When wildlife photographer Mohammed Almuntasir uploaded 18 seconds of footage to YouTube, he thought little more about the small, pale cat seen digging a hollow in the sand in the remote dunes of south-west Libya. The video, however, posted in 2017, turned out to be the first material evidence that the sand cat (Felis margarita), the world’s only […]
Tag: scorpions
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, […]
The world’s deadliest rat that’s poisonous enough to kill an elephant, a mouse that hunts venomous scorpions – The 9 weirdest rodents on the planet
Some rodents are enormous – like the cat-sized Indian giant squirrel – while others have impressive adaptations, from star-shaped tentacled noses to webbed feet. One even holds the title for the most mating sessions in the animal kingdom. Whether they fly, swim or even defy ageing itself, these unusual rodents are anything but ordinary. Weirdest rodents […]
Scorpion Venom May Provide the Next Breast Cancer Breakthrough
Scientists in Brazil are currently testing to see if the venom of an Amazonian scorpion could be used to poison breast cancer tumors. Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) have long worked to clone and express proteins from rattlesnake and scorpion venom with hopes of transforming these powerful […]
Internal morphology reveals two new species of Australian burrowing scorpions
An Australian study has found some surprising features in two new species of burrowing scorpions, including a very strangely shaped “tail tip” and some “sexy” anatomy features. Terrestrial biologists from South Australia’s Flinders University, West Australian universities and the Museum of WA have taken a closer look at two new species of the mysterious Urodacus […]