Australian researchers recently filmed an unusual sea creature that has been described as a “headless chicken monster” in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. Translucent and sporting fins that allowed it to swim upwards, the animal initially stumped the scientists, who described its appearance as “a chicken just before you put it in […] More
Like something out of a horror movie, parasitic Glyptapanteles wasp larvae survive by consuming their hosts from the inside out, then manipulating them into serving as bodyguards. The process is grisly: first, the female wasp begins by injecting approximately 80 eggs into an unlucky caterpillar victim. The eggs develop inside the creature, going through several molts and […] More
For humans, the allure of experimenting with intense, mind-altering substances is probably as old as our species. While certain drugs have had varying levels of legality and taboo status in some cultures, it’s hard to deny that our proclivity for taking our brains on a brief sojourn above the stratosphere is an old part of […] More
A Minnesota mushroom hunter happened upon quite a rare find: a stillborn two-headed fawn. This is a first — before this, the only known case of conjoined fawns had been observed in utero (inside the mother’s womb). “It’s amazing and extremely rare,” University of Georgia scientist Gino D’Angelo said in a statement. “We can’t […] More
Red-sided garter snakes have a strange mating ritual. As they emerge from hibernation in spring, thousands of male snakes will desperately rush the females in an epic battle to reproduce. The snakes form “mating balls,” in which one female can find herself outnumbered by dozens of frantically-writhing males. With up to 10,000 snakes living in […] More
Well, we know who we’re inviting to our next rave. A recent study found that chameleon bones glow under UV light, in the first known instance of bone-based fluorescence in a vertebrate. A team of German researchers tested the UV light on 31 species of Calumma chameleons, which are native to Madagascar. They observed a bright blue glow […] More
And you thought raising human newborns was tough! Across Europe, Africa and Asia, Stegodyphus spiders reproduce in large nests that are home to a number of spider families. Among them, one species native to South Africa, Stegodyphus dumicola, feed their young in a pretty gruesome way. As females take longer to mature than males, only about 40 percent of the females reproduce. […] 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
Members of the fascinating amphibian family Centrolenidae, also known as glass frogs, have skin so translucent you can see their organs right through it. Looking at these peculiar creatures from above, most appear bright green; However, if you flip them over to the reveal their bellies, you can easily see the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal […] More
This peculiar creature, the horseshoe crab, saves lives every single day (and has probably already saved yours)! Horseshoe crabs are somewha primitive-looking marine invertebrates with a tough external skeleton. They thrive in shallow ocean waters and will come to shore periodically to mate. You’ve probably seen one if you frequent the beaches of the US East Coast. Image: […] More
The great white shark might be one of the most fearsome marine creatures, but even they are no match for orcas. Three great white carcasses were found washed up off the coast of Gansbaai in South Africa with their livers missing. Experts who examined the bodies say they were likely killed by local orcas, who […] More
This is not your average lake. Lake Hillier, a pink (salty!) lake on the coast of Western Australia, is still a bit of mystery to science. The reason for the unique coloring of the water is still not fully understood by experts, but most believe that the water gets its hue from the presence of a certain type […] More
