Researchers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's new genetics lab use animal DNA to diagnose new diseases, discover new species help in conservation efforts and solve mysteries.

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National Zoo Veterinarian Katharine Hope treats about 2,000 animals from 400 different species. She and her colleagues care for a variety of animals, from small baby flamingos to adult Asian elephants, so there's no such thing as an average day.

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School's nearly back in session, but the seven young lions at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have been working hard through the summer months!

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Meet Rachel Page, a Smithsonian scientist in Panama who studies frog-eating bats (fringe-lipped bats), among other topics. Her current research focuses on learning and memory in neotropical bats, combining field studies with laboratory experiments to learn about predator cognition and its effects on the evolution of their prey.

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Learn how to use the Smithsonian Wild website to find amazing camera trap photos of mammals from around the world

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Yes! When an animal trips a “camera trap” as a part of a project between the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Smithsonian. […]

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 The zoo extends the collecting mission of the Smithsonian into the realm of the living. From the Series: Stories From the Vault: Random? http://bit.ly/2gfy5hO

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The Encyclopedia of Life is an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered. The Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library joined together to initiate the project, bringing together species and software experts from across the world. Lean more at www.eol.org

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Soon after a dirt road through the forests of Lambir Hills National Park in Borneo was improved in 1987, local markets selling the meat of […]

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By charting the slopes and crags on animals’ teeth as if they were mountain ranges, scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have […]

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What an animal eats is a fundamental aspect of its biology, but surprisingly, the evolution of diet had not been studied across the animal kingdom until now. Scientists at the University of Arizona report several unexpected findings from taking a deep dive into the evolutionary history of more than one million animal species and going back 800 million years, when the first animals appeared on our planet. The study revealed several surprising key insights: Many species living today that are carnivorous, meaning they eat other animals, can trace this diet back to a common ancestor more than 800 million years ago; A plant-based, or herbivorous, diet is not the evolutionary driver for new species that it was believed to be; Closely related animals tend to share the same dietary category -- plant-eating, meat-eating, or both. This finding implies that switching between dietary lifestyles is not something that happens easily and often over the course of evolution.

Image credit: Daniel Stolte/UANews

Bacteria that resist antibiotics can be passed from food animals to humans, but not enough is known to determine the public health risks posed by such transmission, says a new report by a committee of the National Research Council.

Populations of otters, grey seals and sea eagles are slowly recovering in Sweden, which is likely to be thanks in part to a ban on organochlorine chemicals, such as PCBs and DDT, in the 1970s, according to a new study. However, the research shows that negative effects of these chemicals on the reproductive health of female animals persisted for more than 15 years after the ban was introduced.

The lack of clear international regulations is putting ???animal forests??? at risk, a recent analysis concludes. The research examined threats to these important seafloor habitats, and suggests that collective responsibility and coherent ecosystem-based management are needed to prevent their loss.

Full Text:

What an animal eats is a fundamental aspect of its biology, but surprisingly, the evolution of diet had not been studied across the animal kingdom until now. Scientists at the University of Arizona report several unexpected findings from taking a deep dive into the evolutionary history of more than one million animal species and going back 800 million years, when the first animals appeared on our planet. The study revealed several surprising key insights: Many species living today that are carnivorous, meaning they eat other animals, can trace this diet back to a common ancestor more than 800 million years ago; A plant-based, or herbivorous, diet is not the evolutionary driver for new species that it was believed to be; Closely related animals tend to share the same dietary category -- plant-eating, meat-eating, or both. This finding implies that switching between dietary lifestyles is not something that happens easily and often over the course of evolution.

Image credit: Daniel Stolte/UANews

Contrary to some established views, the local animal population is unlikely to be the major source of resistance diversity for Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in humans in Scotland, according to a study. The researchers suggest that a broader approach to fighting antibiotic resistance is needed, which goes beyond focusing solely on curbing the use of antibiotics in domestic animal populations.

Trefil, James, 1938- author

Crop pollination is a vital ecosystem service, yet the numbers of animal pollinator species, such as bees, are in decline. Now, a team of German and American researchers have demonstrated how crops that provide the highest levels of vitamins and minerals essential to our diet globally depend heavily on animals for pollination.

Animal-train collisions are an important cause of animal mortality. This study tested the ability of a device that emits natural warning calls to reduce risk of animals being hit by trains in central Poland. Animals, including roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) escaped in most cases. The authors say the device is an effective means of risk reduction as it allows animals to escape train tracks earlier and more often.

Populations of otters, grey seals and sea eagles are slowly recovering in Sweden, which is likely to be thanks in part to a ban on organochlorine chemicals, such as PCBs and DDT, in the 1970s, according to a new study. However, the research shows that negative effects of these chemicals on the reproductive health of female animals persisted for more than 15 years after the ban was introduced.

Nutrient leaching, the movement of plant nutrients from soil to water, can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, which reduces the oxygen available in water, causing species and habitat loss. Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA), which is based on ecological principles and integrates crop production and animal husbandry, may limit this effect. This study investigated the impact of ERA on agricultural fields in Finland, showing that the practice can reduce nitrogen leaching and may help to achieve agricultural nitrogen-reduction targets.

Looking for someone interesting to follow on Twitter? We've got a few recommendations of the non-human variety.

These adorable pictures are sure to warm even the coldest heart.

Humans like to think of themselves as monogamous, but when it comes to true fidelity, many animals engage in true monogamy.

Sex. Many (but not all) animals do it.

For many wild creatures the line between male and female is decidedly blurry.

Roughly a third of all scanned mummies contained no body inside.

Many animals have been found buried with the same level of care as humans, suggesting a deep bond between humans and animals.

The annual Olvera Street blessing of the animals was held on March 31 in Los Angeles.

From sibling cannibalism to daring cliff dives, some animal babies face unimaginable survival tests.

A new study finds the area around the former Fukushima power plant teeming with life.

We have the British to thank for animal crackers, but there's a lot more you should know about this tasty snack.

From the common Cobra Pose to the complex Horse Pose, here are 20 animal asanas.

Quite a few poses take their names from wildlife, and there's an interesting reason why that's so.

Loving animals may have been passed down genetically from ancestors who appreciated their services.

The first animal to evolve on Earth was probably a sponge that existed around 640 million years ago.

If the mere thought of sharks sends chills down your spine, consider the damage that a swarm of ants could inflict. And even cows have been known to be deadly.

It's unclear whether some animals really smile to convey joy, but these critters sure look happy.

Michael Pollan lists three things that need to be removed in order to get animals back on farms.

Birds may go quiet, bats may fly around and pets may become uneasy, but it's difficult to predict exactly how non-human animals will react.

Why didn't someone think of this before?

You might already know that Dory is a Pacific blue tang and Nemo is a clownfish, but how well do you know the other species that are represented in the films?

From adorable porgs to crystalline foxes, the otherworld species of 'The Last Jedi' have roots here on Earth.

Did you know that albino dolphins are pink? Meet these amazing famous albino animals and learn more.

The PACT Act makes animal cruelty a federal felony, threatening violators with fines and prison time.