The rat world is full of surprises – with some that contains enough poison to kill an elephant and others that can remain fertile for 30 years. From coconut-cracking rats in the Solomon Islands to rats with surprisingly long pubic hair in Indonesia, these are some of the weirdest – and most interesting – rats in the world. The weirdest […]
Author: Supertrooper
Founder and Executive Editor
Loss of prey could drive Atlantic Forest jaguars to extinction
Conserving the dwindling jaguar population in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest won’t be possible without protecting its prey. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which found that the absence of deer, peccaries and other animals that sustain these big cats is driving it toward local extinction. Jaguars (Panthera onca) once ranged from the southwestern U.S. to Argentina and […]
Researchers tracked 9 great hammerhead sharks off Florida and the Bahamas. Here’s what they discovered
Giant hammerhead sharks are masters of the “thermal hustle,” maintaining peak hunting performance over a surprisingly wide range of ocean temperatures, a study in the Journal of Experimental Biology reveals. As the climate crisis unfolds, the findings provide insight into the species’ possible future movements and survival. All living things have an optimal range of temperatures they […]
Say no to pesticides, mix up your lawn – and six more ways to help bees to thrive
We know about honeybees and bumblebees, but most of the UK’s bees are neither: they’re solitary bees, loners who come in a dizzying range of sizes, colours and varieties – more than 240 species. Have you heard, for instance, of the hairy-footed flower bee? “They’re one of the first bees to emerge each year,” says Laura […]
What’s the fastest land mammal in the Americas? Meet the speed demon that could outrun a cheetah in a long-distance race
The Americas, which encompasses North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, has a huge variety of landscapes – and therefore animals. From imposing mountains to desert plains and tropical beaches, these habitats provide a home for all sorts of creatures. But have you ever wondered what the fastest land mammal in the Americas is? […]
German mayors call for night-time ban on robot lawnmowers to protect hedgehogs
German mayors have called for a nationwide ban on night-time use of robot lawnmowers to protect hedgehogs and other small nocturnal animals from being killed or maimed in the dark. Recent studies have highlighted the threat lawnmower blades pose to wildlife active between dusk and dawn, prompting growing calls for regulation. Hedgehogs also tend to […]
“Its iridescent green head and wings, spiky crest, blood-red breast, and flamboyant twin tail plumes, is like a carnival dancer.” In the forests of Guatemala lives an elusive creature few will ever see
The sneeze began as a tickle in my right nostril. It was almost imperceptible, like a mosquito landing lightly on my arm, ready to strike. Or a lone butterfly flapping its wings, producing a breeze that would unfurl into a tornado; a tidal wave of latent energy that demanded to be unleashed. Some people can […]
Mass drowning of chicks puts emperor penguins at risk of extinction
The mass drowning of emperor penguin chicks as sea ice is melted by the climate crisis has led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to declare the species officially in danger of extinction. Emperor penguins rely on “fast” ice – sea ice that is firmly attached to the coast – for nine months […]