How crocodiles get their scale patterns (Hint: It's unlike other animals) Many animals get their external marking--like, feathers, hair or scales-from genetics. But it turns out, the crocodile gets its head patterns differently. Jonathan Lambert
Orcas are hunting whale sharks. Is there anything they can't take down? Killer whales off Mexico have developed coordinated hunting skills to take down whale sharks, adding to their reputation as the ocean's top predator. Lauren Sommer
Monarch butterflies will get federal protections as a threatened species U.S. officials decided to extend protections to monarch butterflies after warnings from environmentalists that populations are shrinking and the beloved pollinator may not survive climate change. The Associated Press
The government proposes to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is going to propose listing the monarch butterfly as threatened. What does this mean and what might protections actually look like? Jonathan Lambert
Photos: When hungry elephants and people clash in a village Their job is to keep the peace amid a worsening and at times deadly conflict between humans and the world's largest land animal in the town of Livingstone, Zambia. Text and photos by Tommy Trenchard
A wolf walks into a flower — and appears to pollinate it The bees and ... the wolves? Turns out, the Ethiopian wolf may be a pollinator, too. Ari Daniel
How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets. A new study projects biodiversity threats if global warming speeds up. Under the most extreme scenarios, about one in three species could be facing extinction by the end of the century. Jonathan Lambert
She's 74 — and expecting: Wisdom the albatross astounds once again It started in the Eisenhower era: Every year, Wisdom, a Layan albatross, has returned to her nesting grounds on the Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Bill Chappell
Slingshot spiders rely on good vibrations to catch supper The tiny ray spider uses launches its web to grab its prey out of the air. Though common practice in the superhero world, this ability is actually unusual in spiders. Ari Daniel
The effort to nurse 300 stranded sea turtles back to health in Massachusetts Hundreds of sea turtles are stranding on Cape Cod this week. We visit the facility that is nursing them back to health. Eve Zuckoff
