In this clip from the BBC’s Swarm: Nature’s Incredible Invasions, narrated by David Tennant, a praying mantis meets a cruel end when it gets caught up in an ant swarm. A colony of ants is not an opponent you want to mess with – especially when it’s on a mission. “In defence of the trail, the ants take no prisoners […]
Tag: praying mantis
“Mothers are known to eat their own newborn babies…” 11 gruesome, grisly cannibal animals that feast on their own kind – you won’t believe number 3
Cannibalism – the act of eating an individual of the same species – is often not a good idea, and not just because of our own human morals. It can lead to the spread of some very nasty diseases, as well as the evolutionary cost of potentially eating your own kin. However, it is not […]
Expedition to remote Angolan plateau reveals dozens of dazzling new species
A scientific expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima plateau has uncovered dozens of species that were previously unknown to science. Seen as one of Africa’s last great biodiversity blank spots, the in-depth exploration of the upper Cassai catchment area on Angola’s eastern plateau revealed eight undescribed dragonfly species, three new grasshopper species, and around 60 new moths and butterflies. The findings, […]
It’s ‘whack-a-mole’: Alarming rise in pet trade fuels wildlife trafficking into California
In October, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at California’s Otay Mesa border crossing noticed an odd bulge inside a man’s pants. Jesse Agus Martinez, a U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana, repeatedly claimed the bump was “pirrin,” a Spanish word for penis. His history of smuggling birds into the U.S. prompted further examination, […]
7 Ways to Attract Beneficial Insects & Animals to the Garden
An important part of creating a healthy, organic garden space is supporting a well-balanced ecosystem. That can’t be done with the use of pesticides and other biocides because they, by design, create imbalance. There are insects and small animals that feed on unwelcomed garden visitors like aphids and slugs, so if there are no aphids […]
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, […]
Praying Mantises Released for Pest Control Are Hunting Hummingbirds
New research documents that mantises worldwide are eating small birds; in the US, invasive mantis species are devouring hummingbirds. If the headline weren’t startling enough, the photos are even worse. There is an order to predators and prey that feels normal – like, birds eat insects. And when the script it flipped it can feel […]
Camouflaged!
“The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” Henry Miller