Is the Umbrella Conger Shady or Sheltered?
The umbrella conger eel doesn’t look like its name, but it’s well covered. From scrutiny, anyway.
Australia and Oceania
Why the Tuatara Would Be an Awesome Housemate. Mostly.
The tuatara’s ancestors survived the dinosaurs, the comet, and the Ice Age. So losing to rats is just embarrassing.
The Summer Romance of a Leaf-cutter Bee
Wait! Before you spray me for slicing up your roses, there’s something you should know. I know the life of …
Hector’s Dolphin Could Do Without the Hectoring, Thanks
There are few cooler ways to discover new lands than on the back of a dolphin. That’s what happened in …
Dickinsonia Remembers that Golden Age When Everything Was Great
In my time, the Earth and everything on it was perfect. Well I think so. My equivalent of your rock …
The White Ibis Has(n’t) Had Enough of Your Rubbish
During a recent stay at London Zoo’s (awesome) Gir Lion Lodge, I asked the tour guides what their weirdest animal …
Streaking, Acrobatics, and Organised Debauchery: Just Another Day For a Striped Dolphin!
The grey bottlenose may steal the limelight, but the striped dolphin has some tricks and kinks of its own. In …
If the Rat-Tail Fish Can Survive Hell, It Can Survive the Unfortunate Name
It seems a bit unfair calling this a “rat-tail” fish when it clearly just has a thin, tapering tail. But …
Rarer Than the Panda? No Wonder No One’s Heard of the Numbat!
Have you ever played that game Scattergories and had to think of an animal beginning with “n”? When everyone else …
Why the Lionfish Can Be a Jerk
Its other names range from the cool ”fire fish” and “fan dancer” to the decidedly rubbish “turkeyfish”, but the PR’s …
Imperial Shag Loves the End of the World
Just to get this out of the way: yes, it’s actually called that, and yes, it lives near Cape “Horn” …
Don’t Worry, Furry Lobster Won’t Give You a Bear Hug
Bug + hair = worst possible combination in nature, but it’s not as horrifying as it sounds. We’re not talking about …
Why the Blue-tailed Skink Needs a Christmas Miracle
The blue-tailed skink says “hi!” from Christmas Island! Rather than partying in the wild like the famous Christmas Island crabs, …
Yinnietharra Rock Dragon
A “dragon” that fits in your hand is awesome by default. It’s only been found in two areas so far, …
Sei Whale
Clocking 48kmh (30mph) or more is pretty impressive for the ninth largest living animal, and handy if some orcas come …
Northern Corroboree Frog
Should you ever find yourself standing on a high, wet heath in south-east Australia and shout loudly, either due to …
Immortal Jellyfish
Another potential supervillain either squandering its power or slowly building its empire. But unlike the others, it has its own …
Goblin Shark
My last two posts have had a bit too much sexy talk, so here’s the goblin shark to put an …
Firefly
Stared at a screen too long? Taken a blow to the head? Or standing in a forest of fireflies? The …
Bunyip
Yet another Australian creature introduced to me through song, again from the animated “Dot” series. At least this time it …
