Hundreds of years ago, a massive predatory bird soared through the skies and struck terror into the hearts of the first humans to arrive in New Zealand, the Maori. This fear is reflected in the Maori legend of Poukai, an enormous man-eating bird. Known to scientists as Haast’s eagle (Harpagornis moorei), the terrifying — and […] More
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
The vibrant rainforests of Central and South America have no shortage of impressive predators. Jaguars slink through the understory, caimans and anacondas patrol murky waterways, and venomous lancehead vipers wait coiled below the leaf litter. But one of the region’s most proficient and deadly hunters rains fear down from the balmy canopy: the harpy eagle […] More
This unusual jumping spider boasts an exquisite variety of colors on its hind end — which serve an important physiological purpose. Some animals sing to impress females, such as songbirds and humpback whales. Others, including elephant seals and deer, will fight each other for the right to mate with females. Peacock spiders have a much more unusual […] 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
This is the extremely rare Ribbon Seal, a unique seal with four beautiful stripes that has captured the hearts and imaginations of thousands of people. Another one of these unique seals was recently spotted on the shore of a beach in Washington. The ribbon seal is hardly ever seen by humans because it spends the […] More
The great white shark has often been seen as the ocean’s uncontested ultimate predator. But beneath the surface, the hunter has become the hunted… For the mighty great white is no match for the killer whale. Since the initial discoveries, dozens of great white carcasses have been found washed up off the coast of Gansbaai […] More
COBRA VS. COBRA! It’s a snake-eat-snake world, after all… Cobras are both feared and revered. Their impressive hoods make them imposing; yet, they also make them beautiful. They inspire a fatal attraction of sorts. However, when two cobras meet, especially two different species of cobra, do they posses the same fear and reverence. If you’re […] More
The American alligator is one of the apex predators in the southeast United States, and as such, it is at the top of the food chain. Very few animals are not on the alligator’s menu. Not even hard-shelled turtles are safe from the alligator’s jaws. With a bite force of 9,452 newtons (2,125 lbf), the […] More
When a Massachusetts Youtube user decided to take his quadcopter drone for a flight over a park, something amazing happened. Watch as this large hawk spots the drone and swoops in to take it down. A GoPro attached to the drone captured the amazing moment. New, smaller cameras and drone footage have allowed us to […] More
Meet the Japanese giant hornet: massive, extremely aggressive, and a honey bee’s worst nightmare. A single giant hornet can kill 40 European honey bees in one minute, and a group of 30 could wipe out an entire hive of 30,000 European honey bees in little more than three hours. Growing up to 2 inches in length, with […] More
“This is rare sighting of a stand off between two lynx that I was lucky enough to see with my own eyes! Once in a lifetime for sure.” Sarah Verney was traveling down a road near Greenville, Maine when she noticed two lynx having a bit of a standoff. When she rolled down the window, […] More
