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 …
The Volcano Rabbit Needs a Bunny Boom
Welcome to Opposite World, where rabbits are in one place rather than everywhere, on volcanoes instead of plains, and said …
Unescoceratops. Because “Dinosaur-Provincial-Park-a-Ceratops” Was Too Long
This little dino has a big name on its shoulders. Which is impressive since it doesn’t even have any. Well …
The Tapirê-iauara’s Stench Can Be Soul-Destroying. Literally.
A “tapir-nymph” sounds cute, cheeky and cuddly, especially when it has droopy ears. Unfortunately the Tapirê-iauara is none of these things. …
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 …
Quedenfeldtia moerens. That’s My Name, Don’t Wear it Out!
Yes, like the decidedly less cute creatures on this list, the scorpion and spider, this little gecko doesn’t have a …
The Philippine Sailfin Lizard is a Three-Eyed, Mini Godzilla
All that’s missing is the electric-blue fire breath and a ring of flattened skyscrapers. Fortunately, the Philippine sailfin lizard is …
The Onager is the Spirit of the Wild and as Stubborn as a Donkey
Much to my shame, I spent ages thinking “onager” was some kind of sports brand. It’s actually a sub-species of …
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 …
Meet Mapinguari, the Bigfoot of Brazil
Unlike Bigfoot, though, it would stride towards the camera and mercilessly devour anyone behind it. Possibly via the horrible toothy …
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 …
It’s All Colours, Tents and “Beer” for the Kamehameha Butterfly
Want to help a bug in the “extinction capital of the world”? Make it the state insect. That’s surprisingly easy …
No One Knows Why the Jamaican Flower Bat is Wilting
The “Jamaican flower” part inspires beautiful beaches, cartoonishly blue skies, lush palm trees and blazing colours. Too bad this bat …
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” …
The Hooded Vulture Thinks it’s People!
Someone has to do the dirty work. But you’re drinking coffee, so I’ll try to keep it clean. Fortunately, Africa’s …
The Way to a Gelada’s Heart is Through its Stomach
A grass diet would be awesome. You don’t need to cook it or catch it, there’s always enough for everyone, …
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 …
The Many Faces of Eoraptor, Dinosaur of the Moon
The “terrible reptiles” didn’t drop out of the sky, but one of the first was found in a lunar-like landscape. …
The Dusky Hummingbird Has a Veil of Mystery
The first time I saw a hummingbird, the impossible flitting of its wings sucked the breath from my chest. These …
