The Gila monster is not really a monster at all … It is a kind of lizard that lives in the deserts of the United States and Mexico. The “Gila” part of its name comes from a river basin in Arizona where it lives. The “monster” part…
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The savannas of East Africa are famous as the home of big animals like lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, and huge herds of wildebeest. It is no surprise then that these savannas are home to big spiders, too. The king baboon spider (Pelinobius muticus) lives in…
August 26th each year is a day to learn about and celebrate the beautiful African wild dog. The African wild dog is also known by other names, such as the painted dog, painted wolf, and the African hunting dog, or by its scientific name: Lycaon…
“People look at you blankly when you mention botos,” says wildlife biologist Dr Tony Martin. Dolphins are famous animals. They swim through the oceans of the world, frolicking among the waves and eating fish. The dolphins of the oceans have some much less well-known cousins:…
It is another sunny day in the Amazon rainforest. Butterflies flitter through the canopy of tall trees. Capuchin monkeys scamper along branches, chattering as they look for fruits and insect treats. They pay no attention as a mother and baby dolphin swim through the forest beneath them…
In Peru there lives a fantastically decorated frog. It has skin the color of chocolate and it is dappled with polka dots – lots and lots of polka dots, all over its body. H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Scientists call this…
Meet a rare little creature called the Chacoan fairy armadillo: Things to know: The Chacoan fairy armadillo is an extremely rare mammal, although its exact numbers are not known. It is very small: about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) long. It is sometimes called a pink…
On a trip to the desert you climb to the top of a large sand dune. You take in the view around you. You see a cactus and desert wild flowers. A raven flies overhead. A small animal hops across the dune. It has a long tail…
Everybody knows that owls fly around at night and build their nests in trees, right? Torotoroka scops-owl (Otus madagascariensis) in Madagascar. Image by Rhett A. Butler. Spotted owlet rests in a tree in India’s Keoladeo National Park. Image by Manon Verchot. Have you ever heard…
One of the most basic questions asked about moths is: How is a moth different from a butterfly? The real answer is that all butterflies are specialized moths. Every species of moth and butterfly is a member of the insect group Lepidoptera; another way to…
Check out these bush dogs caught on camera trap! Get to know me: I am a bush dog (scientific name: Speothos venaticus). I am a canid – a canid is a group of dog-like mammals that includes foxes, wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes, and other dog-like species.…