Why Springhares Glow Under Ultraviolet Light
Under ordinary visible light, a springhare looks much like an animal built to disappear into an African grassland: earthy brown fur, a pale underside, enormous hind legs, and a long …
How Marine Iguanas Remove Excess Salt From Their Bodies
A marine iguana emerging from the Pacific can look as though it has just sneezed a cloud of seawater from its nose. Moments later, pale crystals may begin accumulating around …
How a Simple Bird Bath Can Bring More Birds to Your Garden
A bird bath for the garden can attract visitors that may completely ignore traditional seed feeders. Food preferences vary enormously between bird species, but virtually all birds depend on water …
The Sailfish: Why It’s Considered the Fastest Fish in the Ocean
For decades, wildlife books have introduced the sailfish as the fastest swimmer in the sea, often attaching an astonishing figure of about 68 miles per hour to the claim. Modern …
How Great White Pelicans Fish Together as a Coordinated Group
A flock of great white pelicans moving across a shallow lake can suddenly become something more organized than a gathering of hungry birds. Individuals align in a line, arc, or …
Why the Pronghorn Is Still Built to Outrun an Extinct Predator
Across the open landscapes of western North America, the pronghorn can accelerate into a run that seems excessive for the predators pursuing it today. That mismatch has inspired one of …
Why the Fennec Fox’s Ears Are So Disproportionately Large
Few mammals look as immediately adapted to their environment as the fennec fox. Its compact body, pale coat, furry feet, and especially its enormous ears all reflect life in the …
The Colugo: The Mammal With the Most Extreme Gliding Membrane
High in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia lives a mammal that appears to turn almost its entire body into a wing. The remarkable colugo gliding membrane stretches from the …
The Diving Bell Spider: The Only Spider That Lives Underwater Full-Time
Spiders have colonized forests, deserts, caves, gardens, and even the edges of freshwater ponds, but one species has taken aquatic life much further. The diving bell spider (Argyroneta aquatica) spends …
The Velvet “Ant” That’s Actually a Wasp — And How It Got Its Nickname
A bright red or orange insect covered in dense, velvety hair runs across a lawn. It has no visible wings, moves like an oversized ant, and looks almost inviting to …