You’re probably heard of cicadas, the buzzing swarms of noisy insects that emerge each summer. But what about their predators, the cicada killers—colossal digging wasps with sizable jaws and an appetite solely for cicadas? With a name like “cicada killer,” you might suspect that these insects would be particularly brutal, and you’d be right. The […] More
Want to meet a spider so large it eats the heaviest insects on earth for breakfast? Head to New Zealand. The Rangatira spider (Dolomedes schauinslandi) is a colossal arachnid found only on three relatively undisturbed islands of New Zealand – and it eats giant wētā for dinner. It’s a whopper and it eats wētā. The […] More
Sizing up competitors can often be a bit of a gamble for many species, but lemurs can instantly sniff out weakness in their counterparts. A decade-long research project at Duke University recently revealed that the endangered primates native to Madagascar can identify each other’s weaknesses just by the scent they leave behind. That’s bad news […] More
Twenty-six raccoons in Manhattan’s Central Park have died last summer from a highly contagious viral outbreak that causes so-called “zombie-like” behaviors. Just to be clear, the raccoons weren’t actually coming back to life and feasting on each other’s brains. However, infected raccoons around the park exhibited symptoms like circling, aimless wandering, and spasms. Many of them also […] More
Humans aren’t the best neighbors. In fact, we’re so annoying that animals are turning to a nocturnal existence in order to avoid human interaction. A recent study published in Science found that naturally diurnal animals that live near urban areas are becoming nocturnal in order to avoid frightening encounters with people. And the phenomenon is playing […] More
A new species of parasitoid wasp has been discovered in the Amazon with an insanely huge stinger that scientists describe as a “fierce weapon.” A team from the University of Turku in Finland identified the terrifying wasp while studying samples collected in a biologically diverse region between the Andes and the Amazonian lowland forest. They described […] More
In a bit of poetic justice, a group of suspected rhino poachers who snuck into the Sibuya Game Reserve in South Africa became an unlikely meal for a pride of lions. A guide at the game reserve discovered human remains strewn across a thickly vegetated area near the lions last week. Due to the condition of […] More
We hate to break it to you arachnophobes, but some species of spider can fly. Not with wings, of course (that would be weird). Instead, the tiny arachnids take to the air using a genius technique called ballooning. How does it work? First, to prepare for lift-off, the spiders anchor themselves to a structure for […] More
Some good news: Critically endangered Snub-Nosed #Monkeys are saved from brink of extinction! “When there is a will, there is a way”! #Myanmar @Clean_Malaysia https://t.co/MBI2wjEn21 pic.twitter.com/omUJwbgl6w — IPBES (@IPBES) January 23, 2018 Things may be looking up for a critically endangered primate species discovered less than a decade ago. According to a report from Fauna […] More
Gray wolves that live in the Chernobyl disaster site are beginning to roam out into surrounding areas — raising concerns that they could spread mutated genes to other populations. In 1986, the infamous nuclear explosion at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant reportedly released 400 times more radioactive fallout than the Hiroshima bomb. Because authorities could […] More
One of only two known wild jaguars existing in the United States has been killed, according to wildlife officials. Scientists believe that a young male jaguar named Yo’oko, who had been spotted roaming Arizona’s Huachuca Mountains in previous years, was recently shot and skinned — although the details of the incident are still unclear. Because jaguars have […] More
Trace amounts of drugs in our waterways, including cocaine, can have detrimental effects on aquatic animals, a recent study warns. What many may not consider when taking drugs — prescription or otherwise — is that those drugs are eventually excreted and sent out into our waterways where they accumulate. Now, new research proves just how […] More
