Pass the Pufferball
California sea lions and other marine mammals engage in complex play that prepares them for life, improves their well-being—and may be just plain fun.
Mexico
Latest in Mexico
Red Fish, Blue Fish
Mexican hogfish change colors—and sex—as they grow, perplexing scientists and attracting admirers.
The Riddle of the Ridley
After years of steady gains, a decades-long conservation program for the world’s most endangered turtle hits rough seas.
Saving Mexico’s Lost World
Microbes have lived in Cuatro Ciénegas for 500 million years. They’ve survived countless cataclysms and extinctions. But can they survive us?
Records of Change
Thanks to foresight and meticulous records collected nearly a century ago, scientists are reconstructing a picture of some of Mexico's most important ecosystems before they were transformed.
Mexico City and its Sacred Salamanders
Important symbols of both Mexican culture and ecosystem health, axolotls are on the brink of extinction in the wild, but a return to ancient practices offers hope for their future.
The Lobster Wars
In one coastal Mexican town, a sustainable fishery anchors the community. So why has Florida outlawed the same fishing methods?
Borderland Rebellion
From climate change to a border wall, the oft-overlooked but critically important scrubland plants in South Texas face myriad threats. To save them, this self-taught naturalist is taking matters into his own hands.
Bat Odds
We’ve feared and maligned them for centuries, but it’s the bats that really have something to be afraid of.
Up Against the Wall
The U.S.-Mexico borderlands contain some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in either country. Trump’s wall would imperil all of it.
Red Fish, Blue Fish
Mexican hogfish change colors—and sex—as they grow, perplexing scientists and attracting admirers.
The Riddle of the Ridley
After years of steady gains, a decades-long conservation program for the world’s most endangered turtle hits rough seas.
Saving Mexico’s Lost World
Microbes have lived in Cuatro Ciénegas for 500 million years. They’ve survived countless cataclysms and extinctions. But can they survive us?
Records of Change
Thanks to foresight and meticulous records collected nearly a century ago, scientists are reconstructing a picture of some of Mexico's most important ecosystems before they were transformed.
Mexico City and its Sacred Salamanders
Important symbols of both Mexican culture and ecosystem health, axolotls are on the brink of extinction in the wild, but a return to ancient practices offers hope for their future.
The Lobster Wars
In one coastal Mexican town, a sustainable fishery anchors the community. So why has Florida outlawed the same fishing methods?
Borderland Rebellion
From climate change to a border wall, the oft-overlooked but critically important scrubland plants in South Texas face myriad threats. To save them, this self-taught naturalist is taking matters into his own hands.
Bat Odds
We’ve feared and maligned them for centuries, but it’s the bats that really have something to be afraid of.
Up Against the Wall
The U.S.-Mexico borderlands contain some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in either country. Trump’s wall would imperil all of it.