Amanda is a feature writer and Assistant Editorial Director. She has a degree in Animal Science and enjoys obsessing over red foxes, rock climbing, surfing, and planning out her next big mountain ascent.
This unique crystalline caterpillar truly catches the eye, but dangerous barbs make for looking only. The spun glass caterpillar Isochaetes beutenmuelleri is a member of the slug moth family and persists throughout much of the United States. It boasts a nearly transparent, glassy body core inset with extensions covered in dozens of dazzling crystal green […] More
This strange creature looks like a rock in all regards — except that it can be sliced open and served up as a table delicacy. Pyura chilensis is known as a tunicate, endemic to the shallow waters of Chile and Peru. This marine invertebrate animal is a filter feeder that absorbs microorganisms out of the […] More
The fennec fox is the world’s smallest canid, but has surprisingly few predators and is adapted to survive in the harshest environmental conditions. Vulpes zerda is an omnivore native to the scorching Sahara Desert and other areas around North Africa. The fennec fox weighs anywhere from 1-4 lbs and stands eight inches tall, comparable in […] More
Greenland sharks are the longest living vertebrates in the world — with lifespans possibly exceeding 300 years. Amazingly, females likely don’t start breeding until 150 years of age, research suggests. The sharks are native to Arctic and North Atlantic waters, cruising at a typical depth of about 3,900 feet in waters that are just above […] More
This lanky orange animal resembles a fox/wolf hybrid — but is actually from a genus entirely of its own. Chrysocyon brachyurus is a fascinating and unusual creature that roams the open grasslands and prairies throughout mideastern South America. The maned wolf is the largest canid on the continent, standing at about a meter in height and weighing around fifty pounds. […] More
This amazing interaction between a leopard and a baboon proves that nature is full of surprises — and none greater than when a ferocious female hunter adopts the baby of her kill. The iconic predator aptly named Legadema was first discovered at eight days of age by a film crew creating footage for the National Geographic documentary, […] More
Illegal wire snares contribute to wild animal extinctions on a large scale and serve as one of Africa’s most persistent conservation problems. Kariba, Zimbabwe is a small town situated on the edge of the Zambian border nearby the Kariba Dam. Its local community is fed by tourism provided by surrounding wildlife and animal preserves. Bushmeat poaching […] More
The dung beetle can lift more than 1,000 times its body weight — as a result of its sexual interactions. Onthophagus taurus is a member of the dung beetle species that grows to less than half an inch in length and occupies desert, forest, and grassland environments all over the world. They are reputed for […] More
Research reveals mature parasites effectively alter their hosts’ behavior to ensure their own survival. More
This tiny creature was recently discovered poking its head out of a small shell in the shallow depths… More
This astonishing footage shows a rare encounter between a paddleboarder and a giant squid. More
Boxer crabs feed sea anemones in exchange for defense from danger — serving as a prominent example of symbiosis in the animal kingdom.
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