Video: Duck Fashion Show: Animals Go Waddling Down The Catwalk In Australia

The models at a fashion show in Sydney, Australia, waddled a little more than usual on the runway. But it wasn't because any of the models were retaining water that month ... it was because the models were, well, ducks.

http://tinyurl.com/7lduq9s

Dolphin Spends Third Day In California Wetlands

A wayward dolphin is spending a third straight day in a narrow wetlands channel along the Southern California coast, under the watchful eyes of wildlife experts. Peter Wallerstein of Marine Animal Rescue said Sunday that the 6-foot-long, black-and-white common dolphin looks healthy, but appears slightly disoriented.

http://tinyurl.com/82d2y57y

Hen Gives Birth To Live 'Eggless' Chick In Sri Lanka

It's a bizarre story that is sure to reinvigorate the age old philosophical question of 'What came first: the chicken or the egg?': a chick in Sri Lanka has been born live, without an egg. The oddball event, which has been confirmed by certified veterinary officers in the area, is actually more of a biological mystery than a philosophical one. Quite simply, birds are supposed to lay eggs. In fact, no bird species has ever been discovered which gives birth to live young. Could this Sri Lankan hen therefore be the first bird ever to do so?

http://tinyurl.com/d625vwd

First Camera Trap Photos Of Rare Leopard In China

The first-known camera trap photos of an Amur leopard in China have recently been taken by protected area staff in Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Coupled with Jilin Province's recent announcement of a survey estimating 8-11 leopards across that northern province, the photographs suggest that leopards may be returning to China.

http://tinyurl.com/7t7cy95

Video: White Russian Killer Whale

Researchers in the Far East Russia Orca Project have discovered the worlds only known all-white male orca. The footage released of “Iceberg,” named for the way the white dorsal fin looks coming up out of the water, shows the mammal swimming with his pod off Russia’s Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. The researchers announced that they are hoping to relocate the mammal this summer and find out whether Iceberg is a true albino orca, or just a beautiful, rare white version of the species.

http://tinyurl.com/brs2wsq

Lizard Moms May Prepare Their Babies For A Stressful World

Stressed out lizard moms tend to give their developing embryos short shrift, but the hardship may ultimately be a good thing for the babies once they're born, according to a study published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

http://tinyurl.com/7vwpcc3

Polar Bear DNA Study Shows Split From Brown Bears Earlier Than Previously Thought

Polar bears have been chilling on the ice far longer than is generally thought, new research suggests, and they probably interbred with brown bears at one point after the two species separated. The new German study contradicts data from a study published last July in the journal Current Biology that suggested polar bears separated from brown bears150,000 years ago. The new study analyzed the bears' mitochondrial DNA, a special "additional genome" that lives in the cell's energy factories and is passed down only from the mother. The new study concludes that the bears became separate species closer to 600,000 years ago.

http://tinyurl.com/6ltz2a4

The Health Benefits Of Having A Dog

Picture it: You come home from a long day to your dog bounding toward you with the unbridled excitement equivalent to a celebrity spotting and giving you one big, wet lick on your cheek. It's hard to imagine a better instant mood-booster. But there are a myriad of other benefits to welcoming a furry friend into your fold, from increased self-esteem to more exercise and less loneliness.

http://tinyurl.com/6lgd6yr

Endangered Philippine Raptor Bred In Captivity

A Philippine hawk-eagle feared to be heading for extinction has been bred in captivity for the first time, its breeders said Thursday. Hand-fed with ground quail meat, the chick has swiftly bulked up to 157 grams (0.04 ounces), three times its weight when hatched in an artificial incubator 16 days ago, the Philippine Eagle Foundation said.

http://tinyurl.com/6nhg2z8

‘Polly’ Wins Contest To Become New Animal On Frontier Tails

There’s a new spokes-animal for Frontier Airlines: Polly the parrot. She triumphed over 18 other animals, holding off Chloe the chipmunk and Enrique the tree frog in the final round.Frontier asked customers to vote on their favorite animal for a contest on who would be the next to grace the tails on Frontier airplanes. Polly was announced as the winner.

http://tinyurl.com/ce6jao5

South Africa Rhinos To Get Micro-chipped, Hunt Rules Tightened

South Africa has tightened rules on rhino hunts and will use micro-chips and DNA profiling to counter a poaching bloodbath that has killed 171 animals this year, the environment minister said Monday.

http://tinyurl.com/6rzh6yf

19 Cat Slumber Parties

It's always fun inviting a few friends over to your house for a slumber party. You get to stay up late, play games, watch movies and pretend to be asleep at the first sign of parents. Turns out that cat sleepovers are no different, with the one exception of being a million times cuter.

http://tinyurl.com/766a4z7

Mystery Hero Boy Rescues Penguin Egg At Seattle Zoo

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo wants to learn the identity of a young boy who helped save a rejected penguin egg while he was visiting the zoo - as they would like to thank this good samaritan for his quick thinking. According to the Woodland Park Zoo, the two Humboldt penguins that hatched last week at Woodland Park Zoorepresented the first chicks of the zoo's penguin breeding season. However, if not for the sharp eyes of a little boy, the second egg might not have survived.

http://tinyurl.com/7b39ytu

Stolen Penguin Back Safe In Australia Sea World

A trio of men faces charges after allegedly stealing a penguin from Sea World on the Gold Coast of Australia's Queensland and then bragging about it online. Dirk, one of the park's 29 fairy penguins, was found under Southport pier Sunday night, frightened but apparently not hurt. The theft on Saturday night was the first of an animal in the park's 40-year history, the park's spokeswoman Renee Soutar said on Monday.

http://tinyurl.com/7t82e2s

Britain's pandas 'hit it off' but fail to mate

Britain's only giant pandas failed to mate during their 36-hour window of opportunity, the Edinburgh Zoo said Thursday. It was "close, but no cigar", the zoo said, after Yang Guang (Sunshine) mounted female panda Tian Tian (Sweetie) several times, without full mating taking place. The pandas are spending 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital following years of diplomatic negotiations with China that culminated in them arriving in December. But female pandas ovulate only once a year, with a 36-hour window to fall pregnant and although "the furry pair have hit it off," the clock has run out for the pair this time, the zoo said.

http://tinyurl.com/79nm6qt

Coyotes In San Francisco: Sightings In Parks Result In Closed Trails

San Francisco residents: Beware of the coyote. While these cute animals may seem like cuddly puppies, warnings have been issued all over town lately noting their potentially aggressive behavior.

http://tinyurl.com/7cgkmtg

Baboons aren't the only clever animals

French researchers reported this week that they had trained six baboons to read — or at least to scan a string of four letters and determine when they form a word and when they don’t.  The experiment, which was reported Thursday in the journal Science, cements baboons’ place among an ever-growing menagerie of clever animals.

http://tinyurl.com/84h49fy

Video: Animal Thoughts: Jimmy Fallon Reads Creatures' Minds

In case you didn't already know, Jimmy Fallon is an animal psychic. That's right, he can read their minds. And on Wednesday's episode of "Late Night" he decided to whip out his skills for a segment he calls "Animal Thoughts." So if you ever find yourself staring at your dog from across the family room on a quiet afternoon and wondering what the heck is going on in that brain of his, wonder no more. Your favorite late night host has got your back.

http://tinyurl.com/76v5rew

Sphynx Cat Not Ready For Its Closeup At International Cat Show

Felines flaunted their stuff at an international cat show in Lithuania this weekend, but one very expressive kitty happened to catch our attention. This jittery Sphynx cat doesn't seem too keen on the extra attention, and it's not afraid to show it.

http://tinyurl.com/cxzks48

Every Day, An Adventure

When I grow up, I want to be just like Osa Johnson. A small-town girl from Chanute, Kansas, Osa lived a life of adventure with her husband Martin Johnson. Explorers, naturalists and pioneering filmmakers, they traveled the world. Starting in 1917, they documented the people and wildlife they found on their safaris through the South Pacific, Africa and Borneo.

http://tinyurl.com/7bcm53u

OR7 Lone Wolf Returns To California

A male wolf that made headlines by becoming the first of its species in more than 80 years to be found in the wild in California has crossed back into the Golden State on its determined quest for a mate. The gray wolf, designated OR7 by wildlife managers, has traveled more than 2,000 miles (3,219 km) since leaving its pack in northeastern Oregon last September and heading south, paying its first visit to California in late December.

http://tinyurl.com/cx4k5op

Video: Amazing Octopus Shapeshifts Into 'Furry Turkey with Human Legs'

Meet the mimic octopus: one of nature's most remarkable disguise artists. This creature has the phenomenal ability to morph its body in an instant to take on the shape of just about any other animal around it.

http://tinyurl.com/82e4ffx

Is This The Smallest Bunny Ever?

Forget the Easter bunny -- this little guy has completely stolen the show. He may not bring you candy in a basket, but look how tiny! According to the photo's credit, the baby's name is Ruediger, and he lives at a zoo in Muenster, Germany, with his sister Kaline. Ruediger, 72 grams, and his 60 gram sister were found in a "dung pile" at the zoo and are now being raised by keepers. Talk about rags to riches.

http://tinyurl.com/73e5jcu

New Florida Elephant Sanctuary: Officials Break Ground On 225-Acre Plot

Officials have broken ground on a new elephant sanctuary in Florida. The National Elephant Center is being built on a 225-acre plot of land west of Sebastian on Florida's Atlantic coast. The project is a collaboration of 73 zoos.

http://tinyurl.com/7r6hr42

Itty Bitty Baby Pygmy Hippo Living The Good Life

After being rejected by his mother (how is this possible with a face like that?!) an adorable 6-day-old pygmy hippo calf named Harry is living the good life with his handlers at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa.

http://tinyurl.com/7uw4ml6

Video: National Zoo Ferrets At Virginia Conservation Center On National Ferret Day

Why yes, it is National Ferret Day. In honor, check out the National Zoo's supremely adorable Ferret Cam. The camera shows baby black-footed ferrets -- called "kits" -- at the National Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. It's something of a miracle these kits exist. Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct, until some two dozen of them were captured in Wyoming in the early 1980s.

http://tinyurl.com/76hplsz

Sparrows Change Their Tune To Be Heard In Noisy Cities

Sparrows in San Francisco's Presidio district changed their tune to soar above the increasing cacophony of car horns and engine rumbles, details new Mason research in the April edition of Animal Behaviour.

 http://tinyurl.com/c62vsha

Video: Penguins 'Fly' On 'Frozen Planet' In Awesome Slow-Motion Video

Earlier this month, the filmmakers of the new documentary series "Frozen Planet" caused quite a bit of penguin pandemonium on the web with a video of two penguins in flight -- as passengers on a plane, that is. Now, the filmmakers have released another clip of the birds soaring through the air, and this time they're using a very different flight method. In the video, female emperor penguins propel themselves through the water and rush through the surface in a short burst of flight.

http://tinyurl.com/8y6os7w

World's Smallest Dolphin Down To Just 55 Individuals

The planet's smallest dolphin, which typically measures just a meter and a half in length, is now on the verge of extinction, with only 55 mature individuals alive in the world, according to a new survey on their population. The child-sized Maui's dolphin, also endearingly called the "popoto", is a subspecies of the Hector's dolphin and can only be found along the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.

http://tinyurl.com/7pp47jj