Tiger-cats, sea squirts and beetles, oh my! Meet some species identified in 2024 From charismatic macrofauna to tiny sea squirts, here are some species formally identified by scientists in 2024. Jonathan Lambert
Endangered orcas’ circle of life: one baby dies, another is born A baby orca at first believed to be J61, which hadn't been seen for nearly a week, turned out to be a brand-new baby instead. Researchers now presume J61 is dead. John Ryan
Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets Each week some revelation about bird flu seems to flutter through the news cycle. Here's what the latest research is saying about how it is spreading and how to keep yourself and your pets safe. Will Stone
A 'stampede' of dolphins closed out the year on the Southern Californian coast A "stampede" of dolphins off the Southern Calif. coast provided a moment of wonder at year's end. Scott Simon
New year, new pygmy hippo: A naming poll for this Virginia zoo baby is underway Moo Deng and Haggis are joined by another slick, round supreme on the scene. Fans of the new baby can cast their vote to name her until New Year's Eve, with the winning name announced the next day. Manuela López Restrepo
A sea turtle plagued by 'bubble butt' condition is helped by a 3D printer "Bubble butt" can leave turtles struggling to swim normally — or unable to submerge at all. A 3D-printed harness can help. Bill Chappell
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. Ayesha Rascoe
