Here's how pigeons played an important role in military history
When you think of pigeons, you probably think of pesky flocks hanging around hot dog carts. But did you know carrier pigeons (aka homing pigeons) were once heroes of war? That’s right. Pigeons had important and dangerous jobs throughout military history, including World Wars One and Two. So let’s show a little respect! What did … Continued
This seabird has a mustache
The Inca tern, a seabird found near the coasts of Peru and Chile, is noted for its distinctive facial plumage. Long white feathers situated right above the bird’s yellow cheeks gives the Inca tern the appearance of a mustachioed fellow.
Get to know the colourful nudibranch
Nudibranchs are often referred to as sea slugs, but they’re far more extraordinary than your average slug. There are over 3,000 varieties that range from the poles to the tropics and they thrive in diverse ecosystems. The vibrant mostly finger-sized creatures’ favourite cuisine is coral, and they can smell danger from afar.
Fish with human teeth and a rumoured taste for testicles scaring swimmers in Michigan lakes
A fish with large humanoid teeth and a nasty reputation for biting men in the nether regions, has been discovered swimming wild in Michigan lakes, by anglers who have pulled in more than they bargained for. The pacu fish, or tambaqui, which is a close cousin of the piranha, is native to the waters of … Continued
Why the 'Wolf of the Water' is coming back to North America
A much-feared freshwater fish that grows longer than a horse and has a mouth like a crocodile is being embraced by biologists and ecologists in the US as the last hope of controlling a damaging invasion of Asian carp, which has swept up the country’s waterways towards the Great Lakes like an unstoppable tide. Once … Continued
Mysterious new species of black whale discovered in the Pacific
A strange new species of whale has been found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Tales of the whale have previously been told by Japanese fishermen, who call them karasu (ravens) because they are black and have a bulbous head with a distinctive beak, but up until now they have remained entirely unknown to science. Beyond … Continued
Newly discovered dragon ants of New Guinea straight from Game of Thrones
The amazing island of New Guinea comprises only 1% of the world’s land area, but it’s home to an estimated 5% of all the planet’s plant and animal species, as many as half of which are yet to be formally described in science. It has, for example, over 800 species of ant, around 60% of … Continued
Drunken Monkeys! Booze-loving primates proven to seek out high-alcohol nectar
Some primates actively seek out the booziest treats they can find, and tolerance to alcohol may even have given a few species an evolutionary edge over their lightweight cousins, according to a new study. In tests conducted by researchers at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, aye-ayes, a little loopy looking lemur species from Madagascar, … Continued
The odd, the weird and the utterly unbelievable
Space travel and the search for extraterrestrial beings is all well and good, but really, we have all the amazing and awe-inspiring alien-like lifeforms that anyone could possible dream up right here on Earth. Especially in the wet bits. I challenge anyone to watch the mind-bending documentary Fish Life – The Odd, The Weird and … Continued
Meet the real magic rabbit from Pokémon Go
As Pokémon Go gamers go bananas around the world, reportedly putting themselves and everyone else in danger by hunting for Jigglypuff and company whilst walking and even driving, Love Nature has attempted to track down a real life Pikachu. And regardless of your thoughts on Pokémon, we think you really might want to see this… According … Continued
'Spectacular' baby bird wings from the time of the dinosaurs found preserved in amber
The wings of two birds that lived among the dinosaurs have been discovered in top condition in Myanmar (Burma). Described in the journal Nature Communications, the tiny wings have been perfectly preserved in amber, after their owners—a brace of baby birds exploring their habitat—became fatally stuck in the ultra-sticky sap of a tropical tree some … Continued
Meet Monique, the unique hen sailing around the world
He may be living every freedom-loving explorer’s ultimate dream, as he sails singlehanded around the world, but Guirec Soudee is possibly the most hen-packed man on the planet. Because, while the 24-year-old Frenchman might own the only pair of hands aboard his yacht Yvinec, he isn’t travelling solo: he has a pretty companion in the … Continued
Dancing dung beetles memorise the sky and navigate using sun, moon and stars
Dung beetles take snapshots of the sky and use the mental images to navigate, a new scientific study has revealed. And, according to researchers in Sweden, not only do the little manure-munching insects have the capability of accurately scanning the position of the sun, the moon and patterns in the stars—they memorise the map while … Continued
Alien-like ambush predator encountered on the flanks of an underwater mountain in the world's deepest ocean
Marine scientists using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to dive into and explore the deepest darkest reaches of the planet’s oceans have just had an encounter with a distinctly alien-esque species of jellyfish. The fantastic creature was spotted by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as they combed the face of the … Continued
Couple find fortune in whale vomit on British beach
A couple of British beachcombers have just struck gold, in the slightly unsightly shape of a chunk of valuable whale vomit. Otherwise known as ambergris, the strange and stinky stuff is thought to be produced in the bile ducts of sperm whales to help them deal with spiky objects in their gut and throat, such … Continued
Going to the bathroom is a life-risking task for sloths
Sloths are arboreal and mostly never leave the comfort of the trees. However, one of the only reasons they descend from the branches is to go to the bathroom, which makes them vulnerable to predators.
How hippos mark their territory might gross you out
The hippopotamus has some very odd habits, but the oddest has to be how they mark their territory.
World's longest snake caught in Panang, Malaysia
A new World Record for the longest snake ever caught may have just been set, with the reported discovery and capture of a gigantic reticulated python on a building site in Malaysia. Early estimates are claiming that the snake, spotted by workers during the construction of a flyover in Paya Terubong on the popular tourist … Continued
These insects have ears in their knees
Being able to listen with your knees isn’t the only thing that sets this leaf-like insect apart. Katydid males, for instance, are renowned for their, ahem, endowment.
Unique species of frog discovered to wear fanciful arrays of ‘hats’ and even a butterfly crown
A rare and elusive species of frog has been discovered in the rainforests of South East Asia with a unique penchant for one particular type of ornamentation: wearing a vast array of fanciful hats and headpieces. The ‘pale pink frog’, whose Latin name Idrafloris hyphantes literally translates means ‘skilful flower holder’ was observed by researchers … Continued
Rhino beetles love a good fight, and here's why
These beetles are not known to back down from a fight. In fact, they are one of the toughest and strongest insects on the planet.
The last unicorn
The skull of a mighty unicorn has just been discovered in Kazakhstan, which has forced scientists to rethink longheld theories about the survival of an extraordinary species, to look again at where it walked the Earth, and reassess how long it could have survived in some regions of the globe. The mythical sounding beast in … Continued
Almost everything about the stork is gross
You wouldn’t want a stork to deliver your baby, as they have some pretty disgusting habits that would surely make anyone else sick. They eat dead animals and garbage, and will poop all over their legs as a way to keep cool. Yuck!
Ocean hum blamed on farting fish from twilight zone
The source of a baffling buzzing noise emanating from the midst of the Pacific Ocean, which has been driving scientists to distraction for years, may have finally been figured out: according to a team from the University of California, who dangled microphones 1000 metres into the depths, it’s probably being caused by farting fish. The … Continued
What warthogs lack in beauty, they make up for in brains
They may not have everything in the looks department, but warthogs are smart. Though they have tusks, they know flight is better than fight. They also know that aardvarks make the best holes, and will squat in their abandoned dens.
Spider sex: A scary world of bondage and cannibalism
Contrary to popular belief, being a spiderman sucks. Not only is your prospective mate often many times bigger than you, but after sex there’s a fair chance she’s going to kill and eat you. Being on the wrong end of an act of post-coitus cannibalisation is a genuine concern for many male arachnids, with their … Continued