Articles for category: Animal Behavior, Human–Animal Dynamics

Close-up of a hippopotamus submerged in water, capturing its calm and natural habitat.

How Hippos Make Their Own Natural Sunscreen

Imagine a creature that weighs as much as a small car, spends most of its day submerged in muddy African rivers, and somehow manages to protect its sensitive skin from the scorching sun without ever visiting a pharmacy. The hippopotamus has been doing exactly this for millions of years, manufacturing its own biological sunscreen that ...

Flying snake

Flying Snakes of Southeast Asia: Yes, They’re Real

Imagine walking through a dense rainforest in Thailand when suddenly, a snake glides silently overhead like a living ribbon caught in the wind. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, and you haven’t stumbled into a fantasy novel. You’ve just witnessed one of nature’s most extraordinary phenomena – a flying snake in action. These remarkable serpents don’t ...

A crab on the beach with rocks in the background

When Barnacles Hijack Crabs and Turn Them Into Zombie Babysitters

Deep beneath the waves, a silent horror unfolds that would make even the most twisted science fiction writer shudder. Imagine being slowly consumed from the inside out, your body transformed into a living nursery for your captor’s offspring, while your mind remains just aware enough to follow their commands. This isn’t the plot of a ...

An Asian elephant reaching up in a lush forested zoo setting.

Do Elephants Worship the Moon? The Myth, the Science, and the Sniffing

Picture this: a massive African elephant standing alone under the star-studded sky, its trunk raised high toward the glowing moon above. For centuries, this image has captivated human imagination, sparking tales of elephants performing mysterious lunar rituals. But what’s really happening when these gentle giants appear to “worship” the moon? The truth behind this ancient ...

brown and gray bearded dragon

Why the Draco Lizard Has Wings but Isn’t a Bird

When you think of flying creatures, birds probably come to mind first. But deep in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, there’s a remarkable reptile that challenges our understanding of flight. The Draco lizard, also known as the flying dragon, soars through the canopy with wing-like structures that would make any bird envious. Yet this incredible ...

A black bird sitting on top of a wooden table

The Saqqara Bird: Ancient Toy, Ritual Object, or Flying Machine?

In the dusty storage rooms of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo sits a small wooden artifact that has sparked one of archaeology’s most fascinating debates. Discovered in 1898 in a tomb at Saqqara, this 2,200-year-old bird-shaped object measures just 18 centimeters long and weighs a mere 39 grams. Yet this unassuming piece of carved wood ...

a yellow and black frog sitting on top of a rock

10 Creatures That Use Their Own Body Fluids for Survival

Nature never ceases to amaze us with its incredible adaptations and survival strategies. While most of us think of body fluids as waste products or basic biological functions, countless creatures have evolved to transform these liquids into powerful tools for defense, hunting, communication, and survival. From the depths of the ocean to the highest mountain ...