Science

A snipe and a woodcock are related shorebirds, but they are different birds: snipe are usually slimmer and more associated with open wetlands, while woodcock are stockier, short-legged birds of woodland and scrub. Both have long bills and camouflaged plumage, so habitat, shape, behavior, and the way they fly are more useful clues than color […]

Almost all mammals can swim at least briefly when circumstances force them into water, but that does not mean every species swims well or can stay afloat safely. A few mammals are especially poorly adapted to swimming, and individuals can drown if they fall into deep water, become exhausted, or cannot get out. What “can’t

Birds do not have belly buttons in the familiar sense that people do, but a newly hatched bird may have a small mark where its umbilical connection was attached. That mark is the remnant of development inside the egg, not a permanent navel like the scar most mammals have. What a belly button is In

The brown marmorated stink bug’s common name is brown marmorated stink bug; it is also widely called the Asian stink bug. The name describes its mottled brown appearance and the shield-shaped body shared with other stink bugs. What the name means “Brown” refers to the insect’s overall color, while “marmorated” means marbled or irregularly patterned.

There is no single, universally accepted ranking of animal intelligence, because different species excel at different kinds of thinking. A useful top five is chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants, corvids such as crows and ravens, and parrots, with the important caveat that other animals—including octopuses and pigs—also show impressive abilities. Why Animal Intelligence Is Hard to Rank

Swainson’s hawks and red-tailed hawks are both broad-winged North American raptors, but they differ in shape, plumage, behavior, and migration. The quickest clue is often the red-tailed hawk’s rusty adult tail; a Swainson’s hawk usually has a darker, banded tail and may show a striking pale or dark underside in flight. At a Glance These

A current regulator keeps the current through a load near a chosen value, even when the supply voltage or the load changes within the regulator’s operating range. It does this by sensing current and adjusting the voltage or resistance in the circuit to oppose unwanted changes. What a current regulator does Current is the rate

Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity by absorbing light in a semiconductor and using its energy to free and direct electrical charges. The resulting flow of electrons can power a circuit as direct current, which an inverter can convert to alternating current for many household uses. What a photovoltaic cell is A photovoltaic (PV) cell

Puerto Rico has seventeen bird species found naturally nowhere else in the world, including the Puerto Rican parrot, Puerto Rican tody, and Puerto Rican spindalis. These endemic birds live in habitats ranging from coastal scrub to mountain forest, and several face serious pressures from habitat loss, invasive predators, and severe storms. What “endemic” means in

Some stick bugs have wings, but many do not; the answer depends on the species and, in some cases, the insect’s sex. Even winged stick bugs often rely on camouflage and walking rather than flight, so seeing one does not necessarily mean it can fly. What “stick bug” means Stick bugs, also called walking sticks