A house cat’s long-distance journey raises new questions about how animals navigate
Animals
Smart Fish: The Wisdom of Crowds—and Schools
Piscine choreography is a lot more complex—and a lot simpler—than it seems
Denizens of the Deep: Alexander Semenov’s Pictures of Undersea Creatures
A Russian diver and zoologist produces astounding photography of undersea creatures.
Big Brains: What You and (Some) Guppies Have in Common
It can be awfully expensive to maintain an oversized brain—and the body pays for that.
Science & Space
In 55 wide-ranging lists, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the bad of the past 12 months
The Mystery of the Purring Elephant
The lowest registers of an elephant’s voice are inaudible to humans—but they’ve been a longstanding puzzle all the same
Ivory Bonfire Highlights Elephant Poaching Crisis in Africa
Gabon is among many Central African countries attempting to crack down on the ivory trade after a record-breaking number of elephants were slaughtered in 2011.
Face to Face with a South American Jaguar
The near threatened jaguar is the only big cat found in the Americas, and it’s usually quite shy. With good reason — jaguars are hunted for their skins, and their jungle habitat is being cleared for agriculture. And now the …
How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla
Rwanda’s mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation
Why an English Butterfly Is a Rare Winner in Global Warming
Little is expected to benefit from climate change, with the possible exception of air-conditioning manufacturers, Popsicle makers and Canada. But scientists have found at least one species that seems to be better off in a rapidly …