The title of the hairiest animal goes to the sea otter, whose luxurious fur, according to a 2010 study, comprises a phenomenal 100- 160,000 hairs per square centimetre (an adult probably sports more than a billion hairs in total). Sea otters lack insulating blubber, so dense water-repellent fur is an important asset in the chilly […]
Tag: sea urchins
“It’s up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.” 10 most poisonous animals in the world, from frogs to sharks – and even butterflies. Yes that’s right…
It’s a tough world out there and many animals have had to arm themselves. One capacity that has evolved time and time again is toxic weaponry – venoms and poisons. Although oft confused, there is a clear distinction between these two forms of toxins. Whereas venoms are produced in specialised tissues and are delivered to predators or prey through […]
Beasts of the Sea: the tragic story of how the ‘gentle, lovable’ sea cow became the perfect victim
Iida Turpeinen is the author of Beasts of the Sea, a Finnish novel tracing the fate of a now-extinct species: the sea cow. Similar to dugongs and manatees, the sea cow was only discovered in 1741 by the shipwrecked German-born naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller but by 1768 it had already become the first marine species […]
Alaska wolves poisoned by mercury after switching to sea otter diet
Some coastal wolves in Alaska, U.S., have toxic levels of mercury in their bodies after shifting from a terrestrial diet of deer and moose to a marine diet heavy with sea otters, new research finds. Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in the Earth’s crust. However, human activities like burning coal and fossil […]
Here’s What Would Happen if All Marine Species Disappeared
Marine species play a critical role in maintaining the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems. Their existence is not only essential for the health of our oceans but also for the well-being of life on land. However, imagine a world where every marine species vanishes, leaving behind a barren and lifeless ocean. The implications of […]