-
Where do Attenborough fan-throated lizards live?
Attenborough’s fan-throated lizard (Sitana attenboroughii) is a species of fan-throated lizard that lives in southwestern India, initially discovered in the coastal state of Kerala. A team of Indian researchers uncovered the striking lizard in open ground patches in 2018, subsequently publishing their findings in January 2018’s issue of Zootaxa. They named the lizard after natural
-
The cassowary is living proof that birds are living dinosaurs
The cassowary, a modern echo of its dinosaur ancestors, casts a mystical aura through its territory. Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird. Its deep and resonant
-
Say hello to the Vampire Crab
Here’s an animal made for Halloween: say hello to the Vampire Crab. The recently discovered species of the genus Geosesarma dennerle is a tiny, semi-terrestrial crab that resides on the Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. They get their name from their fang-shaped mouthparts, spooky eyes, and pinchy claws. The super-colorful purple vampire crabs are native to
-
Gorgeous eyelashes of the Secretary bird
The Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is your new favorite bird. Endemic to Africa and the national bird of Sudan, the Secretary bird looks like a combination of an eagle and a crane. Its snake-stomping legs can deliver up to 43 pounds of force. The raptor is also known for its speed, earning the nickname “devil’s
-
The Fringed Leaf Frog
The Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus) is one of the rarest amphibians in the world. The 3-inch creature lives a reclusive life up in the Amazon rainforest’s high canopies — it rarely visits the ground — in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The frog’s coloration, of course, is stunning — intermixing green, blue, and purple.
-
Elephant trunk snake: the living relic of Southeast Asia’s wetlands
The elephant trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) looks like no other reptile. With sagging folds of skin and scales as rough as sandpaper, it seems more like an experiment from deep time than a creature of today’s rivers. Scientists consider it one of the most primitive lineages of snakes, retaining features that hint at an ancient
-
The flamboyant cuttlefish
The cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) is a real master of color change. The bioluminescent fish can modify their appearance and shape using flashing LCD-like bands to hypnotize prey before snatching it up. That’s right — these fish use their strobing disco lights to psyche-out crabs and small fish! Like the octopus, the cuttlefish have pigmented chromatophores in
-
The Great Blue Turaco
The beautiful Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is a bird from West and Central Africa’s tropical forests. The birds weigh up to three pounds and grow up to 30 inches long, about a pheasant’s size. While not the most competent flyers, they are excellent climbers, spending most of their time hanging out in the trees. While the great
-
Hyperion: The world’s tallest living tree
The Hyperion in Redwood Park in northern California is the world’s tallest living tree. The tree stands at a height of 380.3 feet and is approximately 700-800 years old. To put that in perspective, the tree is nearly 70 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and 63 feet higher than Big Ben. Hyperion holds