The name of these creatures immediately lets you know they’re not something to be messed with. Assassin caterpillars (Lonomia) are the larval stage of the giant silkworm moth and they are believed to be the deadliest caterpillars in the world. Found in South America, these creepy crawlies protect themselves with a very special coat of armour: their […]
Tasmanians warned of ‘loving Neil to death’ as 1,000kg seal’s antics feed ‘double-edged sword’ of fame
Wildlife officials have warned people to give Neil the seal space during his visit to Tasmania, saying some have gone so far as to bring their human babies close to the 1,000kg giant for a photo. Neil, a southern elephant seal, was born in Tasmania in October 2020, but his existence is an anomaly: most […]
It looks like a pinecone and is the most trafficked mammal in the world – now scientists have just found a new species
When curled up into ball – its defensive position to deter predators – the pangolin’s overlapping scales make it look similar to a pinecone. And it’s these scales that have earned it the moniker of the most trafficked mammal in the world, as pangolins are illegally poached for them. This has led them to being […]
Endangered West African leopards show signs of recovery, despite odds. ‘It’s a win’
It’s been difficult to monitor West African leopards in Benin’s Pendjari National Park: It’s a large wilderness area, situated within a hotspot of armed conflict. The park is among the last strongholds for this geographically distinct leopard population — but a recent study shared hopeful news. Leopard density in the park increased over a six-year period, according […]
A Roman scholar proposed this nature theory more than 2,000 years ago. It took until 1999 to prove it
The shapes and curves we learn to identify as children take on new significance when we see them in the wild. The forces of nature converge to produce spirals and polygons and a multitude of other forms in both living and non-living things, on scales ranging from the microscopic to the galactic. The hexagon is […]
Sightings of humpback whales surge in Rio de Janeiro, fueling demand for whale-watching trips
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro’s coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine creatures during their annual migration. The species’ population has jumped from around 2,000 to around 35,000 […]
“Swollen lesions appear around the mouth, nose, eyes, ears and genitalia with death normally occurring within 10-15 days”
UK red squirrels face a number of threats, but one of the most devastating is squirrel pox. This viral disease, carried harmlessly by invasive grey squirrels, has contributed significantly to their decline. What is squirrel pox? Squirrel pox is a fatal, yet easily transmitted disease that affects red squirrels. When did squirrel pox first arrive in […]