Life, Death, and Taxonomy

“…and today we’re talking about a little ocean hopping spy. But more on that later.” A dolphin dipping in deep abyss must allow the sun to have its kiss When scouting schools of succulent fish a trick ensures they will not miss. What vantage a high place can be! What new things can you see? […]

“…and today we’re talking about something that I’ve sworn we’ve done before but I guess we haven’t. But more on that later.” Deep in the inky abyss where sunlight dares not shine, lurks a creature that’s equal parts nightmarish and misunderstood—like that hipster kid from high school who just listens to bands you’ve never heard […]

“…and today we’re talking about something you might have felt bad about stepping on before.” Did you know there is a vast jungle just outside your door? Though, vastness is relative to size of course. A garden is a big place for a mollusk that’s less than two inches long. The garden snail is a […]

“…and today we’re talking about a bug with a very funny name. But more on that now.” In the dead of night, amidst the hum of crickets and the flutter of wings, there’s one creature that buzzes around like a stealthy, flying ninja with a twist. It glides from flower to flower like a hummingbird […]

“…and today we’re talking about a certain cervus. But more on that later.” When you’re born into a prey animal species, it’s important to get up and running as soon as possible. But elk calves need a little time to unwind before they start bounding through the meadows. What can they do to avoid predators […]

“…and today we’re talking about a puffy stabber. But more on that later.” The pufferfish has the incredible ability to inflate itself up like a balloon as a defense mechanism. But the interesting thing about this creature is that that’s not the only thing interesting about it. If you’re a fish, the easiest thing to […]

“…and today we’re talking about a forest pig that can clear the hacienda after every meal. But more on that later.” When you’re a small pork family in the forest, staying together is the key to a happy life. But it’s easy to get separated among the thick foliage and tall trees. How can you […]

“…and today we’re talking about a frog that could have dropped into Normandy. But more on that later.” In the canopy high, where the tall trees sway, Lives a frog who glides in a daring display. With webbed fingers spread, like wings in the breeze, He leaps from the branches with elegant ease. The wind […]

“…and today we’re talking about a drill-faced fuzzy bug. But more on that later.” Foodies pride themselves on variety and quality, but what if your face was designed around finding a single food item. The acorn weevil has a face that is specially designed to find, evaluate, and consume acorns– and that’s not all they […]

“…and today we are talking about something extraordinary, but it might be just a fluke. But more on that later.” Description Galactosomum spinetum is a type of fluke, and like many flukes, It has a flattened, oval shape. The metacercaria stage is spherical. It is translucent, and slightly elongated organism. The adult fluke, which resides […]

“…and today we’re talking about a fish as long as the day is long. But more on that later.” The ocean is huge. It’s probably bigger than you think. To cover it, you’d actually need 36 United States of America, and that’s not even mentioning its depth. At that is to say that the ocean […]

“…and today we’re talking about a species that is the cornerstone of civilization. But more on that later.” It’s voting season here in the US. As humans, we get our ballots and our pens to participate in democracy, but honey bees do things a bit differently. When they want to vote on something that affects […]

“…and today we’re talking about a puffy stabber. But more on that later.” The pufferfish has the incredible ability to inflate itself up like a balloon as a defense mechanism. But the interesting thing about this creature is that that’s not to onlythin interesting about it. If you’re a fish, the easiest thing to catch […]

“…and today we’re talking about an insect that would probably shop at Hot Topic. But more on that later.” When you’re a spider wasp, you don’t have time to raise kids. They’re expensive, a liability, and they never stop asking for more spider gut snacks. So rather than deal with all that, it’s best to […]

“…and today we’re talking about a killer that offers sweet nectar to its prey. More on that later.” There is a certain dread that strikes the human heart when you learn about an insect that expands its diet to include things like frogs, birds, and–worse yet–mammals. The giant desert centipede is just giant enough to […]

“…and today we’re talking about an aerial ace, fry thief. But more on that later.” On the cliffs where oceans wail, The kelp gull tells a fishy tale. With eyes so keen and beak so bright, It spies a meal that’s quite a sight. A right whale feasts on plankton small, The kelp gull swoops, […]

“…and today we are talking about a petite pack hunter. But more on that later…” Canines are usually smaller than their prey. That’s because they’ve decided to work together as a team, and teams mean more mouths to feed. But what if you’re not the size of a wolf or even a coyote? What if […]

“…and today we’re talking about an invading hoard that isn’t even supposed to be here. But more on that later.” If you didn’t already, you should know that there are millions of ants living under your feet. With an estimated 20 quadrillion of these little guys on the planet, you’re never very far away from […]

“…and today we are talking about a tiny slimy father. But more on that later.” Doting fatherhood is often a rarity in the animal kingdom. For most species, the lack of the maternal physical connection between fathers and offspring means that dads are relegated to nest protectors or they simply move on. But the red-backed […]

“…and today we’re talking about a rising star in the sea. But more on that later.” Imagine you’re swimming a casual 4000 feet below the waves in the inky blackness of the bathypelagic zone when you come across a pair of what seems like headlights. Is it a car? Is it a plane? No, it’s […]

“…and today we’re talking about the Listerine dad fish. But more on that later.” The bright and colorful coral reefs are home to a wide variety of fish, but very few can be considered decent parents. The yellowhead jawfish is, however, an exception. Taking care of kids is never easy, but try doing it without […]

“…and today we’re talking about a bug-eyed pseudo bird. But more on that later.” Arboreal creatures are built to get around in trees, and in the rainforest, that’s an extremely helpful adaptation. But what if your so great at getting around the branches that your no good on the ground. The Colugo is in such […]

“..and today we are talking about an American mammal that you might not already know about.” If you’re a denizen of North America, you probably think you know every furry critter in these parts. You’ve got your bears, cats, wolves, and even a muskrat or two. But there is a lesser known mammalian that may […]

“…and today we’re talking about a rainforest weasel. But more on that later.” It seems that, no matter where you live, you have to deal with mosquitoes. Whether you’re in the Alaskan mountains or the jungles of Panama, biting boys are everywhere. Long ago, the white nosed coati said “enough is enough” and found an […]

“…and today we’re talking about an aquatic acrobat. But more on that later.” When you’re tiny the God hands you a different set of rules than the laws of physics humans are used to. When you hear the name water springtail, you might think of a fish or maybe a deer, but it’s actually a […]