How a fox skull shape conquers the snow Research explains how foxes hunting mice can plunge down into the snow at high speeds without injuring their poor little snouts. Nell Greenfieldboyce
Stray 'Houdini dog' in New Orleans has is becoming famous for evading capture A rescue dog on the run in New Orleans has become a celebrity of sorts as he's escaped adoptive homes twice and people are reporting sightings of the dog on social media. Matt Bloom
Bird flu has killed 20 big cats including cougars at a U.S. wildlife sanctuary The sanctuary in Washington state said it was working with officials to determine the cause of the outbreak, which has killed over half of its cats in recent weeks. Rebecca Rosman
Monarch butterfly would join 'threatened' species list under government proposal NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with NPR science correspondent Jonathan Lambert about the decision, as well as other conservation efforts the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing as 2024 winds down. Jonathan Lambert
Do dogs need sweaters? It's December, so depending on where you live, you may be seeing a lot more dogs in sweaters. But do they really need them? Morning Edition investigates. Hosts
Officials declared 'murder hornets' to be eradicated in the U.S. The invasive insects known as "murder hornets" have been declared eradicated by Washington state wildlife officials, five years after they were first spotted in the United States. Patrick Jarenwattananon
The bald eagle isn't actually America's national bird — but that's poised to change After learning the U.S. doesn't officially recognize the bald eagle as its national bird, a Minnesota man swooped in. This week the House passed his bill, which now heads to Biden's desk. Rachel Treisman
These were the top animal stories on NPR in 2024, including a boy's pregnant octopus This year, the animal kingdom was filled with triumph, loss and new discoveries. Here is a look at NPR's top animal stories of 2024. Ayana Archie
What do penguins, sea turtles and whales have in common? Aquatic creatures of very different sizes swim at the same relative depth when traveling long distances. Jonathan Lambert
Portland's 'frog taxi' offers a life-saving lift to a struggling species Each winter, Portland volunteers "taxi" Northern red-legged frogs to and from their egg-spawning ground. The service protects them from becoming roadkill on a highway. Jule Gilfillan