Despite the slightly misleading name, woodpeckers eat berries, seeds and small insects, not wood. Disappointing, I know. Yes, even though they’re known (and literally named) for pecking wood, they’re not actually eating it. When you think about it, they’d be far too weighed down to fly if they actually ate any wood. So why do… Read more »
The little arthropods must size up their shells often so hermit crabs queue up in size order and trade shells down the line. This behaviour is quite remarkable, i mean who would expect a little crab to be so polite? If you’re still confused, don’t worry I’ll explain. Hermit crabs occasionally come across a larger… Read more »
In order to successfully mate, they often put on strong displays in which the bird shows off to it’s potential partner. This can be achieved in a wide variety of ways that trigger a wide variety of senses. I want to break down the why and how of these rituals and find out which bird… Read more »
Canaries can hold an extraordinary amount of air, and are therefore more sensitive to poisonous gas. Sadly this is how canaries ‘detect’ gas. If, like me, you thought canaries had some sort of heightened sense of smell or super-sense for carbon monoxide, I’m sorry you found out this way. In case you hadn’t put two… Read more »
Slug slime is a mixture of mucus, water and salts that is able to absorb water and has several survival benefits for the slug. Slugs are infamously slimy creatures and a common sight in the rainy terrain of the UK. Sadly for the poor slug, they’re often seen as pests and treated as such. This… Read more »
The simple (and hopefully obvious) answer to ‘could a hamster kill me’ is no, easy as that. These teeny tiny rodents don’t pose much of a threat to humans outside of the occasional little nip or scratch when scared. Actually, hamsters don’t post much of a threat to ANYTHING. With the small exception of insects… Read more »
No, despite being named after the big cat, leopard sharks are not related to leopards. They are named after leopards because of their spots. As I’ve already said, the fact that leopard sharks share the same title as the famous spotty cat doesn’t mean they are one in the same. The most likely story is… Read more »
Experiments involving prosthetic monkey limbs show that apes are able to control prosthetics remotely via a neural implant. These tests involve human prosthetics controlled by monkeys with no missing limbs. This is because monkeys have similar brain structures to humans. Therefore, if a monkeys brain can control these prosthetics remotely, so could a humans. How… Read more »
Many types of birds, such as seagulls, feel all sorts of emotions like grief, happiness and possibly even guilt. The concept of a bird showing emotions might seem outlandish, but it makes sense. Why wouldn’t creatures that can sometimes replicate language be able to be happy or depressed? Seagulls in particular have a reputation as… Read more »
Measuring animal intelligence is hard but, based on both physical and behavioural evidence, yes whales are smarter than dogs. Dogs are man’s best friend and anyone with a furry friend of their own will likely defend the intelligence of their companion. Sadly, this doesn’t change the fact that whales are most likely smarter than dogs…. Read more »