The common death adder got its name for a reason. Not only are they one of the most venomous snakes in the world, but they can lure their prey and strike before they’re none the wiser. Natives of Australia, death adders are credited with having the longest fangs among Australian snakes as well as the […] 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
The world’s tiniest monkeys are actually not one, but two separate species, researchers using the latest genomics techniques learned recently. First discovered by a German researcher named Johann Spix in 1823, the itty bitty creatures, which average 0.2 pounds in weight, were named Cebuella pygmaea. Now, researchers have discovered there are actually two tiny species of marmoset […] More
A brave dog was captured on video holding its ground against a pack of wolves. The footage, documented by Abruzzo local Paolo Forconi in southern Italy, shows three tenacious wolves nipping at the pup’s heels as it looks for an escape along a barbed wire fence. The canine — likely a livestock guardian or working […] More
Two colossal brown bears were documented battling it out over a whale carcass in Katmai National Park, Alaska. The video was captured by photo tour operators at Expeditions Alaska, who were lucky enough to witness the event. The team shared details of the interaction on their YouTube channel, which highlights some of their greatest encounters. […] More
The coldest time of year can be a bitter inconvenience for humans, but for many species, surviving winter temperatures means wielding evolved biological tricks that appear to cheat Death itself — all of which make grumbling about donning a hat and extra layers a little trivial, in retrospect. From frozen frogs to butt-breathing turtles, here […] More
With their arresting size, cunning, and athleticism, Africa’s big cats—like lions, leopards, and cheetahs—get plenty of attention as avatars of carnivory. But the swiftest death on the sun-baked savanna comes from an animal that doesn’t look all that different from the lovable mutt snoring on your couch. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are among the […] More
A water buffalo moves slowly through a shaded woodland on Rinca Island. It’s the dry season, so the grass rustles with each footfall, and it’s oppressively hot. Without warning, a massive reptile—the size of a full-grown man—bursts through the shrubbery. It’s a Komodo dragon, and before the buffalo can react, it lands a deep, gouging […] More
Giant waterbugs are exactly what their name implies: huge aquatic insects. Giant waterbugs, also known as toe-biters, are contained within the family Belostomatidae. They are generally found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds worldwide, and consist of several species. The largest of these bugs are members of the genus Lethocerus. These particular waterbugs can exceed 4.75 […] More
It was an apex predator showdown on the banks of the Pantanal, as a jaguar fights to take down the region’s most formidable snake. The prey is an anaconda: a heavy-duty, muscular constrictor built to take down animals by squeezing them to death. This particular anaconda may look small, but these tenacious snakes — even […] More
In the popular Alien sci-fi film franchise, the titular species—known as the “xenomorph”—targets hapless humans, often horrifically implanting their bodies with its own eggs. When the eggs hatch, the young emerge explosively from their unwilling incubator, with invariably fatal results for the human host. The jarring life cycle seems like something cooked up entirely in […] More
Unbelievable footage of a polar bear chasing a reindeer into the water, dragging it ashore and eating it was captured on video in the arctic. The young female bear drowned the sizable male reindeer in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, which lies about halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Rare events like these are […] More
