It’s no use being told that there’s ‘plenty more fish in the sea’ when all those potential love interests seem to be swimming away as fast as they can. Not so for these flirtatious fauna, however, who have certainly got the skills where it counts – if you’re feeling lonely around this Valentine’s Day, perhaps […]
animals
Do animals enjoy sex?
Do animals enjoy sex? Arguably, sexual pleasure plays a dramatic role within human society. Due to our civilised nature, we as humans do not have to worry about reproduction. Our sophistication within the natural world has placed us at the top of the hierarchy meaning that the continuation of our species is more than likely. […]
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Everyone’s talking about the hit fantasy film. But our planet holds some pretty magical creatures of its own . . . Platypus Perhaps the most-well known in this list of fantastic beasts, it isn’t only this mammal’s egg-laying ability or bizarre morphology that makes it quite the intriguing character. Its beaver-like tail, furry body […]
Uni research reveals new wildlife camouflage techniques
New research from the University of Exeter has made an exciting revelation about wildlife camouflage techniques. According to the findings, Wild Aegean wall lizards found on Greek islands choose rocks that best match the colour of their backs, raising the question of how lizards know what colour their backs are. Dr Martin Stevens from the […]
Biology of the Big Screen: Godzilla’s “MUTOs”
An international multimedia phenomenon since 1954, the Godzilla franchise returned on the big screens just in time for its 60th anniversary last year, with a rather surprising story including some new exotic characters. The classic “monster against the city” scenario is twisted and turned so that the iconic creature loses the “bad guy” label to some […]
Animals as you don’t know them: The Hoatzin
In the top ten living oddities of the Amazonian jungle, the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) would easily occupy one of the first three positions. Found commonly in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana (who went one step further and adopted it as its national bird), the Hoatzin lives in mangroves, swamps or […]
Animal armageddon: The sixth mass extinction
The fact that we’re losing biodiversity at an alarming rate turned from ‘news’ into ‘common knowledge’ decades ago. There is not one major animal or plant group that does not contain critically endangered species, or in some way threatened and soon to become critically endangered and this is due to the negative impact our dominant […]