“Its bristles are like thousands of tiny, hollow needles poking out of every inch of skin, ready to inject you with neurotoxin that burns like fire for several hours…”

“Its bristles are like thousands of tiny, hollow needles poking out of every inch of skin, ready to inject you with neurotoxin that burns like fire for several hours…”

These ocean predators might look soft and fuzzy but don’t be tempted to stroke their bristles – they’re full of a potent neurotoxin that can be seriously painful if you get stung. Apart from the burning pain, you might feel a bit dizzy or sick but the symptoms aren’t typically any worse and no-one is […]

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Secrets of the karst: new species found in Cambodia’s limestone caves – in pictures

Secrets of the karst: new species found in Cambodia’s limestone caves – in pictures

A survey has revealed the vast array of wildlife – some never seen before – living within the south-east Asian country’s karst ecosystems. The work was led by international wildlife conservation charity Fauna & Flora in collaboration with Cambodia’s environment ministry and field experts This article was first published by The Guardian on 23 March […]

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“Complete intoxication.” Lemurs in Madagascar are licking millipedes – and it’s sending them into a “trancelike state”

“Complete intoxication.” Lemurs in Madagascar are licking millipedes – and it’s sending them into a “trancelike state”

While many animals in the world are born poisonous (including mammals), some must resort to other techniques to deter predators. The lemur is one of these – and it’s developed an unusual technique to make it unappealing to mosquitoes, which carry the fatal threat of malaria. Madagascar has a thriving population of millipedes, which secrete toxic […]

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