Nov. 22, 2013: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Reggie, a yellow Lab, is recovering from surgery after eating science project created with pins and chocolate.

Labrador Eats Science Project

Payton Moody of Colorado spent hours making a model of a Hawaii volcano for her 8th grade science class with candy and straight pins. "She had chocolate as the mountain and used Twizzlers for lava coming out, with blue M&Ms for water," said Payton's mother, Kara Moody. "She used the pins because I didn't want the hot glue gun around her younger brother." But as it turned out, her 2-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, Reggie, was the one they needed to worry about. While the family was out at Payton’s brother’s football game last month, Reggie knocked the project off her desk and devoured it. Reggie was rushed to the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital, where an abdominal X-ray showed he’d swallowed 50 straight pins. Some were removed with an endoscope down the dog’s throat, but five more had to be taken out surgically. Payton Moody said Reggie is now “absolutely normal” — and that she’ll be doing her next science project in the garage. — Read it at ABC News

Five New Bat Species Found in Africa

The bats, which belong to Vespertilionidae, the largest bat family, were found by Czech scientists during seven expeditions to Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park between 2004 and 2008. Each of the new bats are less than 4 inches wide and use echolocation to find their prey. “It was quite a shock to find [so many] new species in one study,” said co-author Nancy Irwin, a biologist at the University of York in the U.K. The scientists’ genetic research shows that the five species became isolated from their cousins in other parts of Africa and diversified into new species. Their findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology. — Read it at National Geographic

Study Shows Sea Lions Respond to Sonar

Experiments with California sea lions showed that the animals reacted to a simulated tactical sonar signal. Fifteen sea lions were trained to swim across an enclosure, touch a paddle, and swim back to the start. When the sound was turned on for a second while they were in the middle of the enclosure, they would have reactions such as refusing to participate, hauling out of the water, changing their breathing rate or staying underwater longer. The research is part of ongoing work by the Navy and independent scientists to learn about how sonar affects marine mammals. The study was published in the journal Marine Environmental Research. — Read it at Discovery News

Colonel Meow's 9-inch fur has put him in the 2014 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Record-Holding Cat Hospitalized

The 2-year-old Himalayan–Persian crossbreed, who's in the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records with the title Longest Fur on a Cat, has been hospitalized. His owners, Ann Avery and Eric Rosario, shared on Colonel Meow’s Facebook page that he’s survived a dangerous surgery and blood transfusion, but that his “doctors don't really understand what's wrong with him." The Internet favorite has developed the online persona of a dictator, and his owners have been asking his thousands of “minions” for their support, which they’ve received from around the world. — Read it at Today

Julia Roberts Adopts Stray Dog on Set

The actress’ friend, Dermot Mulroney, says Roberts adopted a homeless and pregnant dog while they were filming the new movie August: Osage County in Oklahoma. The movie, which also stars Meryl Streep, hits theaters on Christmas Day. “I told her it was inadvisable. But we fell in love with the mangy beast," says Mulroney. The actor, who became friends with Roberts while shooting their 1997 movie My Best Friend’s Wedding, said the dog flew with them on a private jet back to Los Angeles. “So you have a street dog in a G4," he said. "Unbeknownst to Julia that dog was pregnant, so she brought back four Oklahoma puppies.” — Read it at USA Today