The world’s largest spider is the size of a dinner plate
Source: BBC You might think you would notice an eight-legged animal the size of a dinner plate, but in fact many of the world’s biggest spiders are easily overlooked. In […]
When your veins fill with ice
Source: BBC Most animals hate the cold. When winter comes around many species burrow underground to hibernate or migrate to lower latitudes where conditions are warmer. But a few strange […]
The plan to save the giant pelicans of Skadar Lake
Source: BBC Skadar Lake is the biggest freshwater body in the Balkans. Shared between Montenegro and Albania, it hosts the westernmost breeding colony of the endangered Dalmatian pelican. This […]
Celebrating the wonderful wildlife of Wales
Source: BBC March 1 may be the meteorological first day of spring, but it’s also Saint David’s Day – the national day of Wales – which has been celebrated since […]
The surprising way butterflies sense their enemies
Source: BBC Moths and butterflies are delicious. At least, a flycatcher called the Eastern phoebe thinks so. Almost ten metres from her nest,Jayne Yack, from Carleton University in Canada, ties […]
Spearing giants in ‘ocean’s Jurassic Park’
Source: BBC A pin prick in the middle of the Atlantic, Ascension Island is a UK overseas territory and a haven for some of the world’s biggest fish. It recently […]
Are whales commiting suicide when they strand themselves?
Source: BBC Witnessing any dolphin or whale stranding live is a deeply moving experience; particularly when you end up accompanying an individual to the end of its life. My stomach […]
Landmark deal to protect Canada Great Bear Rainforest
Source: BBC Indigenous tribes, timber firms and environmental groups in western Canada have welcomed a deal to protect one of the world’s largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest. The Great […]
The monkeys that sailed the Atlantic
Source: BBC “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” That much everybody knows for sure. Earlier transatlantic travellers may have beaten him to it, of course: the Vikings almost certainly […]
Falcons can control their preys’ minds
Source: BBC The semipalmated sandpipers arrive in their thousands and spend several weeks resting and mating on the shore, before leaving southern Canada for the warmer climes of South America. […]
The whales that speak in code
Source: BBC Near the Caribbean island of Dominica, there is one group of sperm whales that has interested researchers for over a decade. Like others in their species, they have […]
On one colourful flower, a pitched battle is raging
Source: BBC Female monkey beetles will only mate on a flower, so if a male wants to secure a mate, he must first secure a blossom of his own Sometimes […]
Can this gorilla talk
Source: BBC Koko the gorilla is again making headlines. She appears in a video calling on world leaders to take action on climate change. “Time hurry. Fix Earth! Help Earth! Hurry!” […]
Hawaii Sees Fewer Humpback Whales Returning for Winter
Source: Time But it might not be bad news for the whales Humpback whales are one of Hawaii’s many tourist draws, but this year experts say fewer of them than […]
Growing parasite threat to finches made famous by Darwin
Source: BBC The birds that helped Charles Darwin refine his theory of evolution are in danger of going extinct, according to a new study. Finches in the Galapagos Islands are […]
Forty year low for UK butterflies
Source: BBC It’s not been a good four decades for the UK’s butterflies. Those are the findings from the latest State of the UK’s Butterflies report to be published. The […]
Why termites build such enormous skyscrapers
Source: BBC Across the forests and prairies of Asia, and vast savannahs of Africa, live secret societies of architects. They are masters of construction, their sophisticated and innovative green-energy designs […]
The birds that fear death
Source: BBC Crows are known to behave strangely around their dead: they gather around and squawk loudly nearby. The idea that it is part of some sort of ritual funeral […]
Why killer bees aren’t that bad
Source: BBC Reputation: Killer bees are huge and are equipped with lethal venom Reality: Killer bees are actually smaller than regular honeybees. Their venom is also less powerful. They are […]
Celebrating Scottish wildlife
Source: BBC November 30 is Saint Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, among other countries, and provides the inspiration for Scotland’s flag – […]