Friday Flash Fun: Who Pooped? [NSFLunch, autoplays sound] Brought to you by the Minnesota Zoo.
posted by aheckler on Jun 5, 2009 - 32 comments

National Geographic's photographic history of monkeys in space.
posted by Joe Beese on Jun 2, 2009 - 15 comments

At the Toronto Humane Society, veterinarians say animals die suffering unnecessarily in their cages while pleas to euthanize them are dismissed. Dozens of staff, volunteers and veterinarians have quit in protest. ... A note written by a staff member or volunteer on the medical chart of a cat, animal ID A127495, admitted last fall, reads: "Died Oct 19 3:15 am. Gasped and jerked and cried last breaths, because there was no one in shelter to euthanize or treat. This is not humane." ... [THS president] Mr. Trow says he strives to keep euthanasia rates low for ethical reasons. “How can anyone suggest that, because he might be here longer than anyone would want, that it's better to put [a dog] down?” Mr. Trow asked. “I think that's a strange suggestion, don't you? You live here as long as you can.” Images (yes, they're disturbing.) Video of a puppy adopted out with a broken leg. The THS web site. [more inside]
posted by maudlin on May 30, 2009 - 63 comments

Now preparing for departure: PetAirways, an airline exclusively for animals that begins service to five US cities in mid July. Entrepreneurs Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder came up with the idea of catering to the in-flight comfort of your four-legged friend, using specially modified cabins with pet attendants. Will it take off? The most recent APPA National Pet Owners Survey estimates that US pet owners spent $45.4 B on their animals in 2009.
posted by woodway on May 22, 2009 - 42 comments

Charlie plays. Charlie explores. Charlie bites. Charlie relaxes. Charlie sleeps. Charlie loves. [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese on May 1, 2009 - 41 comments

The art of Justin Gibbens. Gibbens imitates the conventions of 18th and 19th century zoological illustration and traditional Chinese fine-line painting to make images of curious creatures and beautiful beasts. [Via]
posted by homunculus on Apr 17, 2009 - 9 comments

What can jump 4 feet straight up, births identical quadruplet pups nearly every time, can curl itself into an armor-plated ball, walk underwater for up to six minutes and can swallow air until it bloats to double its size to float? [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Apr 2, 2009 - 39 comments

Implausible hybrid creatures, by Amy Ross. [Via]
posted by homunculus on Apr 2, 2009 - 22 comments

Revealing how we are just a bunch of monkeys... (via) [more inside]
posted by kliuless on Mar 28, 2009 - 15 comments

No, you're not drunk, it's really a pink elephant. Pink dolphin unavailable for comment.
posted by baphomet on Mar 22, 2009 - 17 comments

Bay Area resident Michelle Hamilton has been adopting and caring for dozens of abandoned and neglected animals in the past decade, racking up tens of thousands of dollars in debt. To call this a "predicament" for Hamilton is a little misleading. She sees only one option when faced with the choice of paying for the care or treatment for an animal in need: she pays, regardless of cost.
posted by porn in the woods on Mar 16, 2009 - 45 comments

In 2005, graphic artist Kentaro Nagai was struck by the play on words between peace and piece in relation to global politics. This concept was expanded in an exhibition entitled Twelve Animals, where Nagai rearranged outlines of the world's landmasses into shapes respective of the aspects of the Chinese Zodiac. [via]
posted by Smart Dalek on Feb 12, 2009 - 11 comments

The title says it all: Pets Who Want To Kill Themselves.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Feb 7, 2009 - 32 comments

Woof Report has a litter of pup-perfect ideas, dog care tips, products, and more. Think of it as your daily dose of doggie delight. Woof Report works to promote awareness of animal welfare causes, pet adoption initiatives and charities.
posted by netbros on Jan 18, 2009 - 2 comments

"The animals all think he's Margaret when he speaks. He loves ordering them around and commanding them – it's very surprising. He's not frightened or scared of them at all."

Baby Elephants Eat Christmas Trees : in Germany, baby Elephants are put to work eating five fir trees apiece each day. [more inside]
posted by grapefruitmoon on Jan 5, 2009 - 26 comments

I, for one, welcome our new loner female, tool-using dolphin overlords. [more inside]
posted by kliuless on Dec 27, 2008 - 40 comments

Snow day at the zoo. Even the baby elephant has fun. Seals, tigers, wolf, elephants. Teh cute starts at 2:36. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Dec 26, 2008 - 21 comments

Animals In Formalin Preservation. That is all.
posted by gman on Dec 24, 2008 - 15 comments

Cute things falling asleep.
posted by Korou on Dec 16, 2008 - 61 comments

Fuck You, Penguin. A blogger tells cute animals what's what. (Slightly NSFW - profanities in text.)
posted by wretched_rhapsody on Dec 15, 2008 - 53 comments

The longer the fish can stay out of the water the less likely a predator will catch it. Flying fish are showing up all over the world.
posted by rageagainsttherobots on Nov 16, 2008 - 28 comments

The philosopher and the wolf. "A spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a wolf cub changed Mark Rowlands’s life. From that moment on he found human company never quite matched up." [Via]
posted by homunculus on Nov 14, 2008 - 50 comments

The Dog Files is a website and video podcast about dogs and the people that love them.
posted by blue_beetle on Nov 14, 2008 - 7 comments

The Noisy Drinking Cat. More videos of animals having fun. Who says that animals don't experience pleasure? [Scroll down for some of the interesting things animals enjoy.] Love Songs Bring Pleasure to Bird Brains. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Oct 26, 2008 - 41 comments

Using ground-breaking photography techniques, revolutionary 4D scanning techniques and anatomically accurate models, Channel 4 shows us Extraordinary Animals in the Womb.
posted by chuckdarwin on Oct 22, 2008 - 8 comments

Chrissie Hynde: “[A] complete rock star in every sense of the word”? Nope: “I consider myself an animal activist first and my music as more of a hobby that gives me a platform to fight for animals.” [more inside]
posted by joeclark on Oct 5, 2008 - 136 comments

Global Warming. [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Sep 19, 2008 - 64 comments

Remember Cy? Well, meet the world's first pigmonk. Or would that be monklet? [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Jul 26, 2008 - 40 comments

Got some time to kill? Well then, maybe you should start exploring the exciting world of papercraft! To get you started, here's a link to 100 free paper models and toys. Once you're done there, you might want to start checking out card modeling, build some skyscraper models, animals and motorcycles and when you get really good, faces of real people such as these. There's even some creative paper modeling websites out there for the kids and people who like Pokemon and Nintendo. And if all those links still aren't enough to satiate your new found lust for papercraft, check out this papercraft search engine for even more designs.
posted by Effigy2000 on Jul 25, 2008 - 12 comments

Baby Animal Alphabet [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Jul 21, 2008 - 49 comments

Eusociality - its what bees, ants, and all those other insects that divide into workers, drones, and queens do. But naked mole rats (which are not related to moles or rats) are one of only two mammal species that follow the same pattern, with their cousins Damaraland mole rats as the only other eusocial mammals. They're also nearly cold blooded, impervious to pain, and feed their young on their own feces from the time they're a month old until they can eat the giant tubers that make up most of their diet.
posted by sotonohito on Jul 17, 2008 - 39 comments

Snoring duck, snoring dog, snoring pig, snoring cat, snoring parrot. That is all.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan on May 30, 2008 - 21 comments

As Moscow changes, so does its population of stray dogs. During Soviet times, Moscow's stray dogs foraged for food and avoided humans, since there wasn't much to be gained from begging. As the city became increasingly affluent, the dogs' behavior changed radically. Some recent adaptations include passive subway begging, observing stoplights, and a food scam called the "come-from-behind ambush." The stray dogs, whose population is estimated at 26,000, have even ceased some of their interpack warfare. Observe the Moscow subway dog here. [more inside]
posted by Afroblanco on May 29, 2008 - 26 comments

We're all used to animal cams at the zoo. You can watch animals in the wild or in captivity. But how about a live animal cam at...the library!
posted by nax on May 15, 2008 - 12 comments

Animal Rights History collects quotes and original source documents from historical figures concerned with animal welfare, animal rights and vegetarianism throughout history, including John Locke on kids' cruelty to animals, Voltaire on vivisecting dogs, the author of history's first protected species list, lots about Pythagoras, timelines, a survey of anti-cruelty laws and more.
posted by mediareport on May 12, 2008 - 4 comments

"With most animals, males duke it out and the winner gets the girls," says Holekamp. "But with hyenas, females have 100 percent say." They decide when and under what conditions they will tolerate deferential sperm donors. At age 2 or 3 a male leaves his natal clan and wanders off to beg acceptance into another clan. After vicious rejections, he eventually succeeds and reaps his reward: brutal harassment as the clan's nadir, one of the last in line for food and sex. This probation, which biologists call "endurance rivalry," is a test, Holekamp explains: "The guy who can stick it out the longest wins." The trial lasts about two years, after which some females may grant him access. "You do not want to be a male hyena," Holekamp says.

Animal Kingdom Odd couples . Evidently, altruism is everywhere.
posted by Brandon Blatcher on May 7, 2008 - 26 comments

Evil Monkey’s Guide to Kosher Imaginary Animals (via)
posted by blue_beetle on Apr 20, 2008 - 21 comments

Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, Bienarte, Maltratador de Animales. Costa Rican artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas' exhibit El Perrito Vive has drawn a number of criticisms from concerned animal rights activists after he allegedly starved and deprived a dog named Natividad as an installation piece. [more inside]
posted by scabrous on Apr 15, 2008 - 27 comments

50 Animals with Drinking Problems Also, 50 Animals with Day Jobs, 50 Animals Driving, and the apparently related 50 Animals in Casts [Previously] Via
posted by psmealey on Mar 17, 2008 - 20 comments

Minds of their Own: Animals are smarter than you think.
posted by homunculus on Feb 29, 2008 - 36 comments

E.J. Peiker, Nature Photgrapher There are a lot of nature photographers out there -- some better than Peiker and some worse -- but what fascinates me about Peiker's site is the number of photos available. A birdwatcher's dream, it features pages of photos of over 500 different species of birds, including an index devoted solely to wild waterfowl. Maybe animals are more your speed? How about nearly 150 pages of photos of wild animals (including my favorite - a quite handsome, flower-eating porcupine.) There's also a section for scenic photography featuring 23 states and 20 countries (or you can search by national park.) The photos are, unfortunately, not that big but there a ton of them, many of them quite pretty.
posted by LeeJay on Feb 29, 2008 - 13 comments

They Think They're People Filter: Animal Combat Friday! [more inside]
posted by ignignokt on Feb 29, 2008 - 15 comments

Nothing To Do With Arbroath [more inside]
posted by jtron on Feb 29, 2008 - 5 comments

Calculated to amaze. [more inside]
posted by brownpau on Feb 8, 2008 - 88 comments

Undercover video (warning: very graphic) released by the Humane Society reveals abuse of animals on the slaughterhouse floor and other code violations. [more inside]
posted by casarkos on Feb 1, 2008 - 75 comments

THX for the eyes. [more inside]
posted by brownpau on Jan 29, 2008 - 53 comments

Hellbenders and Giant Salamanders live in various places around the world: China, Japan, and the United States. Some are only 12 inches long. Some are over 5 feet long. The National Zoo in Washington DC now has them too.
posted by onhazier on Jan 24, 2008 - 18 comments

Wildlife rehabilitators take care of wounded or orphaned animals, nursing them back to health and preparing them for a life back in the wild. This leads to a lot of cute baby animal videos. (Roll over for descriptions.) [more inside]
posted by Upton O'Good on Jan 7, 2008 - 14 comments