At first, being hugged to death by a giant anteater doesn’t sound like such a bad way to go. It’s up there with being caressed by kittens, nuzzled by lambs or tickled by baby goats. But there’s a catch. You may have seen videos of anteaters standing on their hind legs, arms outstretched as if inviting you […]
Tag: invertebrates
“It is highly territorial and if one of their 192 tentacles come into contact with neighbouring individuals they become extremely hostile…”
Clinging tightly to rocky shores and hidden within shallow tidal pools, beadlet anemones are among the most intriguing — and often overlooked — creatures of the coastline. Where do beadlet anemones live? This beautiful creature is a common sight in rockpools all around the UK, and are one of the few anemones which can live on the […]
“Their teeth are barbed and hollow, and primed with a toxic cocktail strong enough to kill a human. Worst of all they spit out their teeth like poison darts”
Did you know most snails and slugs have teeth, thousands of them? Their teeth come in a huge variety of shapes and arrangements, suiting them to specific diets and allowing many species to evolve and co-exist. Why do slugs and snails need teeth? Herbivorous seaslugs have teeth shaped into serrated triangles or sharp blades to […]
“It feeds on your blood for a week before you even notice – and then leaves behind a rare and life-threatening disease…”
A whopping 31 million Americans are bitten by ticks each year – and the number is on the rise. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report from April this year, weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017 in all parts of the US, apart from […]
As Australia expands seismic testing, experts warn of profound effects on sealife
It was spring, 20 years ago now, but he remembers it clearly. On the deck of the Geco Resolution, wind tearing spray from the waves, Robert McCauley stood gazing out onto an ocean blackened by night. The ship had been firing seismic airguns all day, thunderous blasts punching through the water and into the seabed. Over […]
“Marine animals were mysteriously dropping dead: around 1 million were wiped out.” Scientists now know the reason why – and it’s terrifying
In 2025, trouble was brewing in a 20,000 km2 area off the coast of South Australia. For more than a year, marine animals were mysteriously dropping dead: around one million animals were wiped out and some humans even got sick. Now, scientists have confirmed that the culprit behind these mass marine animal deaths is a species of […]
“When they use these spines, they puncture them really deeply into their attacker. They can deliver venom into the wound”
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 […]
“Its toxins affect the nerves and heart and it has enough poison to kill 10 grown men”
One of Earth’s most toxic animals, poison dart frogs are famed for their colourful, vibrant appearance. Despite their small size, measuring just one inch in length, these tiny amphibians possess enough potent toxins to deter or even kill predators many times their size. Their bright hues serve as a warning signal to potential threats, showcasing […]