James Owen
National Geographic
Contact James
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by James:
This Snake Pretends to Be a Spider—and Catches a Bird
Scientists who filmed the rare spider-tailed viper in the wild have unlocked the secret of its bizarre tail. → Read More
Angry Birds Build the World’s Biggest Nests
Aggressive sociable weavers push lazy birds to build their spectacular African nests, which weigh up to 2,000 pounds. → Read More
'Extinct' Frog Rediscovered After 150 Years, Eats Mom's Eggs
An expedition led by the "Frogman of India" found the odd amphibian living in tree hollows, a new study says. → Read More
Snake Roadkill Is New Species of High-Altitude Viper
A squashed snake on a road in Kyrgyzstan is a venomous pit viper unknown to science—and there are likely more to be found, experts say. → Read More
How Arctic Fish Might Benefit From Shrinking Ice
As polar ice disappears, predatory fish that hunt by sight may get a major boost, a new model suggests. → Read More
World’s Biggest Fly Faces Two New Challengers
The two newfound fly species, each as long as a finger, were collecting dust in museum collections. → Read More
Mysterious New Humpback Whale Song Detected
Whale song recordings off Hawaii have revealed a strange series of deep beats almost inaudible to humans. → Read More
Mystery Solved: How Bats Can Land Upside Down
The flying mammals have some of the heaviest wings in nature, which has made their acrobatic feats a puzzle for scientists—until now. → Read More
Move Over, Glowing Turtle—Meet the Glowing Eels
A small eel photographed by accident on a Caribbean coral reef is the first green fluorescent fish ever recorded, a new study says. → Read More
The Living Dead: Animals That Pretend to Go Belly-Up
Many types of animals play dead. But they do it in different ways and for different reasons. → Read More
Turtles Groom Warthog in Never-Before-Seen Behavior
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," says scientist who captured the rare pictures in South Africa. → Read More
Overachieving Lizard Grows Three Tails
Found recently in Kosovo, the unusual reptile is among only a handful of three-tailed vertebrates known to science, a new study says. → Read More
How This Cave-Dwelling Fish Lost Its Eyes to Evolution
Living with little food and oxygen in the dark, the Mexican blind cavefish had to get creative to survive. → Read More
Secret of "Death" Moth's Scary Squeak Revealed
The ominous insect, immortalized in The Silence of the Lambs, has rapid, accordion-like mouthparts that allow it to make sound, a new study says. → Read More
Meet the Bug That Turns into a Rotting-Flesh Stink Bomb
Shore earwigs spit out a vile-smelling substance that causes predators to instantly spit them out—a first in insects, a new study says. → Read More
Watch: Crab Tickles Shellfish for Hours to Find Love
Newly released video shows how male pea crabs gain access to females—and it's behavior never before seen in a crustacean. → Read More
Watch: Cave-Climbing Fish Found—Is It Evolution in Action?
Filmed shimmying up a cave wall in Ecuador, the catfish is likely a known species with a never before seen behavior, a new study says. → Read More
Two Vampire Crab Species Found, Are Already Popular Pets
Spooky-eyed crustaceans sold as aquarium pets are two previously unknown species from Indonesia, a new study says. → Read More
Many Animals—Including Your Dog—May Have Horrible Short-Term Memories
Human ability to remember past events is unique, according to a new study of animals' limited short-term memories. → Read More
Wasp Zombifies Ladybugs Using Virus as Bio-Weapon—a First
A parasitic wasp deploys a virus to enact a sinister mind-control strategy on ladybugs. → Read More