There are many varied and clever forms of camouflage in the natural world, from the colour-changing prowess of chameleons and cuttlefish to the mimicry of orchid mantis‘ and leaf-tailed geckos, to the eye-boggling spots and stripes of zebra and tigers. But one of the weirdest has to be the transparent animal. Why are some animals transparent? One of the most out-the-box solutions to […]
Tag: mantis
“It’s classic wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Meet the most cunning and deceptive animals and plants that are masters of deadly disguises
Mimicry can be found everywhere you look, or listen, in the natural world. Many species copy the signals or cues of others in order to gain advantages. Scientists continue to be fascinated by the study of these evolutionary adaptations that were first described in the 19th century. What is honest mimicry? In honest mimicry, two […]
World Frog Day: New species described amid threats to amphibian survival
March 20 is World Frog Day. Frogs and toads have inhabited Earth for hundreds of millions of years, but 40% of amphibians species are now at risk of extinction, according to the latest conservation assessments. Every year, roughly 150 new amphibian species are described. But many are immediately listed as threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, disease and […]
A gallery of Chobe’s feathers
In this post I have chosen to let the images talk for themselves rather than tell stories. This post is a gallery and hope fully the images are enough. This gallery shows you the wonderful variety of birdlife you can see along the Chobe river. As I have mentioned in earlier posts on this trip, […]
In Search of a Map
Her eyes scan the new landscape in search of a map a flower‘s cosmology ready for misadventures. Chinese Praying Mantis | Tenodera aridifolia sinensis
Mirror-Image
A newborn mantis dreams her mirror-image, their glowing fates sealed by the gods – Chinese mantis – Tenodera aridifolia sinensis
Tethered Demon
A demon rises from the remains of the day, frustrated young assassin tethered to my garden – Chinese mantis | Tenodera aridifolia sinensis