Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own

Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own

Octopuses and their relatives stand out from other invertebrates in terms of their cognitive complexity and the range of their behaviors. Despite their evolutionary distance from humans and other vertebrates, these animals can use tools, solve complex puzzles, recognize individual people, and explore objects through play. They do all this and more with a completely unique nervous system.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own.

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Weird Ways Animal Moms Feed Their Babies

Weird Ways Animal Moms Feed Their Babies

Any human mom can attest that keeping a baby fed and happy can be a Herculean task. That’s why some animal mothers have evolved some truly creative—and sometimes surprising—strategies. These include regurgitating nectar, sequestering toxins, and even self-sacrifice.

Read my latest for National Geographic's Weird & Wild news: Bats Regurgitate Nectar for Their Babies -- A New Discovery.

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Elephants Smell Out Differences in Quantity

Elephants Smell Out Differences in Quantity

A new study finds that elephants can discriminate between two quantities of food using only their sense of smell. The study is an example of the move towards more species-specific, ecologically valid cognition tests and could have applications in conservation.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Elephants Smell Out Differences in Quantity.

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