These baby iguanas must run for their lives – or they’ll be constricted to death by snakes. Will they make it?

These baby iguanas must run for their lives – or they’ll be constricted to death by snakes. Will they make it?

Marine iguanas can reach an impressive age of 60 years, but their average lifespan is 12 years or less – which is not surprising, considering what they have to face straight out of the egg. Galapagos racer snakes are on high alert, knowing that this will be their best feeding opportunity all year. A baby iguana is more […]

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It might look like a rabbit and act like a rabbit, but this is no rabbit – OR even a hare, instead it’s something far more peculiar…

It might look like a rabbit and act like a rabbit, but this is no rabbit – OR even a hare, instead it’s something far more peculiar…

With dainty forelimbs tucked against their fluffy belly and a wonderfully solemn expression on their whiskered face, the sight of a sunbathing mountain viscacha is sure to raise a smile. This Andean rodent is perplexing and endearing in equal measure, looking as if someone has assembled it from spare parts, with rabbit ears, a squirrel […]

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These endangered whales have lived in a small sea for 70,000 years. One of them just broke the pattern

These endangered whales have lived in a small sea for 70,000 years. One of them just broke the pattern

Scientists documented the first long-distance travel of an Arabian Sea humpback whale (ASHW): a small population of only around 82 individuals that live off Oman’s coast. Unlike other humpbacks around the world, these endangered whales usually stay close to home. The population is genetically distinct from other humpbacks, having diverged around 70,000 years ago, and individuals usually stay within […]

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“Mothers are known to eat their own newborn babies…” 11 gruesome, grisly cannibal animals that feast on their own kind – you won’t believe number 3

“Mothers are known to eat their own newborn babies…” 11 gruesome, grisly cannibal animals that feast on their own kind – you won’t believe number 3

Cannibalism – the act of eating an individual of the same species – is often not a good idea, and not just because of our own human morals. It can lead to the spread of some very nasty diseases, as well as the evolutionary cost of potentially eating your own kin. However, it is not […]

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“They’re equipped with 15cm claws, can run at speeds of 50kph, clear 2m when jumping and deliver a mean kick – just how worried should I be?”

“They’re equipped with 15cm claws, can run at speeds of 50kph, clear 2m when jumping and deliver a mean kick – just how worried should I be?”

Cassowaries live in the rainforests of Queensland. But despite their size, they’re not easy to find, explains Steve Portugal. There can be few more imposing sights in nature than an adult cassowary. Standing nearly 2m tall and weighing up to 50kg, it is no mystery why these large, flightless birds, found in north-eastern Australia and […]

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