Teddy Fotiou is a writer, a photographer, and a naturalist. He loves everything wild, especially the dangerous kind. If he's not scuba diving with sharks and barracuda, he's probably hiking along nature trails, looking for venomous snakes, alligators, and bears.
The alligator snapping turtle is one of the heaviest turtles in the world, and it looks like a remnant of the Mesozoic Era. Named for its resemblance to alligators, this turtle is not your average pond dweller. Like other snapping turtles, it has jaws that can crunch through fish, fruit, broom handles, and even, bone. […] More
Horsehair worms, often perceived as among the most unsettling creatures in the natural world, have a way of challenging even the strongest of stomachs. Yet, there’s an undeniable intrigue to them. Why do they evoke such a strong reaction? The answer lies in their larval stage, during which they inhabit the bodies of insects and […] More
Rhinoceroses are archetypal African animals, and they are renowned for their size and aggression. Generally, they are indifferent to other creatures around them, but when you invade their personal space, you’d better watch out! Few animals are deadlier than an angry rhino. In fact, rhinos have been known to flip smaller animals, such as warthogs, […] More
If pigs could fly, we’d have a lot more bacon lying around, but if snakes could fly, we’d have a lot more fallout shelters everywhere. But here’s the thing: in real life, pigs can’t fly, but snakes CAN. Yes, snakes can fly. Well, glide actually, since they aren’t capable of flying like birds. But, still, […] More
This is the golden poison frog. Setting aside the name, it seems harmless enough, right? Just look at those adorable, beady little eyes. It’s just like a slimy gerbil! Well, don’t get your hopes up. This tiny creature would NOT make a good pet. If poison dart frogs aren’t already dangerous enough, the golden poison […] More
Gorillas don’t always take kindly to trespassers in their territory. Lions have traditionally been dubbed “king of the jungle”, yet they don’t actually live in jungles. Gorillas do. And they have no problem asserting their authority. In a previous article, we demonstrated why you shouldn’t beat your chest in front of a gorilla, especially a […] More
This creature is commonly regarded as the “demon fish” and boasts teeth longer than steak knives. Everyone’s heard of piranhas due to their insatiable hunger and shoaling behavior. Can you imagine falling into a river full of starved piranhas? They’d clean your flesh to the bone in minutes. Now, imagine a piranha that’s five times […] More
These fascinating frogs are peculiar — but absolutely real. Hairy frogs (Trichobatrachus robustus), also known as wolverine frogs or “horror frogs”, are unique amphibians native to Central Africa. As their name suggests, the male frogs are quite “hairy”, although the “hairs” are not actually hairs — they’re dermal papillae, which are physical extensions of the skin that […] More
Before we had cameras, satellites, scuba gear, submarines, the internet, and a plethora of other modern amenities, sailors at sea worried about more than just seasickness and rogue waves. Throughout history, we have told tales of enormous sea monsters lurking in the deepest reaches of the ocean, and none are more captivating than the tentacled […] More
Throughout history, fewer epic brawls in the animal kingdom have gained more renown than the classic battle between the cobra and the mongoose. In ancient Egyptian and Indian civilizations, cobras were feared for their venom and worshiped as deities, and mongooses were revered for their ability to dispatch venomous snakes. Now, of course, cobras are […] More
What happens when you combine a coyote with a wolf? Well, you get a coywolf, of course! Half coyote and half wolf, this canid has the overall appearance and adaptive nature of a coyote and the size and pack mentality of a wolf. While “coywolf” may sound like some ridiculous, fictional creature, coywolfs are actually […] More
Coyotes and wolves are both pretty much the same, right? Wrong. While coyotes and wolves are both canines, they split paths on the evolutionary tree thousands of years ago, and they have diverged ever since. Coyotes are smaller, weaker, and more ancient and, as a result, are no match for the bigger, stronger, and more […] More
