FIELD JOURNAL, ENTRY Nº 825 THU 30 OCT 2026 · NEW STORIES EVERY TUESDAY
Strange Animals
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Meet the strangest creatures on Earth.
Field notes on 200+ species that break the rules, written by biologists, free to read, new every week.
500+ articlesExpert-written profiles
200+ speciesAcross 7 groups
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Most read
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Mammals · 14 min Panda Cubs: From 100 Grams at Birth to Independence Panda cubs weigh 90-130 g at birth, proportionally the smallest baby of any placental mammal. Here is how they grow from pink, blind newborn to independent young.
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Mammals · 16 min Bonobo: The Peace-Loving Primate of the Forest
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Marine Life · 14 min Atlantic Salmon: Wonders of Migration
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Reptiles · 13 min Parson's Chameleon: Size and Characteristics
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Mammals · 18 min Spectacled Bear Conservation: Threats in the Andes
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Insects · 15 min Magnetic Termite: Nature's Living Compasses
Mammals
196 articles
Research · 11 min Lowland Streaked Tenrec: The Mammal That Stridulates A small Madagascan insectivore with yellow warning quills and a communication method borrowed from insects.
Ungulates · 6 min Okapi: The Forest Giraffe Hidden in the Congo Discover the okapi, the shy rainforest relative of the giraffe. Learn about its zebra-striped legs, long tongue, Congo habitat, and conservation status.
Sloths · 9 min Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth: One of the Rarest Mammals The endangered pygmy three-toed sloth is limited to a small island, making its survival critical for conservation efforts.
Predators · 9 min Wolverine: The Ferocious Predator of the Wild Wolverines are fierce predators, capable of outmatching larger animals while traversing harsh Arctic terrains.
Predators · 9 min Honey Badger: The Fearless Survivor of the Wild Honey Badger is known for its fearless nature and ability to confront much larger predators with remarkable resilience.
Pangolins · 8 min Sunda Pangolin: A Heavily Trafficked Mammal Sunda pangolins belong to the most trafficked group of mammals, and are characterized by their protective scales and specialised ant and termite diet.
Monotremes · 9 min Short-Beaked Echidna: The Spiny Egg-Laying Mammal The short-beaked echidna is an egg-laying mammal with unique adaptations, including sensory abilities for hunting insects.
Marsupials · 9 min Spotted-Tail Quoll: Australia's Unique Carnivorous Marsupial Explore the attributes of the Spotted-Tail Quoll, one of Australia's largest carnivorous marsupials.
Wolves and Wild Canines · 6 min Fennec Fox: The Desert Survivor With Enormous Ears Meet the fennec fox, the smallest fox on Earth. Learn how its huge ears, furred feet, and water-thrifty body help it survive the Sahara desert.
Research · 11 min Animal Classification: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order Learn how animals are classified into kingdom, phylum, class, and order. Explore taxonomy, Linnaean hierarchy, and how classification reveals animal diversity.
Reptiles & Amphibians
70 articles
Lizards · 15 min Thorny Dragon: The Desert Lizard That Drinks Through Its Skin Discover the thorny dragon (Moloch horridus), the Australian desert lizard that drinks through its skin. Explore its unique adaptations, habitat, diet, and survival.
Frogs · 12 min Turtle Frog: The Burrowing Frog That Looks Like a Turtle Discover the turtle frog (Myobatrachus gouldii), an Australian burrowing frog with a turtle-like appearance, unique termite-based diet, and remarkable adaptations.
Lizards · 12 min Mexican Mole Lizard (Ajolote): The Two-Legged Burrower Discover the Mexican mole lizard (ajolote), a unique two-legged burrowing reptile from Baja California. Explore its biology, behavior, adaptations, and conservation.
Lizards · 14 min Jesus Christ Lizard: The Basilisk That Runs on Water Discover the Jesus Christ lizard (common basilisk), famous for running on water. Explore its anatomy, habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation status in detail.
Frogs · 11 min Paedophryne amauensis: One of the World's Smallest Frogs Discover Paedophryne amauensis, one of the world's smallest frogs and among the smallest known vertebrates, found in Papua New Guinea. Explore its adaptations, habitat, and evolutionary significance.
Venomous Reptiles · 16 min Rattlesnake: The Iconic Pit Viper Everything about the rattlesnake: size, habitat, the rattle, pit organs, venom, reproduction, conservation, and the strange facts that make Crotalus the most distinctive pit viper genus in the Americas.
Chameleons · 21 min Chameleons: Science Behind Their Color Change Discover the science behind chameleon color change, ballistic tongue projection, and independent eye movement. Expert-written guide covering 200+ species, nanocrystal skin mechanics, the tiny Brookesia nana, and the myths debunked by modern research.
Chameleons · 11 min Chameleons and Color Change: The Science Chameleons change color largely by rearranging nanocrystals in their skin rather than by moving pigment. Expert guide to the science of chameleon color change and why they do it.
Crocodilians · 9 min Crocodile vs Alligator: Key Differences Crocodile vs alligator: the real differences in snout shape, teeth, bite force, habitat, size, and danger to humans between two of the last surviving archosaur predators.
Crocodilians · 20 min Crocodilians: Evolution and Species Explore the world of crocodilians, from saltwater crocodiles with a 3,700 lbf bite force to critically endangered gharials. Expert-written guide covering about 250 million years of evolution, species profiles, behavior, parenting, and conservation.
Birds
80 articles
Raptors · 6 min King Vulture: The Colorful Ruler of the Rainforest Skies Meet the king vulture, the vividly colored scavenger of American rainforests. Learn how it finds food, dominates carcasses, and keeps ecosystems healthy.
Intelligence · 14 min Strange and Bizarre Chicken Breeds Explore the world's strangest chicken breeds, including Silkies, Ayam Cemani, Polish, Frizzle, and more. Discover unique traits, genetics, and care tips for unusual poultry.
Intelligence · 13 min How to Hypnotize a Chicken: Tonic Immobility Discover the science and methods behind hypnotizing chickens, exploring tonic immobility, animal hypnosis, and fear paralysis in birds and other species.
Waterbirds · 13 min Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) Discover the shoebill's unique biology, its hunting behavior, and the conservation status of Balaeniceps rex, a prehistoric-looking bird.
Hunting · 11 min Secretary Bird: Unique Raptor Adaptations Explore the secretary bird's biology, unique hunting style, and conservation efforts for Sagittarius serpentarius.
Corvids · 12 min Clark's Nutcracker: Ecology and Memory Discover Clark's nutcracker's impressive seed caching ability and learn about its ecology and remarkable spatial memory.
Corvids · 9 min Can Crows Recognize Human Faces? Insights and Research Crows really do remember faces and hold grudges for years. A guide to the landmark University of Washington research on corvid facial recognition.
Corvids · 20 min Corvids: The Most Intelligent Birds on Earth Discover why corvids, including crows, ravens, magpies and jays, are considered among the most intelligent birds alive. A guide covering tool use, facial recognition, mirror self-recognition research, planning and the neuroscience behind corvid cognition.
Corvids · 18 min Crows and Ravens: Comparing Their Intelligence to Primates Expert analysis of corvid intelligence covering tool manufacture, future planning, facial recognition, causal reasoning, analogical reasoning and direct comparisons to primate cognitive benchmarks. Based on peer-reviewed research.
Flightless Birds · 22 min Why Some Birds Lost the Ability to Fly Explore the world of flightless birds, from the fast-running ostrich to the dagger-clawed cassowary and the extinct dodo. Covers ratite evolution, the Great Emu War, kiwi biology, penguin adaptations, kakapo conservation and the dodo de-extinction debate.
Marine Life
136 articles
Crustaceans · 6 min Mantis Shrimp vs Pistol Shrimp: Two Tiny Ocean Powerhouses Compare the mantis shrimp and pistol shrimp, two small crustaceans with extreme weapons. Learn how each uses cavitation, plus their eyes and partnerships.
Fish · 12 min Painted Frogfish (Antennarius pictus): A Walking Ambush Predator The painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) walks on its pectoral fins, lures prey with a modified dorsal spine and changes colour over weeks to match its background.
Fish · 11 min Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix) The archerfish spits jets of water to knock insects off branches up to 3 metres away. Discover the physics, neuroscience, and ecology of Toxotes jaculatrix.
Deep Sea · 9 min Barreleye Fish Vision: Eyes Built for the Mesopelagic Zone Barreleye fish vision explained: the tubular green eyes, the transparent fluid-filled dome and how Macropinna microstoma sees in the dim mesopelagic zone.
Coral Reefs · 10 min Animals That Photosynthesise Corals, giant clams, sacoglossan sea slugs and the spotted salamander all convert sunlight into food, none of them unaided.
Deep Sea · 12 min Viperfish: The Deep-Sea Predator With Fang-Like Teeth Explore the fascinating world of the viperfish, a deep-sea predator with fang-like teeth and bioluminescence. Learn about its anatomy, hunting, and ecological role.
Fish · 13 min Spotted Handfish: The Fish That Walks on Its Fins Discover the spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus), a rare Tasmanian fish that walks on its fins. Explore its unique biology, behavior, conservation, and future.
Cephalopods · 16 min Bigfin Squid: The Deep-Sea Squid With Elbows Discover the mysterious bigfin squid (Magnapinna), the deep-sea cephalopod with elbow-like arms. Explore its anatomy, habitat, behavior, and ongoing scientific mysteries.
Deep Sea · 13 min Sea Pig: The Deep-Sea Cucumber That Walks Discover the fascinating sea pig (Scotoplanes), a deep-sea cucumber that 'walks' across the abyssal plain. Explore its anatomy, habitat, role, and unique adaptations.
Coral Reefs · 12 min Edwardsiella andrillae: The Antarctic Ice Anemone Discover Edwardsiella andrillae, the Antarctic ice anemone found embedded in the ice beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. Explore its discovery, habitat, and significance.
Insects & Arachnids
85 articles
Termites · 6 min How Termite Mounds Stay Cool: Nature's Master Architects Termite mounds are natural climate-control systems built by tiny insects. Learn how their ventilation keeps colonies cool and protects their fungus gardens.
Spiders · 11 min Peacock Spider: The Colourful Dancer Discover the vibrant courtship dances and unique traits of the peacock spider.
Spiders · 5 min Giant Huntsman Spider: The World's Largest Spider by Leg Span Meet the giant huntsman spider, the largest spider by leg span. Learn about its cave home in Laos, its fast hunting style, and why it is harmless to humans.
Spiders · 10 min Goliath Birdeater: The Giant Spider Species Explore the Goliath birdeater's size, habitat, and unique lifestyle in the Amazon rainforest.
Beetles · 12 min Titan Beetle (Titanus giganteus) Titan Beetle (Titanus giganteus) is the world's longest beetle by body length, at nearly 17 cm. Discover its rainforest habitat, mandible strength, and biology.
Beetles · 14 min Anophthalmus hitleri: The Blind Cave Beetle of Slovenia Discover Anophthalmus hitleri, the blind cave beetle of Slovenia. Learn about its cave habitat, its controversial name and the debate over the threat from collectors.
Adaptation · 12 min Bocydium globulare: The Ornate Brazilian Treehopper Explore the bizarre world of Bocydium globulare, the Brazilian treehopper. Discover its unique globular appendages, adaptations, life cycle, and ecological role.
Spiders · 13 min Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia): Nature’s Living Jewel Discover the mirror spider (Thwaitesia): a dazzling comb-footed spider with reflective, sequined spots. Learn about its anatomy, habitat, camouflage, and ecological role.
Ants · 14 min Honeypot Ants: The Living Larders of the Desert Discover the fascinating world of honeypot ants, their living larders, unique adaptations, ecological roles, and survival strategies in desert environments.
Spiders · 13 min Moroccan Flic-Flac Spider: The Cartwheeling Desert Arachnid Discover the Moroccan flic-flac spider (Cebrennus rechenbergi), a unique desert arachnid famed for its cartwheeling escape. Explore its biology, habitat, and remarkable adaptations.
Extinct
63 articles
Dinosaurs · 13 min Chilesaurus diegosuarezi: The Platypus of Dinosaurs Discover Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, the platypus of dinosaurs. Explore its unique anatomy, herbivorous diet, evolutionary significance, and impact on dinosaur classification.
Dinosaurs · 22 min Dinosaurs: Rulers of the Earth for 165 Million Years Expert-written guide to dinosaurs covering T. rex, Argentinosaurus, Velociraptor, Spinosaurus and more. Explore the Mesozoic era, the dinosaur-bird connection, warm-blooded debate and the K-Pg extinction event that ended their reign.
Dinosaurs · 12 min T-Rex: Its Size and the Science Behind It How big was Tyrannosaurus rex really? Science-based answers on size, weight, bite force, speed and what recent fossil discoveries reveal about the king of dinosaurs.
Evolution · 21 min Evolution and Adaptation Explore how evolution shapes life on Earth through natural selection, sexual selection, convergent evolution, co-evolution and adaptive radiation. Covers Darwin, living fossils, punctuated equilibrium and evolution observed in real time.
Fossils · 19 min Fossils: Preserving Ancient Life Stories Discover how fossils preserve the story of ancient life, from amber-trapped insects to transitional species. Learn about fossilization, dating methods, Mary Anning and digital paleontology.
Ice Age · 18 min Ice Age Megafauna: Creatures of a Frozen Era Explore the colossal creatures of the Pleistocene Ice Age: woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, dire wolves and more. A guide covering adaptations, discoveries, extinction theories and de-extinction science.
Ice Age · 12 min Saber-Tooth Cat: The True Hunting Strategies of Smilodon Saber-tooth cats were not tigers. This guide explores Smilodon's actual hunting method, the evolution of its fangs and how this Ice Age apex predator truly lived.
Mass Extinctions · 20 min The Five Times Earth Nearly Died Expert-written guide to the Big Five mass extinctions, from the Ordovician ice age to the Chicxulub asteroid. Covers causes, recovery timelines, survivor traits and the current Sixth Extinction debate with specific data and peer-reviewed sources.
Megafauna · 8 min Dire Wolf: The Ice Age Predator That Wasn't Actually a Wolf Dire wolves were not closely related to modern wolves despite their name. Expert guide to these Ice Age pack hunters and their surprising evolutionary history.
Megafauna · 9 min Giant Ground Sloth: The 4-Ton Sloth That Walked the Americas Giant ground sloths reached 4 tons and 6 meters. Expert guide to these massive extinct sloths that lived alongside early humans until about 12,000 years ago.
Pets
193 articles
Dog Breeds · 5 min Norwegian Lundehund: The Six-Toed Dog Built to Climb Cliffs Discover the Norwegian Lundehund, a rare puffin-hunting dog with six toes and amazing flexibility. Learn about its anatomy, temperament, and care needs.
Cat Breeds · 6 min Chausie Cat: The Athletic Hybrid With a Wild Heritage Meet the Chausie, an athletic hybrid cat descended from the jungle cat. Learn about its wild look, affectionate personality, care needs, and temperament.
Health and Care · 15 min Janus Cats: The Truth About Two-Faced Kittens Discover the science, history, and care of Janus cats, two-faced kittens with diprosopus. Explore genetics, health challenges, ethics, and famous cases.
Health and Care · 13 min Cyclopia in Animals: The One-Eyed Kitten Discover the science behind cyclopia in animals, the causes of one-eyed kittens, and why this rare birth defect occurs. Learn about genetics, risks, and animal welfare.
Health and Care · 11 min Pet Exercise and Enrichment: Keeping Pets Active Exercise is a physical necessity for dogs and cats, not an optional extra. Lack of exercise is a primary contributor to obesity, and insufficient activity and enrichment are associated with behavioural problems, anxiety, and destructive behaviour. Equally important, and more often overlooked, is cognitive enrichment.
Health and Care · 9 min Microchipping Pets: Benefits and How It Works Microchipping is the most reliable permanent identification method available for dogs and cats. Unlike collars, which break or fall off, and tattoos, which fade and become illegible, a microchip is a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) device that lasts the lifetime of the animal and can b
Health and Care · 14 min Spaying or Neutering Your Pet: What to Expect Spaying and neutering are the most commonly performed elective surgical procedures in veterinary medicine. The procedures, ovariohysterectomy (spay) for females and orchiectomy (neuter) for males, involve removing reproductive organs under general anaesthesia.
Health and Care · 10 min Trimming Dog Nails Safely: Techniques and Tips Nail trimming is among the most commonly avoided dog care tasks. Yet overgrown nails cause real physical problems: altered gait, joint stress, curling into the paw pad, and increased risk of nail splits and tears.
Health and Care · 10 min Keeping Your Cat Indoors: Safety and Enrichment Tips The indoor vs. outdoor cat debate is not evenly balanced by evidence. Outdoor cats face mortality rates dramatically higher than indoor cats. A widely cited 2013 study in Nature Communications by Loss et al. estimated that free-roaming cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds annually in the United
Health and Care · 14 min Grooming Your Dog at Home: Techniques Professional grooming is a recurring cost for dog owners. Beyond cost, many dogs experience stress at grooming facilities, particularly if they have not been acclimated from puppyhood.
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Animal vs Animal
Head-to-head, settled by the numbers
Mantis Shrimp VS Pistol Shrimp
Club punch Weapon Snapping claw
Cavitation Trick Cavitation
Fastest punch Known for Loudest snap
Marine Life · 6 min
Crocodile VS Alligator
V-shaped Snout U-shaped
Salt & fresh Water Fresh
Aggressive Temper Calmer
Reptiles · 9 min
Green Anaconda VS Reticulated Python
Heaviest Title Longest
South America Home Southeast Asia
In water Hunts On land
Reptiles · 10 min
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