Insects
The Insect With Working Mechanical Gears in Its Legs
Explore the science behind the juvenile planthopper, the only known animal to use a functional set of interlocking gears…
The Complete Field Guide
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Explore every strange creature, bizarre behavior and unbelievable survival story, starting with the newest discoveries.
288 published articles
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Animals
The Spider That Feeds Its Babies Milk
Learn about a remarkable jumping spider that nourishes its young with a nutrient-rich, milk-like secretion, challenging our understanding of…
Fish
The Fish With Legs That Can Taste the Seafloor
Learn about the unique marine creature that uses modified fins to walk across the ocean bottom and detect hidden…
Insects
The Ants That Amputate Injured Nestmates to Save Their Lives
Learn about the fascinating Florida carpenter ants that perform life-saving amputations on their injured peers.
Animals
The Spider That Turns Its Web Into a Slingshot
Learn about the unique hunting method of a spider that transforms its silk home into a powerful, high-speed weapon.
Animals
The Spider That Builds a Fake Giant Spider in Its Web
Learn about a fascinating arachnid that constructs a large, lifelike effigy of itself to survive against its enemies.
Fish
The Fish That Has Almost Completely Transparent Blood
Discover the story of a unique Antarctic fish that evolved to live without red blood cells, thriving in icy…
Fish
The Squid That Eats the Ocean’s Falling Garbage
Learn how a fascinating deep-sea cephalopod thrives by consuming sinking organic debris instead of hunting prey.
Animals
The Worm That Eats the Bones of Dead Whales
Explore the strange world of a deep-sea organism that dissolves skeletons from the inside out using acid and bacteria.
Microorganisms
Cable Bacteria Are Living Electrical Wires Buried in Mud
Discover how unique microbes form living electrical conduits deep within seafloor mud, solving a fundamental biological puzzle.
Microorganisms
Magnetotactic Bacteria Grow Their Own Compass Needles
Learn about the microbes that create internal magnetic chains to orient themselves, a feat of biological engineering with surprising…
Microorganisms
Bacterial Biofilms The Hidden Microbial Cities
Discover the complex science behind the microbial cities that grow on your teeth, in pipes, and on medical devices.