Animal Minds
Animal Minds is my blog, hosted on the Psychology Today blog network, where I explore the latest research on animal behavior.
What Humans Can Learn From Animal Warfare (April 2024)
Snakes, Self-Recognition, and Sociality (April 2024)
Dogs May Understand Some Words Stand For Objects (March 2024)
Learning to Live With the Coyotes Next Door (February 2024)
Teasing Apes Suggest Humor Has Deep Evolutionary Roots (February 2024)
Backyard Chickens: Poultry, Pets, or Something In Between? (January 2024)
Noise Pollution Makes Birds Flock Together (January 2024)
Cats Play Fetch, Too (December 2023)
Bottlenose Dolphins Sense Electricity (November 2023)
Meet the Falcons That Act Like Parrots (November 2023)
What Can Headbutting Goats Reveal About Brain Injury? (October 2023)
Smarter Birds Cope Better with City Noise (October 2023)
Snow Flies Have a Trick to Survive Freezing Temperatures (October 2023)
5 Harmful Feline Myths, Debunked (September 2023)
Custom-Made Drumsticks Showcase Cockatoo Creativity (September 2023)
Dolphins Understand Human Gaze (September 2023)
City Living Adds to the Stresses of Urban Coyotes (August 2023)
Post-Menopause Orca Moms Protect Their Sons (July 2023)
Dolphins Talk in “Motherese” To Their Calves (June 2023)
Are Humans Unique in Seeing Faces Everywhere? (June 2023)
That Seagull Will Have What You’re Having (May 2023)
Why Do These Frogs Tap Dance? (May 2023)
Hiding Seeds? It Depends on Who’s Watching (May 2023)
Cats Get the Point of Pointing (April 2023)
Bears Are Adaptable, and Persistent, Problem-Solvers (March 2023)
Why Do Sharks Bite People? (March 2023)
Dogs Demonstrate Creativity, Too (February 2023)
Bats’ Whiskers Aid in Feeding From Flowers (February 2023)
Dolphins and Humans Partner to Catch Fish (January 2023)
Marmosets Take Turns Watching for Danger (January 2023)
Rapid Vocal Recognition in Fur Seal Moms and Pups (December 2022)
8 Arms to Throw Things at You (November 2022)
Bystander Pigs Get Involved to Maintain Social Harmony (November 2022)
Do Cats Know When You’re Talking to Them? (October 2022)
How Does a Rat Ask for Help? (October 2022)
How Does Oxidative Stress Impact Cognition in Wild Animals? (October 2022)
Measuring Creativity in Kids and Dolphins (September 2022)
Spot Shape Is Meaningful in Giraffe Social Circles (September 2022)
Why Do Humpback Whales Sing? (September 2022)
Why Do Monkeys Rub Themselves, and Others, with Onions? (August 2022)
Rats are Pollinators, Too (August 2022)
Can Dogs Sniff Out Disease? (July 2022)
Tree-Climbing Toads Surprise Scientists (July 2022)
Baby Parrots Babble Like Human Infants (June 2022)
Dolphins Label Their Friends with Names (May 2022)
How Can a Species’ Behavior Inform Its Conservation? (May 2022)
The Social Brains of Primates (April 2022)
Bats in Broad Daylight Still Echolocate (April 2022)
Voles Trim Grass to Thwart Flying Predators (March 2022)
Birds Lend a Beak to Outwit Scientists (March 2022)
Dogs May Grieve the Deaths of Canine Companions (February 2022)
Chimpanzees Observed Applying Insects to Injuries (February 2022)
This Cat Holds Ecosystems Together (January 2022)
In the Presence of Older Bulls, Male Elephants are Less Aggressive (January 2022)
Study Uncovers Brain Diversity in Octopuses (December 2021)
Shark Spa Services (December 2021)
Can Animals Experience Depression? (October 2021)
Are Some Dogs Geniuses at Learning Words? (October 2021)
Why Do Some Primate Mothers Carry Their Dead Infants? (September 2021)
This Disabled Parrot Invented a Way to Preen Himself (September 2021)
Light Pollution Leads Dung Beetles Astray (August 2021)
Giraffes May Be as Socially Complex as Orcas and Elephants (August 2021)
How Cuttlefish Think Outside of the Brain (July 2021)
Hyenas Inherit Their Moms’ Social Connections (July 2021)
Drone Footage Reveals Killer Whales’ Secret Social Lives (June 2021)
What Can Magic Tricks Reveal About Animal Minds? (June 2021)
A Test for Animal Consciousness (May 2021)
How Do Echolocating Bats Perceive Distance? (May 2021)
The Underwater Sharpshooter (April 2021)
What Can We Learn from a Monkey Water Park? (April 2021)
Manta Ray ‘Fin Language’ (March 2021)
Social Distancing in Nature (March 2021)
Why Do These Giant Sharks Leap Out of the Water? (March 2021)
Thinking Like a Pig (February 2021)
Frogs Living Near Loud Waterfalls Dance to Attract Attention (February 2021)
Wolves Demonstrate Self-Awareness in Sniff Test (January 2021)
The Raven: A Birdbrain Nevermore (December 2020)
Noise Pollution Hampers Animal Communication (December 2020)
Monkeys Suggest What It Takes to be Monogamous (November 2020)
Why is this Adorable Primate Venomous? (November 2020)
Healthy Ecosystems Need Fear (October 2020)
The Secrets of How Frogs See the World (October 2020)
The Lizard and the Rotting Meat Lily (October 2020)
Domestication Made Smaller-Brained, Less Fearful Chickens (September 2020)
Bat Moms ‘Baby Talk’ to their Pups (September 2020)
Wolf Leader Pairs Stay Together for Life (August 2020)
Do Dog Breeds Differ in Cognitive Traits? (August 2020)
Does Singing Give Birds a Natural High? (July 2020)
Insights into Nursing and Weaning from Whale Teeth (July 2020)
The Sharks That Hunt in Packs (June 2020)
Skinks Avoid Danger by Eavesdropping on Bird Alarm Calls (June 2020)
Pain Insensitivity in Mole-Rats (April 2020)
Ant Colonies Have Specialized First Responders (April 2020)
The Social Smarts of Horses (March 2020)
Marine Mammals Actively Explore Environment with Whiskers (March 2020)
Bumble Bees Can Recognize Objects Across Senses (February 2020)
Cow Talk (February 2020)
Can Animals Predict Earthquakes? (January 2020)
Birds Hiss Like Snakes to Protect Nests (January 2020)
Empathy as a 'Danger Antenna' in Rats (December 2019)
Delay of Gratification in Kids and Crows (November 2019)
Dogs Demonstrate Episodic-Like Memory (November 2019)
Vampire Bat Friendships Persist from the Lab to the Wild (October 2019)
These Fish Navigate with Electricity (October 2019)
Ants Discriminate Snake Friends and Foes (September 2019)
Rats and Researchers Play Hide-and-Seek (September 2019)
Squirrels Eavesdrop on Bird Chatter as Sign of Safety (September 2019)
Why Do Female Birds Sing? (August 2019)
Giant Frogs are Attentive Parents (August 2019)
Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own (July 2019)
Playful Meerkats Mirror One Another's Expressions (June 2019)
Elephants Smell Out Differences in Quantity (June 2019)
Social Isolation Destroys Wasps' Ability to Learn Faces (May 2019)
Do Artificial Lights Cause Drinking Problems in Bats? (May 2019)
Who's the Daddy? For Lion Cubs, It's Safer Not to Know (April 2019)
Rats Feel One Another's Pain (April 2019)
When Animals are Both Defended and Defenseless (March 2019)
The Arachnid That Smells With Its Legs (March 2019)
Do Spiders Think? (March 2019)
Bats Provide Pest Control Services to Deer (February 2019)
Does Molting Make Animals Anxious? (February 2019)
Workaholic Naked Mole Rats (January 2019)
Observant Crows Make Weighty Decisions (January 2019)
Urban Frogs Have Sexier Calls (December 2018)
Learning from Others May Help Invasive Species Adapt (December 2018)
Fainting Gators? Tonic Immobility in the Alligator (November 2018)
What Do Wolf Howls Say? (November 2018)
Monkey See, Monkey Smile (April 2013)
Jays Know What a Girl (Jay) Wants (March 2013)
For Moles, Two Nostrils Are Better Than One (February 2013)
Saga of the Sea Turtle, Part II: The Epic Migration (February 2013)
Saga of the Sea Turtle, Part I: From Beach to Open Ocean (January 2013)
What is it Like to Be an Octopus? (October 2012)
Who Are You Calling a Birdbrain? (August 2012)
Bats Eavesdrop on Frisky Flies (July 2012)
Whiskers Seal the Deal (July 2012)
Dr. Dog: Medicine's Best Friend (April 2012)
Heat-Seeking Vampires (March 2012)
Virtual Ants Reveal Frog's App-titude for Hunting (March 2012)
What is it Like to be a Bat? (February 2012)