There’s an island off the southeastern coast of Brazil so dangerous that the country has made it illegal to step foot on it. Twenty-five miles from the mainland sits Ilha da Queimada Grande, an island overflowing with deadly pit vipers known as golden lanceheads (Bothrops insularis). The critically-endangered vipers, which aren’t found anywhere else, are […] More
Best of luck to any insect trying to sneak past this spider. This eight-legged predator will have its meal in the blink of an eye. Actually, less. According to a study in the Journal of Experimental Biology, “flattie spiders” from the family Selenopidae can use their long legs to spin around nearly three times faster than the human eye can […] More
This looks like a scene straight out of The Lion King (before it got sad). In the adorable footage below, lion cub triplets at the Oregon Zoo’s Predators of the Serengeti Habitat were captured playing outside with their dad Zawadi Mungu for the first time. Video: When a lioness is pregnant, she goes off alone to […] More
Scallops may seem like pretty uninteresting creatures — except for the hundreds of eyes imbedded amongst tentacles along the edge of their shells. Scientists have long wondered about the secret behind a scallop’s sight. LiveScience reports that Michael Land first discovered the mirrors at the back of scallop’s eyes and that they projected images onto […] More
This giant moth boasts five-inch wings, a humongous body, and when agitated, it is capable of producing a loud hissing noise to scare off its enemies. The privet hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri) is an strange creature endemic to the northern half of the eastern hemisphere including much of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Although they inhabit large woodland […] More
Meet the lake sturgeon — a fish that has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Lake sturgeons are shark-like in appearance, measuring an average 3-5 feet in length and weighing anywhere from 10-80 pounds, but much bigger specimens have been reported. The fish bears an overall streamlined shape and is equipped with five rows of […] More
On a cold, quiet night, a fierce, hairy beast roams the Sonora Desert. Its teeth are sharp and deadly, and its eyes are as dark as the night itself. Rearing up on its hind legs, the creature howls at the full moon, shattering the silence as it defends its territory. But what is this fearsome […] More
North America is home to two great animals: grizzly bears and bald eagles. Grizzlies are among the most feared animals in the North American wilderness. They have sharp teeth and knife-like claws that can rip off a person’s face, and they are extremely defensive of their cubs. Add to this an impressive running speed of […] More
Horsehair worms, often perceived as among the most unsettling creatures in the natural world, have a way of challenging even the strongest of stomachs. Yet, there’s an undeniable intrigue to them. Why do they evoke such a strong reaction? The answer lies in their larval stage, during which they inhabit the bodies of insects and […] More
Everybody loves elephants. The biggest living land animals in the world, they are beautiful creatures that are revered worldwide. Although generally thought of as gentle animals, they are actually incredibly dangerous — which can be mostly attributed to their impressive size — although there are times when elephants can be frighteningly aggressive too. And I mean aggressive. […] More
Rhinoceroses are archetypal African animals, and they are renowned for their size and aggression. Generally, they are indifferent to other creatures around them, but when you invade their personal space, you’d better watch out! Few animals are deadlier than an angry rhino. In fact, rhinos have been known to flip smaller animals, such as warthogs, […] More
If pigs could fly, we’d have a lot more bacon lying around, but if snakes could fly, we’d have a lot more fallout shelters everywhere. But here’s the thing: in real life, pigs can’t fly, but snakes CAN. Yes, snakes can fly. Well, glide actually, since they aren’t capable of flying like birds. But, still, […] More
