In certain situations, there are animals that seem almost immortal as they not only survive but thrive in extreme circumstances, says Sheena Harvey. The world’s most indestructible animals on Earth The animal that can survive fire The trick the echidna, an Australian egg-laying mammal, employs to stay alive despite all around them being destroyed by a wildfire was only discovered in […]
Tag: invertebrates
“Swarms attack and dismember anything in their path, piece by piece…” 10 brutal and savage animals that can kill and devour prey twice their size
When it comes to survival in the animal kingdom, size isn’t always the determining factor. Some creatures possess such incredible strength, cunning or venom that they can take down prey twice their size. Here are 10 formidable animals that can overcome much larger adversaries, from the majestic tiger and remarkable Komodo dragon, to the bat-hunting giant centipede and even a beetle larva that […]
“Imagine a rainbow-coloured kitten, shrink it down to the size of your fingertip and add a few more legs.” It’s time to rethink these tiny and cute killers
If I asked you to imagine a spider, what would be your first thought? For most people, that imaginary creature would be solid, black and hairy, with long legs and piercing fangs, perhaps skittering about in the depths of a dark cave. I’d like to suggest an alternative to what the archetypal spider looks like. […]
10 deadliest, most venomous spiders on the planet: Are these dangerous spiders as fearsome and lethal as their reputation?
Spiders list among some of the most feared animals on earth, but is this reputation fair? It is true that some, including all on this list, can inflict a painful bite in the right conditions, but there are many myths surrounding venomous spiders and their perceived deadliness. Firstly, it is not the case that there are a […]
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 […]
Emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal declared Endangered
Emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals are both now categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List previously categorised Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) as Near Threatened but satellite images suggest that around 10 per cent of the population (more than 20,000 adults) was lost between 2009 and 2018. The population is expected […]
An invasive guava is muscling out Madagascar’s forests — and lemurs are helping
Madagascar is renowned for its lemurs, which are threatened due to hunting and deforestation. Restoring native forests to ensure their survival is critical, but once damaged, forests in Madagascar are vulnerable to takeover by invasive guava trees — whose seeds the lemurs themselves are helping to spread. When the delicious strawberry guavas (Psidium cattleyanum) are […]
Forget gender wars! These bizarre birds have had equality sorted for some 44 million years – watch them in action
The strange-looking Picathartes have lived in the Congo for 44 million years. Bald-headed birds that mate for life and breed in the rainy season, they build their nests out of mud on the underside of overhanging rocks on a cliff or cave roof to stay dry. This has also earned them the alternative name of rockfowls. The ground-loving birds have intriguing ways of […]