents.

Matthew L. Miller