WILD LIFE BLOGS

Odontodactylus scyllarus: The Bullet-Speed Punch of the Peacock Mantis Shrimp

If you go diving in the warm, shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific, perhaps exploring a bustling coral reef off the coast of Indonesia or navigating the seagrass beds near the Philippines, you might see a sudden flash of intense, almost unbelievable color. Scuttling across the white sand, looking like a heavily armored caterpillar painted by […]

Trichobatrachus robustus: The Bone-Breaking Claws of the Hairy Frog

Brachinus crepitans: The Boiling Chemical Spray of the Bombardier Beetle

If you take a slow walk through a damp meadow or along the chalky, grass-covered hillsides of southern England and central Europe, you might decide to overturn a rotting log or a flat stone. Underneath, scrambling frantically to get out of the sudden sunlight, you will likely find a chaotic mix of pillbugs, earthworms, and […]

Lanius ludovicianus: The Gruesome Impaling Tactics of the Loggerhead Shrike

If you take a slow drive down a rural, sun-baked country road anywhere from the open prairies of the American Midwest to the scrublands of Florida, you might spot a small, unassuming bird perched on a barbed-wire fence. It is about the size of a robin, mostly gray and white, with a striking black mask […]

The 17-Year Wait: The Strange Underground Life of the Periodical Cicada

If you live in the Eastern or Midwestern United States, you might have experienced one of those summers where the air literally vibrates. It starts as a low hum in the morning, and by the afternoon, it’s a screaming, buzzing wall of sound that makes it hard to hear your own thoughts. It’s the sound […]

The Invisible Navigator: How the Arctic Tern Flies 50,000 Miles a Year

If you hold a tennis ball in your hand, you’re holding something that weighs about the same as an Arctic Tern. It is a small, sleek bird with a forked tail and a bright red beak. On the surface, it looks like a typical seabird you might see at the beach. But this bird is […]