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Insatiable invertebrates: 4 predatory insects and arachnids
What’s the difference between insects and arachnids?
Class insecta
Of the 1.5 million species that scientists have catalogued, around two thirds are insects. Insects come in all shapes and sizes and display diverse behaviours. But they all...
How many false myths about dinosaurs do you know?
If we were to list the number of false claims out there about dinosaurs, it’d be never-ending. From the belief that they only inhabited warm habitats (they also lived in frozen areas), that they...
Do other animals give birth to twins? Examples from the animal kingdom
Assuming you’re human, the likelihood of having twins is quite little. But, depending where you’re from, there’s a surprising amount of variation. In Central Africa, the twinning rate is almost 30 in every 1,000...
The Amazon molly: the small fish making a big splash in science
What is the Amazon molly and how did it get its name?
The Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) is a small, inconspicuous freshwater fish. It belongs to a genus of around 40 fish species, which includes...
Do vampires exist? From vampire myths to the truth about bloodsucking bats
When we hear the word vampire, we automatically think of a human-like creaturewith long fangs that feeds on people’s blood. Vampire myths have been around for ages and they continue to be a part...
The extraordinary world of animal poo: 5 stories of adaptation and survival
Yes, today we’re taking a closer look at animal poo, along with some extraordinary adaptations. If you’re just about to sit down for lunch, you might want to bookmark this one for later. But...
How do animals see? The most impressive eyes in the animal world
The eye
In order to understand how different species see the world, it is important to understand how the eye works. Images, in the form of light, are received through the pupil, using the dilation...
One of the Great Apes: chimpanzee life in numbers
The Great Apes and us
We’re all guilty of anthropomorphism. It’s something Yago tapped into when he first came up with the idea for Zoo Portraits. But – more than with any other animal –...
Vital viewing: 6 must-watch wildlife and nature documentaries
Tired of the prequels, sequels, reboots and remakes currently dominating the big screen? If you’ve just about had enough of lycra suits and fictional universes, it might be time for a documentary binge! Below you...
Have you ever heard of the Kermode bear, also known as the Spirit bear?
The Kemode bear: Spirit of the forest
Deep within the Great Bear Rainforest, in Canada, all is not as it seems. The unique ecosystem produces strange natural scenes. On this coastal land, dampened by dense...
Festive animal facts: Camel vs. Reindeer
Christmas and nature
The Christmas holidays are rich in tradition. Some (like decorating a tree) date back hundreds of years; others (like wearing tasteless woolen jumpers) are much more recent! Although customs differ from country...
Animal intelligence: the smartest animal species in the world
What is animal intelligence?
Intelligence is one of the defining features of being human and it comes in various forms. For example, there’s verbal-linguistic intelligence (communicative ability), spatial intelligence (the ability to observe the world...
The five freedoms: animal welfare around the world
Animal sentience
In 1859 Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published in a storm of controversy. For the first time, he had demonstrated that humans were evolutionary descendants of non-human animals. We would...
Six-legged superfoods: could insects be the answer to food security?
“2,086 species of insect are eaten by 3,071 different ethnic groups in about 130 countries.” Bugged, by David MacNeal
Insects form a big part of everyday diets for around two billion people around the world. Yet,...
Pigeon powers: 3 reasons to start appreciating the ‘rats of the sky’
Pigeon profiles
Pigeons are divisive creatures. For some, pigeons are treasured pets; for others, they’re troublesome pests. Whether it’s ‘rats of the sky’ or ‘rats with wings’, the sentiment in these nicknames is clear. Apart...
