Rhinoceroses, one of the largest groups of animals on the planet, are fighting a battle for survival because of a prized body part: their horn, which they use to defend territories, assert dominance and protect their young. But people use this keratinous horn as medicine, adornment and decoration. In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s believed to […]
“This colossal, complex city – the size of 2 tennis courts with thousands of rooms, from classrooms to ventilation units – was built by millions of hard-working architects”
There are more than 14,000 species of ants known to science, though experts estimate there may be as many as 22,000 currently crawling through the undergrowth. At least 55 of these species belong to a group known as the leafcutter ants, which comprises three main genera: Atta, Acromyrmex, and Amoimyrmex. Contrary to popular belief, these ants don’t eat leaves. Instead, […]
Eighteen wolves found dead in Italian national park in suspected poisoning
The carcasses of 18 wolves have been found in an Italian national park within the space of a week in an apparent series of poisonings described by conservationists as the most serious crimes against wildlife in Italy in a decade. Authorities of the national park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise said eight wolves were found dead in […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month April 2026
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Month” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. By popular request the number of images to be selected has been increased to six. First click an image and the slideshow will start automatically. Select the SIX images you like best […]
Crow vs raven: what’s the difference between these two very similar-looking black birds?
The crow family, corvidae, includes some unmistakable characters. It’s hard to confuse a magpie with anything else. The same goes for a jay. But for every colourful corvid, there are many others whose wardrobes are uniformly funereal. Distinguishing the predominantly black corvids of Britain and Ireland – carrion crow, rook, raven, chough and jackdaw – usually requires looking beyond the […]
The Myth of Scientific Wildlife Management: How Predators Are Mismanaged to Death
The way wolves are being managed in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho isn’t just controversial — it’s a case study in how politics can overwhelm science when it’s inconvenient. Grizzly bears are next. What’s happening to these animals is often framed as “management,” but that word loses its meaning when the underlying decisions are driven less […]
Why do cockchafers have such weird, feathery antennae?
Cockchafers, along with stag beetles, dung beetles, dor beetles and scarabs, have the last three to seven segments of their antennae expanded into flat, plate-like leaves, which sit in a distinctive fan-like arrangement. Antennae are the olfactory sense organs of insects, and this formation greatly increases the surface area available for the chemosensors. Insects usually need to […]
Amid conflict and poaching, tech helps boost mountain gorilla numbers
The population of the world’s last mountain gorillas has rebounded by 73% since 1989, allowing the subspecies to be reclassified from critically endangered — one step away from extinction — to endangered. But they remain imperiled, with about 1,063 left. They live in just one place: the Greater Virunga Landscape that straddles Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic […]