Many animals rely on their potent natural odour for defense, marking territory, to attract a mate, or communication. From the smell of rotten eggs to a stench that can be smelled a mile away and a reptile bird that chews on decaying bacteria – if that isn’t enough to make your eyes water, here are […]
In Thailand, burned sugarcane plantations become traps for leopard cat cubs
Nuntita Ruksachat, head veterinarian at the Khon Kaen wildlife rescue center in northeastern Thailand, holds up a feline cub no larger than her hand. Part of a litter rescued just days ago, the cub’s fur is patchy, revealing blistered skin underneath. Its whiskers, clearly singed, are short and stubby. “They were rescued from a burned […]
“Its venom disrupts the blood-clotting system, causing haemorrhage and kidney failure. Without prompt treatment bites can be fatal…”
This little desert hunter may not look especially imposing, but its bite can be deadly, and in India it is one of the “Big Four” snakes thought to be jointly responsible for around 58,000 mortalities per year. Those that encounter the saw-scaled viper would do well to heed the rasping warning sound it emits before […]
Alaska wildlife agents can kill bears to protect caribou, judge rules
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska wildlife agents can resume shooting and killing black and brown bears — including from helicopters — as part of a plan to help recover a caribou herd that was once an important source of food for Alaska Native hunters, a judge ruled Wednesday. Two conservation groups, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance […]
A real-life kraken monster? At 19m it was longer than a railway carriage, devilishly smart and able to crush prey with a devastatingly lethal bite…
The largest predators in Earth’s oceans are typically vertebrates, so when palaeontologists recently announced they’d found fossils from a 19m-long octopus that lived during the Late Cretaceous, it’s no surprise a lot of people were left scratching their heads. What is Nanaimoteuthis haggarti? This colossal cephalopod is perhaps the closest palaeontologists have ever got to finding […]
Petition: Over 1,000 Toads Were Killed After This Water Company Drained Their Breeding Habitat
More than 1,000 toads may have died after a reservoir was suddenly drained by a water company right in the middle of breeding season. These toads return to the same site every year. They depend on it to survive. Now, it’s gone. Sign the petition now to urge Hafren Dyfrdwy to contribute to conservation efforts, […]
Is it an otter or a cat? Long-bodied, short-legged and weasel-headed, this is one of the most bizarre felines on the planet
The jaguarundi is one of the strangest-looking cats in the Americas. Long-bodied, short-legged and sleek, it has more than a hint of otter or weasel about it, which explains why it is sometimes called the otter cat. Yet this elusive hunter is very much a felid, and a close relative of the puma. Found from […]