PORTO JOFRE, Brazil — When Oscar de Morais isn’t out tracking jaguars, you’ll find him aboard his houseboat moored along the banks of the São Lourenço River. He sits beneath a mosquito net on two stacked blue plastic chairs, watching Brazilian soap operas while a fan blows warm air his way. That is, until someone […]
Tag: Komodo
Endangered ‘Blue Dragon’ of the Caymans Roars Back from the Brink as Population Climbs Above 1,000
A Caribbean island’s beloved “blue dragons” have come roaring back from the brink thanks to diligent conservation efforts. Green iguanas are the most common species of their kind, though they can sometimes turn red, and several other mottled shades of tan, brown, and grey. That makes the blue iguanas of Grand Cayman in the Cayman […]
Yes, some animals can have babies without a mate. Here’s how
A boa constrictor in the U.K. gave birth to 14 babies—without a mate. Is it a miracle? The result of a secret rendezvous? Probably not. Females of species have the ability to reproduce asexually, without sperm from a male. The process is called parthenogenesis, from the Greek words for “virgin” and “birth.” Some plants and […]
Komodo and its Dragons
‘Komodo‘ is a familiar word to most people and almost everyone has heard of the infamous Komodo Dragons, yet few people seem to know much about Komodo Island itself and the stories behind its most famous inhabitants. This arid 390km² island is one of the smaller islands making up an Indonesian chain known as the […]