Why is the Unexpected Cotton Rat Unexpected?
It may sound like a meme, but that’s its name. That or “Ecuadorean cotton rat”, if you’re feeling less adventurous. …
Basotho Pony: National Animal #3 (Lesotho)
“I bless and thank the big, black horse on whose back I have spent nine hours this day”.
We Keep Losing the Taillight Shark
And the first time we found it, we missed the best part!
Bad With Names? So is the Sad Flycatcher
…but not in the way you think.
A Flying Reindeer Used to Mean the End of the World
…and not just for those who hate Christmas!
You Quoll That a Carnivore?
Don’t be fooled by the cute face.
6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Scared of the Biggest Insect Of All Time
Not least because it’s extinct.
Saltwater Crocodile: National Animal #2 (Timor-Leste)
Respect your elders, or else.
What Killed the Aladdin-Genie Bromance? The Roc!
It’s even ruder than “wishing for more wishes”.
How the Pygmy Sperm Whale Keeps Us in the Dark
It’s not just the name that raises questions.
Eat it, Bomb it, Set the Cat on it. The Ornate Flying Fox Ain’t Moving
It must be out of its tree.
Barn Swallow: National Animal #1 (Estonia)
A.k.a. secret Soviet subversion!
The Niam-Niam Parrot Would Be a Good Spy
It has a pretty awkward code name, though.
The Maimed Snake Eel: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?
At least it wasn’t annihilated. Somehow.
Why Can’t We Talk to Dolphins?
Here’s a whistle-stop tour of human-dolphin communication.
What The Jungle Books Got Wrong – and Right – About the Dhole (Part 2)
Welcome back! Just to recap: these “whistling dogs”, that don’t fight over food and even share kills with other animals, …
Hot Chocolate and Orcas
I’m quite impressed I made a Norwegian boat captain feel cold. It’s good to appreciate the moments in life before …
What The Jungle Books Got Wrong – and Right – About the Dhole (Part 1)
I first read about dholes in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Books – specifically Red Dog – in which they’re basically …
The “Pantydragon” Is Nothing To Laugh At
It’s a Welsh dragon, after all!
The Sinaloan Long-tail Won’t Leave You Rattled
Quick! Name three things about rattlesnakes! If, like me, your knowledge comes from westerns and the bad guy from Rango, …
Coffee and Creatures 