A new lizard species, Diploderma bifluviale, has been discovered in the upper Dadu River Valley in Sichuan Province, China. Found at the confluence of two rivers, it inhabits semi-arid shrublands between 2,100 and 2,500 m. At 6–7 cm long with a wheat-colored tongue and distinct markings, it's the 47th Diploderma species recorded in China. The discovery highlights the region’s underexplored biodiversity. The study was published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

A new study has revealed the 3D structure of a barley root protein that protects plants from toxic aluminum in acidic soils. Unlike most transporters, this protein exports citrate—an anion that binds to harmful aluminum ions—thereby shielding the roots. The findings offer fresh insights into how plants adapt to hostile soils and could help guide the breeding of crop varieties capable of thriving on acidic farmland worldwide.

Horses play a key role in forest management and in reducing the risk of wildfires in Mediterranean forests, thanks to the adaptability of their eating habits. This is the conclusion reached by an interdisciplinary study led by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Lleida (UdL), recently published in the journal Agroforestry Systems.

A survey study of families with puppies in the U.K. has identified multiple mental health challenges alongside benefits of ownership for adults and kids alike, suggesting that a mental health boost should not be the main motivator behind getting a puppy. Rowena Packer of the Royal Veterinary College, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on September 17, 2025.

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5,000 strandings

Accumulating evidence suggests that many animals ingest alcohol as part of their normal diet. UC Berkeley biologists assayed the ethanol content of fruit eaten in the wild by chimpanzees, our closest living relative, and calculated that chimps likely consume 14 grams of ethanol daily. Adjusting for body size, that's about two standard cocktails. Alcohol from fermentation may be part of a healthy primate diet. Was it also part of the diet of human ancestors?