(ANIMAL SCIENCE) Beware, frogs! The chytrid fungus is out there! The lethal fungus, which seems to only harm amphibians, causes a thickening of the infected creature's skin and hinders the animal's breathing and electrolyte balance. Ultimately, the infection can lead to cardiac arrest and has already caused several Central American frog species to go extinct. One scientist even referred to the destructive fungus as "the single biggest threat to vertebrate diversity in the world." Continue reading for more on the chytrid fungus and the study behind this amphibian epidemic. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) The swine flu virus has been found in elephant seals off the central coast of California, according to a recent study. The research is the first to report the H1N1 virus in marine mammals, which shows influenza viruses can be transferred among species. During the study, scientists encountered two northern elephant seals who were infected, and they discovered an additional 28 seals carrying swine flu antibodies. Keep reading for more information on the highly contagious virus and this enlightening study. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) In the 1960s, the CIA attempted to turn a cat into a spy during an effort entitled, “Operation Acoustic Kitty.” The agency attempted to turn the feline into a CIA agent by implanting a microphone, small radio transmitter, and a thin wire antenna into the cat during a risky surgery. The cat survived and was sent to a park to observe a conversation between two people on a bench. Unfortunately, the cat was hit by a taxi and did not survive the actual mission. While there are definitely some questions of animal cruelty within the discussion, it is quite interesting to learn about animals embarking on top-secret missions. Continue reading below to discover more about these animal spies. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) A new species of fish was discovered by Ukrainian mariners on a fishing trip near Antarctica in 2009. The new fish known as the hopbeard plunderfish, was discovered when the fishermen were attempting to catch Antarctic Toothfish. The discovery was recently publicized in a ZooKeys study this April and describes how the strange brownish splotched fish, whose shape vaguely resembles that of a tadpole, lives in depths of up to 4,560 feet. To learn more about the specifics of this new species, continue reading below. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL DISCOVERY) An 85-million-year-old dinosaur fossil named Acrotholus audeti was discovered in Alberta, Canada. The uncovering is the oldest pachycephalosaur ever found in North America and rivals the oldest specimen in the world. Pachycephalosaurs are known for their thick, bony skulls and typically weighed less than 88 pounds, which is less than a well-fed Labrador retriever. Considering the fossil's geological age, the Acrotholus' thickened skull dome is shockingly well-developed and provides scientists with an abundance of new information on the evolution of bone-headed dinosaurs. Read on to find out more about the diminutive dome-headed dino and the impact this unearthing has on science. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) Two types of fish—grouper and coral trout—have been found to use sign language to help out their hunting buddies. A study published in the journal Nature Communications discovered that the fish are able to "point" their heads toward prey to alert their partners in crime where their next meal is hiding. After studying gesturing grouper in the wild, researchers found that when the prey fish escaped the hunting alliance, a grouper would sometimes move to where the victim was hiding and "signal" the others. Coral trout practice similar gestures, and as a matter of fact, this is the first time "sign language" has been found to occur in animals other than ravens and primates. Read on for more on these signing creatures and this enlightening study. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) There's a new bigwig in the rainforest—literally. A rare yellow-colored caterpillar of the flannel moth species was recently videotaped in the Amazon and has now been nicknamed the "Donald Trump Caterpillar." The peculiar creature bears a shocking resemblance to the golden do of the Donald himself, yet the caterpillar's blonde mane actually consists of venomous setae that can cause serious skin irritations. So don't touch this fuzzy insect, or "you're fired!" Continue reading for more on this bigwig bug's story. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL RIGHTS) Recently, PETA released a video of a cruel animal testing practice at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) called Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). In most universities, this procedure is performed on a simulator, but for some reason the antiquated system at WUSTL allows students to perform this traumatic procedure on nine live cats, and sometimes even up to 15 gruelling intubations per session. Following the release of PETA's video, animal activist and legendary game show host Bob Barker penned a letter to the school's chancellor with a very kind proposition. Read on to find out more on Bob's generous offer to WUSTL and see how you can help put an end to this animal cruelty. — Global Animal