Strange creatures: the vinegaroon
Do you smell vinegar? There might be a vinegaroon in the vicinity. The rare Mastigoproctus giganteus is a lesser known cousin to spiders and scorpions and can spray a sour stream of highly concentrated acidic vinegar 30 cm in any direction, which is at least 4x the average length of its body.
Baby animals: elephants
Elephants are more like humans than you might think. A baby elephant at the Reid Park Zoo in Tuscan, Arizona gets by with a little help from Mom when her siblings become too rowdy. Just like a baby’s fingers get more nimble, a baby elephant’s trunk becomes more agile. In the zoo, elephants get the … Continued
Baby animals: Gemma, the eastern quoll
A 4-month-old eastern quoll named Gemma has a hefty and vital mission in life: to help reintroduce her species to mainland Australia for the first time in more than 50 years.
Baby animals: clouded leopards
Clouded leopard cubs, Faith and Hope, live at the Nashville zoo in Memphis, Tennessee and are adapting well to their new habitat. The rare, charismatic cubs have no fear as they explore their surroundings and evolve into the natural-born climbers that they are.
Get to know the short-beaked echidna
The short-beaked echidna was named for a monster in Greek mythology that was half woman and half snake; however, it more closely resembles a porcupine or hedgehog. The mammal has a head and beak not unlike a bird’s and consumes worms and insects and it even lays eggs. It lives in Australia and New Guinea. … Continued
Baby animals: zebras
Graham the zebra is the first-ever calf born at the Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, England. His arrival was a happy surprise for his mother, a 14-year-old zebra, the tail-end age for reproduction. That might be why she’s extra protective of her fast-growing Chapman’s zebra (a subspecies of the plains zebras) foal.
The strange tale of the American woodpecker that came back to life, at least for a little while
As North America’s mighty Mississippi River meanders southward to its terminus in the Gulf of Mexico, it creates a range of spectacular wetland habitats unlike anywhere else on Earth. Bayous, swamps, and bottomland hardwood forests thrive on the fertile alluvial soils of the Mississippi floodplains, which are saturated by regular to near-permanent flooding. These primeval … Continued
Strange creatures: the coconut octopus
The coconut octopus can walk, but it can also hide. Using coconut shells (hence the name) and other cast-off items, the octopus fends off predators like sharks, dolphins, and seals by creating a four-wall fort. Its highly evolved intelligence intrigues scientists especially the way that the species hangs onto objects for potential future use
Meet Wallace. He's here because we can't stop flushing a certain luxury down the loo
The UK’s leading marine charity and the water company that supplies Cornwall are joining forces to highlight the huge problems created by flushing wet wipes down the loo—with the help of a giant monster made out of wipes! The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is bringing Wallace the Wet Wipe Monster to Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth on … Continued
'We have never seen anything like this'—Over 300 wild reindeer killed by freak lightning storm
Over the weekend hundreds of reindeer were killed by lightning in Norway, in a freak incident that appears to be unprecedented in recorded history. The bodies of 323 reindeer were found after a severe electrical storm savaged the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in southern Norway, a scenic area, which is popular among local hikers and foreign … Continued
Strange creatures: the red-headed centipede
The red-headed centipede is one of the world’s most venemous vertebrates. With its tough shell, 42 sharp, sticky legs, and venom filled fangs, the centipede can take down crickets, lizards, rodents, and frogs alike should the opportunity strike.
Earthquakes ravage central Italy… and the true disaster may have only begun
It’s not the first time, or the last, that Europe’s famous boot got a major kick from down below compliments Mother Nature. On Tuesday central Italy was rocked by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake, which has since been followed by some 1,000 plus aftershocks, with equal and larger magnitudes, devastating ancient villages in the Apennine Mountains and … Continued
Have you ever seen a blue-green farm? They're not quite what you'd expect
The farms of the future can’t feasibly resemble those of yesteryear in size, shape, or form. In fact, they may not even be on land. It only takes a few minutes chatting with Bren Smith, Executive Director and founder of GreenWave—the 501c3 non-profit organisation behind a revolutionary new 3D ocean farming technique—to realise this man’s … Continued
This strange underwater contraption is revolutionising underwater filmmaking
One of Love Nature’s videographers has this week been sending back some incredible underwater shots from inside one of the strangest underwater contraptions we’ve seen so far. Great Blue Wild cameraman Kay Burn Lim was diving deep inside ‘The Explorer—a self-propelled mobile shark cage that allows camera operators to track Great White Sharks as they swim, hunt and ultimately … Continued
Space explorers discover our nearest known exoplanet, and it's potentially inhabited
Sky scouring scientists have just announced the discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet in orbit around our own sun’s nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri. And, not only is this newly noticed world located on our galactic doorstep, it’s also positioned in the right proximity to its host star to make liquid water a possibility…so it could … Continued
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.
Baby animals: the Chilean flamingo
Young Chilean flamingo Tweedle at the Reid Park Zoo in Tuscan, Arizona hasn’t quite earned his pink feathers just yet. His protective parents appease his cautious attitude as he gets to know the rest of the flamboyant flock that surrounds him.
Baby animals: red pandas
It is believed that there are only 10,000 or so red pandas left in the wild. That’s why the birth of a baby red panda at the Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, England was so important. Additionally, red pandas rarely breed as they can only conceive on one day of the year. But, before the newborn … Continued
Baby animals: snow leopards
Their coats may be thick and fluffy, but they’re not to be played with. Snow leopoards are an endangered species with reclusive personalities, so actually seeing one in life is rare and a big deal. Snow leopard twin sisters at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois may look very similar, but they’re two distinct beings.
Dogs in Zambia will soon be sniffing out wildlife poachers
Game Rangers International are a charity working hard protect Zambia’s threatened wildlife. Love Nature is currently making two shows with GRI, focusing on its Elephant Orphanage Project, which is involved in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned elephants back into the wild. For more information, please visit our Make a Difference page. LATEST UPDATE FROM GRI Illegal wildlife trafficking is … Continued
Quiz: How many animals can you name?
Think you know your animals? Well we’ve come up with a quick-fire quiz to test just that. Featuring 40 creatures and critters from right across the Animal Kingdom, we challenge the Internet to get full marks on this fiendish feast of beasts, birds, fish and insects (and if you do get top marks, tweet us @lovenature and let us know). … Continued
We reckon you haven't heard of these 10 giant animals before
Giant animals are hard to miss. While scientists continue to discover new species each year, the vast majority of these creatures are small, cryptic, and often inhabit remote or inhospitable places. Still, some enormous animals have managed to elude mainstream attention. Take a look at these 10 massive species you may never have heard of before. 10. … Continued
Happy World Elephant Day!
Happy World Elephant Day! Watch this to see how working together is vital for the survival of the baby elephant and therefore the species.
Get to know the adorable wombat
Wombats are unique creatures for many reasons. For one thing, their faeces are square shaped and are often found in pyramid structures. They are the world’s largest burrowing mammals who create masterful burrows with many exits and entrances. The distant relatives of kangaroos also use their backsides as a doorstop to avoid predators when feeling … Continued
Wilderness loving adventurer surfs around erupting volcano
Adventurer, environmentalist and wildlife advocate Alison Teal has just become the first person to surf and swim around the base of an erupting volcano. In extraordinary scenes captured by underwater photographer Perrin James, Teal rode her pink surfboard up to Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano as it spewed glowing red molten rock into the ocean, and then … Continued
Banning beads not enough to solve the Great Lakes’ plastic problem
Together, North America’s Great Lakes make up the largest body of fresh water in the world. Over 30 million people rely on them for drinking water as well as agricultural, industrial and recreational uses. They also provide habitat for wildlife ranging from mussels to lynx. Now, thanks to the abundance of plastics in modern life combined … Continued