Image: Wikimedia Commons There are big, bad things happening on our ice shelves. Emphasis on the big. In 2012, documentarians in Greenland filming the award-winning film “Chasing Ice” witnessed a 75-minute long record-breaking calving event. “Calving” is the term for a huge chunk of ice breaking off an ice sheet. The piece that broke off […] More
When you think migration, you may picture birds or whales. The largest migration on earth, though, includes much smaller creatures — a lot of them. A study published in the journal Science covers the seasonal migration of insects, which is almost eight times larger than the annual migration of birds that migrate from Britain to […] More
For millennia, humans have been comparing themselves to wolves. It’s not a big stretch; the way wolves behave in their packs isn’t too different from the way human social structures work in tribes and families. But there’s one comparison we’ve been getting wrong. The “alpha-male” stereotype conjures up aggression and strong, loud leadership. It’s someone […] More
Image: Wikimedia Commons Even when they find themselves in unfamiliar waters, sea turtles have a remarkable ability to find their way home. Now, scientists have a pretty amazing theory about their navigational skills; They may be using the sun to set their very accurate internal compasses. Scientists at James Cook University in Australia tagged 22 […] More
If big snakes make you nervous, it might be time to stop reading. Still here? Excellent. Workers on a construction site in Malaysia got more than they bargained for when a giant reticulated python showed up on the job. The crew, working in the tourist destination Paya Terubong on the island of Penang, called authorities when […] More
An endangered sea turtle will be able to swim comfortably again thanks to a team of college students. Students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute assisted with the development of a prosthetic flipper in hopes of saving even more injured sea turtles in the future. Using 3D printing, the students created the first ever “hydrodynamic biomimetic” flipper for […] More
Image: Paramount Group Canine units in South Africa are being trained to rappel out of helicopters and parachute from airplanes. We couldn’t make this stuff up. These units are part of an elite anti-poaching team fighting against wildlife trafficking in Kruger National Park. By accessing areas by plane or helicopter, teams can rapidly reach remote spots […] More
Image: Marine Mammals of Maine Picking up discarded fishing line (or any trash for that matter) could save a life! This young harbor seal was found on the coast of Maine with monofilament fishing line cutting deep into his neck. As he was just one year of age, the line would have continued to slice into his skin […] More
This is one tenacious dolphin. Despite the fact that dolphin digestive and respiratory tracts are not connected, this dolphin, identified as a Hector’s dolphin, has somehow found a way to move its larynx so it can breathe in this way. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) explained on their website, “Dolphins do not breathe through their […] More
Who knew that the entrance to hell was in Turkmenistan? Known as the “Door to Hell”, this natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan has been burning for over four decades. This surreal spot is located roughly 160 miles from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. It was originally discovered by Soviet Engineers seeking oil in 1971. Thinking it was an […] More
An island in the Bahamas has been completely taken over by feral pigs — and it has been one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, particularly for Instagram-obsessed Millennials. Known as Pig Beach, or by its official name “Big Major Cay”, this uninhabited island in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas has become known […] More
These shells may look pretty, but you definitely don’t want to pick one up. Carnivorous cone snails are slow-moving creatures, so they’ve evolved a highly toxic venomous sting that paralyzes its prey instantly. Otherwise, the prey would swim away to die (and no one would benefit). The venom is delivered through a harpoon-like “tooth” that is […] More
