The tiny disc-like critters are known as Velella velella, a name so nice you gotta say it twice.

Georgia has 47 different species of snakes. Here’s what to do when you see one.

California's year of endless storms has seeded superblooms of wildflowers and provided a boost to some of the state's endangered ecosystems.

A study of Georgia’s bats describes which parts of the state provide refuge for at least one species in the face of the ongoing, cataclysmic crash of bat populations in some habitats.

The competition withdrew its new category after pushback from animal rights groups. The controversy highlights a broader debate over how to manage the invasive species.

Blacklegged ticks, the arachnids that carry Lyme disease, are out and about for more of the year thanks to warming temperatures across much of the country. Here's how to stay safe.

A study of plastic trash hauled out of the Pacific Ocean found that most of it had been colonized by coastal life that was thriving right next to species that normally live in the open sea.

Nanuq, a 1-year-old Australian shepherd, went missing last month while his family was visiting relatives. Except for a swollen leg, with bite marks from a seal or polar bear, Nanuq was in good health.

The new world record-holder stands shorter than a Popsicle stick at 3.59 inches and follows a long line of low dogs. The chihuahua's owner describes her as "small like a ball" and "a bit of a diva."

Canadian Super Pigs are on the rise and entering the United States. NPR's Scott Simon laments.

Authorities are trying to determine what killed five others in the flock. The California condor population fell to near extinction in the '70s, but the total wild population now numbers more than 300.

Federal researchers expect a near-record-low stock of Chinook salmon, one of the largest and most highly prized fish in the Pacific Ocean.

South African pilot Rudolf Erasmus made an emergency landing after discovering a Cape cobra accompanying him in the cockpit on Monday. The snake has not been found again since the plane landed.

A dozen sea turtles have returned to the wild after several months of being treated for injuries and illnesses on the Georgia coast.

As many as 70 of the endangered whales were seen feeding off the Massachusetts coast on Friday. Fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales exist in the world.