Life, Death, and Taxonomy

“…and today we’re talking about a hole in the bottom of the sea. More on that later.” When you’re under a lot of pressure, you may get a headache. But you’ve never been under as much pressure as the Mariana snailfish. Most things at the bottom of the ocean are invertebrates. They live the squishy […]

“…and today we’re talking about a small soldier. But more on that later.” When you’re out in the wilds of the African bushland, you need to get creative when it comes to emergency wound care. One species of ant has a bite so powerful, it can be used to stave off infection. The true villain […]

“…today we’re talking about this little fish of mine. But more on that later.” When twilight comes, it’s time to light your lantern. But sometimes human technology isn’t enough to get past nature’s barriers. That was the case when early sonar came up against the lanternfish, which congregates in the millions. This tiny mesopelagic creature […]

“…and today we’re talking about petite pink primates in plush parkas. But more on that later.” In the highlands of Japan, one tufty monkey likes to season its food, play in the snow, and waylay unsuspecting people in its free time. It uses all of its simian smarts to quickly learn new behaviors and then […]

“…and today we’re talking about a flat slimy menace that will not go gently into the night. But more on that later.” Have you ever felt that you just don’t fit in. Struggling to make connections with a social group can be difficult, but what if you’re clashing with an entire ecosystem. Such is the […]

“…and today we’re talking about a Casanova with a posse. But more on that later.” If John Travolta has taught us anything, it’s that the ladies can’t resist a man who can dance. Well, at least that’s true for one species of colorful bird known as the blue manakin. But there are tons of birds […]

“…and today we’re talking about a deer whose bark is worse than its bite. But more on that later.” The forests of India are beautiful places to forage for nutritious greenery. Though the fantastic foliage looks tasty, it may be concealing a predator that’s equally appetized by you. If you’re a deer that’s detected a […]

“…and today we’re talking about a little lizard that does more than leap! But more on that later.” Man’s imagination has run wild with the idea of magical flying lizards for almost a thousand years. Dragons are a part of the mythos of cultures all over the world, but they never thought that true flying […]

“…And today we’re talking about a bird that wears t-shirts and stays on the bleachers. But more on that later.” Bird life is about taking to the skies, but it’s also about finding a place to rest, nest, and make more birds. But where do you nest when a tree branch is just too uncomfortable […]

“…and today we’re talking about another beautiful sea creature that everyone will love to look at pictures of. But more on that later.” The ocean is full of just chock-full of friendly and not-at-all scary things. One of those very fun things is the foot-long bloodworm with an extremely strong and painful, venomous bite. But […]

“…and today we’re talking about the marine of the marina that can swim, fly, and crawl. But more on that later.” The ocean is a breeding ground for aberrant creations. Pressure and struggle has formed some of the most peculiar Pisces on the planet. But one fish wanted so badly to skitter along the ocean […]

“…and today we’re talking about a little guy that is as stinky as he is striped. But more on that later.” Perhaps one of the world’s most famous (or infamous) animals is the humble skunk. But it’s not only famous in the human world, it’s also well-known in the animal kingdom. For animals that live […]

“…and today we’re talking about a flying magic carpet of the ocean. But more on that later.” Motherhood is one of nature’s most lofty challenges, especially if you’re alone, in the wild, with limited resources. Protecting eggs or young, may mean giving up your own well-being, to give your offspring a fighting chance. But Bedford’s […]

“…and today we’re talking about a fish that is built to live where fish shouldn’t live. But more on that later.”  Deep in the heart of darkness, one heart truly treasures the darkness. The African Lungfish may need water to survive, but it has a foolproof method to survive the continent’s frequent dry spells. If […]

“…and today we’re talking about a tiny deer rodent that is neither deer nor rodent. But more on that later.” If you’re off the beaten trail in Indonesia, you may catch a glimpse of a creature more elusive than a forest gnome. You may assume it was a rat or a rabbit. But was it […]

“…and today we’re talking about parasitic creatures that Andrew Ryan would absolutely hate. But more on that later.” Nature is sometimes beautiful and majestic, and sometimes it’s the most horrifying thing you’ve ever seen—but at least it’s almost always interesting! If you see a snail with large flashing horns on its head, you’re not looking […]

“…and today we’re talking about a metal bird that lives a metal lifestyle. But more on that later.” In nature, there are certain rules. Deer eat grass, wolves eat deer, and vultures eat dead things. But sometimes, animals will break the rules to survive when the going gets tough. Deer are known to occasionally eat […]

“…and today we’ll spend Easter on Christmas Island. Maybe we’ll spend Christmas on Easter Island. Not much more on that later.” Every year, the festively named Christmas Island takes on one of its holiday hues as millions of its inhabitants make their way to the edge of the briny sea. The Christmas Island Red Crab […]

“…And today we’re talking about another fox with shifty, untrustworthy eyes. But more on that later.”  The Eurasian Steppe is a vast plain where water and food can be scarce. But a wily creature can take advantage of the forbidding environment. Foxes live and thrive on every continent except for Antarctica. But to survive in […]

“…and today we’re talking about a tiny tiger that’s got its mind set on you. But more on that later.” When it comes to the speediest speedsters, you don’t often look for champions in the insect world. They may be small, but they can be quick once you factor in their size. The Australian tiger […]

“…and today we’re talking about a curious king with a golden crown. But more on that later.” When you’re the king of the swingers it means you’ve reached the top and had to stop. But balancing at the top branches of an Indian forest requires considerable skill. For a monkey that spends most of his […]

“…and today we’re talking about the type of guy who will never settle down, where delicious bugs are, well you know that he’s around. But more on that later.” When Harry Belafonte tells his fellow banana pickers to hide the deadly black tarantula, he may have been talking about a different spider entirely. The Brazilian […]

“…and today we’re talking about a Gouldian bird with a golden mouth. But more on that later…” Nature has all kinds of odd developments where several species are in close competition. When resources are limited, it takes some stand out skills to survive and grow. For a species of finch, the stand out performance starts […]

“…and today we’re talking about lipstick?! In my Honduran white bat?!” The apostle Paul was known as a tent-maker, which could mean that he created a shelter of hope for the gentiles in the first century. It could also mean that he created actual tents since it costs money to travel the known world. Probably […]

“…and today we’re talking about a familiar creature with a Lovecraftian feature. But more on that later.” The sea is full of creatures aberrant to polite society. They swim in the murky depths or live in dark crevasses. But even a familiar sea creature may be alien to you when you really get to know […]