By John Timmer, Ars Technica

About five years ago, biologists were surprised by the first discovery of an extremely large virus. Viruses are generally stripped down, efficient predators, only carrying as much DNA or RNA necessary to hijack their host and make extra copies of themselves. The newly discovered virus, called Mimivirus, was anything but stripped down; it carried a genome nearly the size of some bacterial species. And, instead of simply hijacking its host, the viral genome carried a lot of genes that replaced basic cellular functions, including some involved in DNA repair...

There has never been a better time to be an injured animal. Thanks to some creative prosthetists and veterinarians, creatures that lose hoofs, paws, or tails can be made whole again.

Because bodily mechanics vary so widely from species to species, there’s no one right way to build an animal prosthesis. The approach, materials, and design may be drastically different from one creature to another. In a photo essay in the current issue of the magazine, we look at the artificial appendages that have gotten several animals back on their (ahem) feet again.

In addition to the portraits that appear...