Flight of the Living Dead – The Tiny Fly That Turns Bees into Zombies
Human zombies might be a figment of the imagination, but ‘zombie bees’ actually exist. They are ‘created’ when regular honeybees get infested with a particular type of parasite. The bees begin to display highly erratic and bizarre behavior that’s very zombie-like. These infested bees were first discovered in 2008 in California by John Hafernik, a […]
The Manchineel – World’s Most Dangerous Tree for Several Reasons
The Manchineel tree, native to the Western Hemisphere, is known as the most poisonous tree in the world. In places where it grows – Florida, the Caribbean and the Bahamas – the manchineel is often marked with a red band to warn passersby not to get too near it. The tree is poisonous on so […]
Giant Gippsland – The World’s Largest and Most Extraordinary Earthworms
What’s 31 inches long, one inch thick, has no legs, and slithers through the ground? No, it’s not a snake, it’s an earthworm! The Giant Gippsland, found in Gippsland in south-eastern Australia, is the world’s largest species of earthworms. Fully stretched, it can measure up to two meters in length. These slithering giants are surprisingly […]
The Mind-Boggling Bird Suicide Phenomenon of Jatinga
Jatinga is a small village located in Assam, a state in northeastern India. The village is lush green and scenic, surrounded by serene mountains. But that’s not what it’s famous for. In fact, Jatinga is well-known for an entirely different reason – its Bird Mystery. The Bird Mystery is a unique phenomenon that occurs at […]
The Stunningly Beautiful Black Roses of Halfeti
Turkish Halfeti Roses are incredibly rare. They are shaped just like regular roses, but their color sets them apart. These roses so black, you’d think someone spray-painted them. But that’s actually their natural color. These stunning black roses would make excellent props in a movie about witches and black magic, or in a heavy-metal video. […]
Fascinating Orchid Mantis Mimics Flowers to Attract Unsuspecting Prey
The orchid mantis, named after the flower it strikingly resembles, fools prey and predators alike. Its imitation of orchids is so convincing that insects are more attracted to it than the real deal. Camouflage isn’t a strange concept; many animals and insects adopt clever disguises to avoid predators. But orchid mantises are unique. They stand […]
Unique Archerfish Spits Jets of Water to Shoot Down Its Prey
The water-pistol is a harmless toy for children, but apparently it can be a lethal weapon too. This particular species of fish makes use of water jets and the laws of physics to aim at and stun its prey. The aptly named archerfish employs a unique process to hunt land based insects and small animals […]
Bugs the Size of Your Hand – The Titan Beetle
As its name suggests, the Titanus giganteus, or Titan Beetle, is a giant of the insect world. Adults can grow up to 6.5 inches (16.7 cm) long and have incredibly strong jaws that can snap wooden pencils in half, so just imagine what they could do to your fingers. Luckily, these scary-looking bugs are quite […]
Pyura chilensis – Nature’s Bizarre Living Rocks
Pyura chilensis doesn’t look like much from the outside. You could pass right by a colony without realizing they’re more than just simple beach rocks, but cut them open and you’ll think you’ve discovered a real bizarre-looking alien specimen. Popularly known as the living rock, Pyura chilensis is actually a weird sea organism that lives on the rocky […]
What the Quack? Australia’s Amazing Flying Duck Orchid
Just like the Monkey Orchid we posted about a few weeks ago gets its name from its remarkable resemblance to a smiling monkey, the Flying Duck Orchid got its name for looking like a tiny duck with its head and beak held high and wings swept back. If you’ve never been to the Australian wilderness, chances […]
The Amazing Orchid That Looks Like a Monkey’s Face
It’s not very hard to guess how the Monkey Orchid got its name, but ever since photos of it started circulating on the internet about a year ago, people have had a hard time believing such a flower actually exists. As photoshoped as it may look, the Monkey Orchid actually exists, and yes, it really […]
Hooker’s Lips – The World’s Most Kissable Plant
Here’s a dumb question: if (the young) Mick Jagger was a plant, what would he be? Probably Psychotria Elata, commonly known as Hooker Lips or the Hot Lips Plant for the shape of its bright red bracts that resemble two luscious lips. This weird plant might look like the work of a photo editing software, but I […]
The Ocellated Ice Fish – World’s Only Vertebrate with Transparent Blood
Every animal with bones hemoglobin in its blood, which carries oxygen through its body and gives blood its red color. Every animal except one – the ocellated ice fish which has water-clear blood. The ocean’s depth have revealed a series of odd life forms in recent years, from giant squid to translucent sea anemones, but […]
Insect Body Snatchers – How the Jewel Wasp Turns Cockroaches into Zombies
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, I don’t need to tell you what the Imperius curse is. For the rest of you, it’s a spel used to control people’s minds. Now, if you thought something like this was possible only in J.K. Rowling’s world, well here’s some news for you. Nature’s obviously one step ahead. […]
Talented Composer Makes Beautiful Music with Instruments Provided by Mother Nature
Meet Diego Stocco, the guy who can make music from anything, even raw nature. In celebration of Earth Day, he staged an innovative musical experiment in which he used all kinds of unusual but completely natural instruments. Who knew tree bark or orange peel could sound so groovy, if orchestrated by the right person? In his […]