Clinging tightly to rocky shores and hidden within shallow tidal pools, beadlet anemones are among the most intriguing — and often overlooked — creatures of the coastline. Where do beadlet anemones live? This beautiful creature is a common sight in rockpools all around the UK, and are one of the few anemones which can live on the […]
Tag: Slugs
“Their teeth are barbed and hollow, and primed with a toxic cocktail strong enough to kill a human. Worst of all they spit out their teeth like poison darts”
Did you know most snails and slugs have teeth, thousands of them? Their teeth come in a huge variety of shapes and arrangements, suiting them to specific diets and allowing many species to evolve and co-exist. Why do slugs and snails need teeth? Herbivorous seaslugs have teeth shaped into serrated triangles or sharp blades to […]
“Faced with a rugby scrum of suitors, females have little choice over who to mate with.” Here’s why these weird frogs suddenly turn blue
In the world of amphibians, sexual dichromatism, where one sex appears a different colour, is an unusual phenomenon. Dichromatism can be further split into ‘ontogenetic’, where the sexes remain different colours, and ‘dynamic’, where the colour change occurs temporarily – something considered rare as hen’s teeth among anurans. Fighting this froggy trend to a spectacular […]
Common toad is becoming uncommon in UK, study shows
They are an iconic part of Britain’s natural world, inspiring myths, fairytales and at least one of its most-loved children’s book characters. But the number of toads hopping through British grasslands, forests and gardens has almost halved in a generation. “Vast numbers of toads are being lost every year,” said Silviu Petrovan, a senior researcher […]
Slugs and Snails Thrive in the City
Urbanization poses a significant challenge to native wildlife, with many species struggling to adapt to the drastic habitat changes and Pollution that come with city life. However, a recent study published in PLOS ONE reveals a surprising exception: slugs and snails may prefer urban environments in Los Angeles. This study, led by Joseph Curti from […]