“It looks like a porcupine, but has a bird-like beak, a pouch like a kangaroo and lays eggs like a reptile.” 10 weirdest, bizarrest mammals on the planet

“It looks like a porcupine, but has a bird-like beak, a pouch like a kangaroo and lays eggs like a reptile.” 10 weirdest, bizarrest mammals on the planet

Nature defies expectation, with animals boasting strange body parts or survival techniques. From the four-headed penis of the echidna to the pink shell of the pink fairy armadillo, there’s plenty to raise an eyebrow at. Here are some of the weirdest mammals on the planet. Weirdest mammals Echidna (Tachyglossidae) At first glance, the echidna might look like […]

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Songbird trade threatens lesser-known ‘master birds’ with secondary extinctions: Study

Songbird trade threatens lesser-known ‘master birds’ with secondary extinctions: Study

Increasing demand for songbirds is raising the risk of “secondary extinctions” of so-called “master birds” in Southeast Asia, conservationists warn. While these birds never enter the region’s songbird singing competitions, they have unique qualities to their songs. When caged near songbirds, elements of their calls can be learned, says Vincent Nijman, lead author of research documenting their […]

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Secrets of the karst: new species found in Cambodia’s limestone caves – in pictures

Secrets of the karst: new species found in Cambodia’s limestone caves – in pictures

A survey has revealed the vast array of wildlife – some never seen before – living within the south-east Asian country’s karst ecosystems. The work was led by international wildlife conservation charity Fauna & Flora in collaboration with Cambodia’s environment ministry and field experts This article was first published by The Guardian on 23 March […]

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‘There’s biological treasure here’: Chile’s endemic seals gain protection with new marine park

‘There’s biological treasure here’: Chile’s endemic seals gain protection with new marine park

Six decades ago, pioneering oceanographer and conservationist Sylvia Earle made a bittersweet discovery while diving off Chile’s oceanic islands with the US National Science Foundation vessel, the Anton Bruun. She found the remains of a baby fur seal, one of the world’s most isolated aquatic mammals. Endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago, in the Pacific Ocean, and […]

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What’s the biggest monkey in the world? Clue – it comes equipped with fearsome canine teeth that are amongst the longest of any primate

What’s the biggest monkey in the world? Clue – it comes equipped with fearsome canine teeth that are amongst the longest of any primate

This elusive inhabitant of equatorial African rainforests is the biggest of all monkeys and arguably the most beautiful. The 30kg males – three times the weight of females – are adorned with a golden mane and striking blue and red swellings on the face and hind-quarters. The skin colour and pattern permit males to display their […]

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