Researchers at the University of Kansas discovered that stonefish — a group of fish common in Indo-Pacific coastal waters — have a horrifying defense mechanism: a retractable switchblade in either cheek. Called “lachrymal sabers,” the blades are controlled by overdeveloped bones and muscles below the eyes and extend outwards from the cheek when activated. Though […] 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
Male brown widow spiders seem to have a death wish: they prefer mating partners that are more likely to cannibalize them, an unusual study recently revealed. When given the choice, males gravitate towards older, less fertile females who are 50 percent more likely than younger females to eat them after mating. What’s even more baffling […] More
Bowhead whales may be the most versatile and creative singers in the sea, according to a recent study. Researchers out of the University of Washington recorded vocalizations of the 60-foot arctic behemoths over a span of four years, revealing a repertoire of more than 180 completely unique songs. Until now, it was assumed that bowheads […] More
The Ganges river shark (scientific name Glyphis gangeticus) hasn’t been spotted for more than 10 years. In fact, the critically endangered freshwater carnivore is so elusive, researchers’ knowledge of it is limited to what they’ve been able to learn from three museum specimens preserved in the 1800s. But recently, the shark was rediscovered in the last place […] More
Think of the mammals that lived during the Age of Dinosaurs and tiny, shrew-like creatures scurrying around and hiding from larger reptilian predators probably come to mind. But newly-uncovered fossil specimens described in the journal Nature Communications paint a much different picture of a fearsome, fighting creature that would have been a threat not only to those smaller, […] More
Researchers believe it was a crime of passion. But whatever the motivation, this is hard to stomach. Marine biologists at OrcaLab off the coast of Vancouver witnessed a horrifying scene: a mother-son pair teaming up to target and kill a newborn calf in the first documented case of infanticide among killer whales. Responding to strange calls […] More
Researchers have spotted a highly unusual sight deep below the ocean: a pair of fanfin anglerfish mating in a never before filmed phenomenon. Kirsten and Joachim Jakobsen recorded the 6-inch long female anglerfish (Caulophryne jordani) and her mate from a submersible operated by the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation back in 2016, but the footage was only recently […] More
A small, elusive and incredible population of wolves lives on the Pacific coast of Canada. According to researchers who’ve studied the wolves’ DNA, they’re genetically different from their inland relatives. They’re also very different in their behavior: they depend almost completely on the ocean for survival. The coastal or sea wolves, as they’re called, are adept […] More
If you want to eat like a local in Cambodia, you’d better not be squeamish. Deep fried tarantulas are sold by the dozens from roadside stands in cities like Phnom Penh. It’s not unusual to see photos or videos on social media posted by Western tourists who’ve dared to eat a bug. In some Asian […] More
Mumbai is home to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the largest park within city limits anywhere in the world. Within its 40 square acres, there are two lakes, a big deer population, 20 lions and four tigers (in confined areas), and an estimated 35 free-roaming leopards. Every year, those leopards eat about 1,500 dogs, and in 2017 […] More
Scientists in Australia may have discovered a secret weapon in the battle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and it comes from a pretty unlikely place. Then again, everything about the platypus is unlikely: it has a duck’s bill and a beaver’s tail. It’s venomous, it lays eggs, and it produces milk to feed its young. The platypus […] More
