Articles for author: Amy King, BSc Microbiology and Physiology

tiger perfume

Big Cats Like Calvin Klein Perfume

I don’t know about you, but when I pass some flowers I always stick my face in them and take a deep breath. Pleasant smells are attractive, and it seems humans aren’t alone in that opinion.  Introduction Have you ever seen a cat react to catnip? If not, I recommend checking this video article out ...

lion yawn

Discover: Animals Can Catch Yawns

Ever “caught” a yawn after someone nearby yawned? As it turns out, humans aren’t the only animals that are contagious to yawning. Not only do animals yawn, many animal species, and interestingly mostly social species, are susceptible to contagious yawning.  There’s even a good chance that you’ll catch a yawn while reading this article!  But ...

flamingo

Toxic But Pretty: Why Flamingos Are Totally Hardcore

Don’t let their lanky appearance and beautiful, soft pink plumage fool you, flamingos are totally metal. They are extremophiles, meaning they can survive, and even thrive, in environments with extreme conditions.  Introduction  An environment is considered “extreme” when one or more environmental factor, such as temperature, salinity, radiation, or pressure, is on the far side ...

hippo

Shocking Hippo Behaviour Explained

Notoriously aggressive, hippopotami are some of the deadliest land animals to humans, causing around 500 casualties annually. Most hippo-related attacks occur when people encroach upon their territory, whether by boat, canoe, bike, or foot. However, hippos don’t attack to eat because they are, in fact, herbivores.  Therefore, it is absolutely staggering to find out that ...

tigers in africa

Asian Tigers Roaming the African Savannah

Tigers are native to many parts of Asia, so what might they be doing roaming around the African savannah? Unfortunately, it’s not to try out the local cuisine (biltong, anyone?), but rather as part of an eclectic conservation approach.  Today, approximately 5,500 individual tigers remain in the wild.  Unfortunately, tiger conservation has not been made ...