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
Norway kills more whales than any other country and it has no plans to slow down, despite a global moratorium on commercial whaling enacted by the International Whaling Commission back in 1982. In fact, the country recently announced that it would increase its annual whaling quota to 1,641 minke whales for 2026 in an attempt […] 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
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 strange creature looks like a rock in all regards — except that it can be sliced open and served up as a table delicacy. Pyura chilensis is known as a tunicate, endemic to the shallow waters of Chile and Peru. This marine invertebrate animal is a filter feeder that absorbs microorganisms out of 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
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
You’ve probably heard of albino animals, but what about their opposite? More
Greenland sharks are the longest living vertebrates in the world — with lifespans possibly exceeding 300 years. Amazingly, females likely don’t start breeding until 150 years of age, research suggests. The sharks are native to Arctic and North Atlantic waters, cruising at a typical depth of about 3,900 feet in waters that are just above […] More
The fossil remains of the largest penguin species on the planet were unearthed in Antarctica. More
Explore 5 locations worldwide where bioluminescent marine organisms illuminate the ocean, creating a glowing effect.
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