The word jaguar comes from the South American Tupi and Guarani languages. A likely origin is the word yaguareté, meaning “true, fierce beast.” DESCRIPTION: The largest cat native to North America and ...

Gentle and playful marine mammals, Florida manatees have come to represent the amazing biodiversity of Florida. With their large size, slow-moving nature, and fondness of seagrass, it's easy to see ...

DESCRIPTION: Arctic foxes are well adapted to the cold: They are small and stout compared to other foxes; their short snouts, stubby legs, and little, curled ears help to minimize heat loss. Thick fur ...

The northern long-eared bat — distinguishable from its close relatives, as one might presume, by its long ears — is a small bat associated with mature, interior forest environments. Unlike most other ...

The variability among living organisms on the earth, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems. Biological diversity, often shortened to biodiversity, is ...

Wolverines, the largest land-dwelling species in the mustelid family, are famous for their daring and tenacity — they've been known to prey on animals as big as moose, and many stories tell of ...

Native to the Gila River basin, the loach minnow and spikedace are adapted to the beautiful yet vulnerable ecology of southwestern desert rivers. These rare, pint-sized fish are just two of many river ...

For every county in the United States, the map below shows information on all the animals and plants protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered. To see the number of ...

Freshwater mussels are some of the planet's most fascinating and underappreciated animals. With their beautifully colorful shells, diversity of shapes and interesting adornments — including ridges, ...

Orcinus is derived from the Latin word orcus, which means “of the netherworld.” Originally known as “whale killer,” the orca's common name stems from early whalers' records of the species' predatory ...

Plastic accumulating in our oceans and on our beaches has become a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40 percent of the world's ocean ...

The honeybee comes immediately to most people's minds when they hear the word "bee." However, the honeybee's life cycle, capacity to make honey, and extreme degree of sociality and accompanying ...