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.
The species Dracorex hogwartsia is known only from one complete skull and four cervical vertebrae — but it’s a fascinating animal with spiky horns and an armored head. The skull, the atlas, third, eighth and ninth vertebrates were unearthed from the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota and eventually donated to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for study in 2004. The […] More
With its frilled gills, layered needle-point teeth, snake-like appearance, and quick-striking abilities, this shark is one of the most engrossing creatures of the deep sea. Chlamydoselachus anguineus, most commonly referred to as the frilled shark, is widely distributed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but rarely ever encountered. This deep-sea dwelling animal prefers to live […] More
The Bornean bay cat (Catopuma badia) is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN list. Less than 2,200 individuals currently inhabit the island, threatened primarily by habitat loss, and that number is declining. Bay cats are normally chestnut in color with lighter hued tails and limbs and long white-streaked tails. The animals boast rounded ears […] More
Scientists discovered the fossils of the oldest arthropod with a mandible — a 508 million year old marine animal. Tokummia katalepsis was first discovered in Burgess shale of Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada. This arthropod was identified as a four-inch long predator from the late Cambrian period. Tokummia walking on the bottom of the seafloor. The lobster-like […] More
While spiders commonly decorate their webs with ornaments, this unusual species actually builds elaborate decoys of themselves out of insect matter and debris. Part of the genus Cyclosa, these spiders are found in the Peruvian Amazon and the Philippines. They have been observed collecting dead insects, plant matter, and debris to construct large, spider-like decoys […] More
Scallops may seem like pretty uninteresting creatures — except for the hundreds of eyes imbedded amongst tentacles along the edge of their shells. Scientists have long wondered about the secret behind a scallop’s sight. LiveScience reports that Michael Land first discovered the mirrors at the back of scallop’s eyes and that they projected images onto […] More
This giant moth boasts five-inch wings, a humongous body, and when agitated, it is capable of producing a loud hissing noise to scare off its enemies. The privet hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri) is an strange creature endemic to the northern half of the eastern hemisphere including much of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Although they inhabit large woodland […] More
Meet the lake sturgeon — a fish that has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Lake sturgeons are shark-like in appearance, measuring an average 3-5 feet in length and weighing anywhere from 10-80 pounds, but much bigger specimens have been reported. The fish bears an overall streamlined shape and is equipped with five rows of […] More
Female elk have the capacity to learn how to avoid hunters as they age — and they learn from each other’s mistakes, it turns out. While female elk (Cervus elaphus) tend to live longer than their male counterparts simply because they are less targeted by predators, age also seems to correlate with predation rates. Cows over […] More
Freshwater snails cause more than 200,000 deaths on an annual basis — more than any predatory mammal. Freshwater snails are found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from small pools to large lakes. These gastropod mollusks feed on algae, detritus, and suspended matter found in the water. They are parasitic animals responsible for the transmission of schistosomiasis, which has […] More
A surprising scene unfolded on a cattle ranch in Brazil between a jaguar and an anteater. A photographer was capturing some shots of a giant anteater as it was taking a drink when a large male jaguar approached from behind. He looked like he was ready to pounce, but instead he just sat and watched […] More
The largest deer species ever to walk the earth bore 12ft antlers but died out more than 10,000 years ago — leaving scientists debating its evolution. Megaloceros giganteus has many names, including the Irish elk and Irish giant deer, both of which are incorrect due to the fact the animal was neither an elk nor […] More
