Animal Science

The tiny coastal town of Cheynes Beach is still waiting for answers 12 months after one of the largest mass pilot whale standings in Australian history.

So-called "walking sharks" can survive with little to no oxygen and researchers say they've had a bumper breeding season.

Faced with an enduring ocean mystery and next to no money, researchers studying thousands of crabs on Australia's southern coast have turned to the public for help.

Adelaide's Flinders University has hosted a public dissection of a rare octopus squid, which had scientists animated and some young observers squeamish.

Researchers say there is evidence that previously unknown breeding "nurseries" for critically endangered green sawfish could disappear due to continuing habitat loss in northern Western Australia. 

School-age, university students and keen members of the public have gathered to observe a rare public dissection of a 140kg octopus squid found off South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

Tian Du Lead author of the study explains how blood thinners can be used to treat cobra venom.

Australia is in the grip of an unprecedented bird flu outbreak, with authorities this week confirming we've never seen so many strains appear at once.

Researchers have charted the historical crash, comeback and conquest of cities by the Australian brush turkey.

 A pigment mutation in the magnificent tree frog has resulted in a rare scientific discovery.

An incredibly well-preserved woolly mammoth specimen that died 52,000 years ago in Siberia has now had its chromosome structure reassembled for the first time.

A record-breaking swim by two lion brothers, one an amputee, across a predator-infested African river is being held up as an example of how animals are making tough decisions to find homes and mates in a human-dominated world.

Thousands of bright orange giant spider crabs have made a surprise appearance in waters off South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. A researcher is asking the community to log sightings online to help scientists learn more about the species.

A wildlife sanctuary has denied any animal welfare concerns after it scrapped its koala cuddling experiences. Despite calls for the practice to be banned in Queensland, the premier says that won't happen.

DNA analysis suggests dingoes breed with other dogs less than previously thought and reveals key populations predate European colonisation.

Australian wildlife is showing up around the world where it shouldn't. Now animal forensics, artificial intelligence and advanced science are combining to combat the trafficking of these creatures.

Little was known about the behaviour of the pygmy blue whale, but research that has utilised tourist footage and drones is shining a new light on their activities in waters north of Australia.

We visit a secret field in South Australia housing a group of lizards once thought extinct. Researchers hope their conservation efforts might provide a blueprint for other animals at risk of dying out due to climate change.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is different to the strain affecting eggs, but it has been decimating wildlife on every other continent on earth. Ecologists say it could arrive in Australia in spring.

From filming in some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of Australia, to working with an A-list Hollywood actor, this is how the ABC Science team investigated what killed our ancient megafauna.

A genetic map of the bilby could help us understand how many of the elusive species are still alive and how to combat inbreeding.

Red-worm-of-trout can infect humans and other mammals when they eat uncooked or undercooked fish caught in fresh water and can be lethal to some animals.

Towering birds, terrifying lizards and massive marsupials once roamed Australia. How much do you know about our mega-sized past?

Scientists are piecing together a picture of how Australia's extinct giant kangaroos moved.

New research has found stingrays play a significant role in the health of water ecosystems.