This little desert hunter may not look especially imposing, but its bite can be deadly, and in India it is one of the “Big Four” snakes thought to be jointly responsible for around 58,000 mortalities per year. Those that encounter the saw-scaled viper would do well to heed the rasping warning sound it emits before […]
Tag: snakes
“It can live for 30 years without food & survive temperatures from zero to boiling point.” 8 indestructible animals that are the ultimate survivors
In certain situations, there are animals that seem almost immortal as they not only survive but thrive in extreme circumstances, says Sheena Harvey. The world’s most indestructible animals on Earth The animal that can survive fire The trick the echidna, an Australian egg-laying mammal, employs to stay alive despite all around them being destroyed by a wildfire was only discovered in […]
It’s the ultimate master of deception, able to impersonate 13 other animals, from deadly sea snakes to flamboyant lion fish – quite the mimic
Octopuses are known for their impressive ability to disguise themselves through camouflage and by hiding in tiny crevices but mimic octopuses are the best of the best. These ingenious cephalopods don’t just change the colour of their skin to blend into the background. By altering their colouring and patterns and throwing different shapes with their arms, they actually pretend to be […]
“It’s classic wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Meet the most cunning and deceptive animals and plants that are masters of deadly disguises
Mimicry can be found everywhere you look, or listen, in the natural world. Many species copy the signals or cues of others in order to gain advantages. Scientists continue to be fascinated by the study of these evolutionary adaptations that were first described in the 19th century. What is honest mimicry? In honest mimicry, two […]
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 […]
Weirdest octopuses: meet 8 strange sea creatures, including one that pretends to be a snake and one with a detachable ‘penis’
We know that octopuses are highly intelligent creatures, but there’s still plenty that we haven’t discovered about them. Scientists long-thought that they were solitary animals and were confined to tidal areas – but relatively recent research has disproved this. However, that’s not all, as there are plenty of odd octopus species found around the world.eirdest […]
A Quest for the Elusive and the Common: Birding in Wild Florida
Birding is indeed a fascinating endeavor. One can simply observe birds in their backyard… or they can search to the ends of the Earth. Birders can range from almost deity-like in their ability, omnipotent observers of sights and sounds most of us would miss, and at the other end of the spectrum, they can be…me. […]
Snakes That Eat Poison Frogs Prove How Wild Evolution Can Be
Some animals have figured out how to eat deadly prey and not just survive but even turn those poisons into survival tools. According to the BBC, certain royal ground snakes (Erythrolamprus reginae) in the Colombian Amazon have evolved astonishing tactics to deal with toxic poison dart frogs. In experiments, a group of these snakes were […]