Discover stories in Weird Wildlife
Why Everything You Know About Bluegill Management is Wrong
Every angler knows that if you don’t remove enough bluegills from a pond, they’ll overpopulate and become stunted. But new research says that idea is usually wrong, and the opposite may be true.
Big Battles, Big Gonads: The Crazy World of the Bluegill Spawn
The common bluegill is easy to take for granted. But come spawning season, a bluegill colony is one of the wildest scenes in nature: part barroom brawl, part cheesy ‘80s romantic comedy.
Angry Birds: Why Molting Makes Our Feathered Friends Grumpy
For birds, “bad feather days” – what we call molting – are a part of life. And those days can make birds downright grumpy.
It’s Time to End the Gar Wars
Imagine anglers piling hundreds of dead trout they've killed along stream banks. Not gonna happen, right? But it's still happening with gar, and outdoor magazines celebrate it. Why it's time to end the gar wars.
You Won’t Believe What Porcupines Eat (And No, Not Bigfoot Bones)
Sure, much of the time, the porcupine dines on trees. But it also has a need for salt, and it's coming for your cars, your homes, your guns. And your face.
You Won’t Forget the Mega-Footed Malleefowl
Ever heard of a malleefowl? You’ll never forget it after reading about their big feet, huge nests, and chicks born fully feathered that can fly within 24 hours.
Big Gulp: How Often Do Trout and Grayling Eat Mammals?
Many anglers know that trout eat the occasional mouse or shrew. But how often does this actually occur? New research from Bristol Bay on the dietary habits of rainbow trout and grayling suggests this answer: More often than you think.
Do the Rumble-Rump with Peacock Spiders
Meet the tiny spider with one of the wildest mating displays in the animal kingdom. Jon Fisher takes you into the realm of the peacock spider and its unbelievable "dance moves."
Coyote Scat and Native Plant Conservation
Cultivating native plants for conservation requires the perfect water, sunlight, nutrients and pollinators. And in at least one case, it needs coyote poop. And lots of it. A story of an observant naturalist, palm seeds and hungry coyotes in South Texas.
Marsupial Mystery: Who Poos Cubes?
In Tasmania, blogger Alison Green came across a strange sight: poo cubes, and lots of them. What animal might have left this sign? Join her as she tracks down this fascinating creature.
Babirusa: Conserving the Bizarre Pig of the Sulawesi Forest
The babirusa may be one of the coolest and most bizarre animals around. But even those formidable tusks can't protect it from poaching and deforestation.
The Myth of Suicidal Lemmings
It's one of the most enduring wildlife images: thousands of lemmings following each other over a cliff. One problem: it's not true. The real story of lemming migrations and "mass suicides."
