Articles for author: Amy King, BSc Microbiology and Physiology

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

zorse hybrid

The Fascinating World of Hybrid Animals

Whether driven by morbid curiosity or in pursuit of offspring with desirable characteristics, humans have selectively bred hybrid species of plants and animals for centuries. Animals like dogs and horses have been bred by humans to enhance certain characteristics in offspring, including hunting ability, speed, and aesthetic. Of course, there have also been cases where ...

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 ...