FIELD JOURNAL, ENTRY Nº 825 THU 30 OCT 2026 · NEW STORIES EVERY TUESDAY
Strange AnimalsToday Most read: Mantis Shrimp vs Pistol Shrimp →
Meet the strangest creatures on Earth.
Field notes on 200+ species that break the rules, written by biologists, free to read, new every week.
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SPECIES PROFILES
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Deep profiles of single species. Every number is graded, so you can tell a measurement from a figure that just gets repeated.
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Most read
1 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.
2 Mammals · 16 min Bonobo: A Great Ape Led by Females3 Marine Life · 14 min Atlantic Salmon: Home to Its Birth Stream4 Reptiles · 13 min Parson's Chameleon: 781 Days in the Egg5 Mammals · 18 min Spectacled Bear Conservation: Threats in the Andes6 Insects · 15 min Magnetic Termite: Mounds That Face North
Mammals
197 articles Ungulates · 10 min Kashmir Musk Deer: Fanged and Antlerless The Kashmir musk deer is an endangered, antlerless Himalayan ungulate whose males carry fang-like canines. In 2014 a WCS team confirmed it still survives in Afghanistan's Nuristan forests, more than 60 years after the last record.
Research · 11 min Lowland Streaked Tenrec: Quills That Talk A small Madagascan insectivore with yellow warning quills and a communication method borrowed from insects.Ungulates · 6 min Okapi: The Giraffe's Only Living Relative 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 Restricted to a single small island, the endangered pygmy three-toed sloth's survival is vital for focused conservation efforts.Predators · 9 min Wolverine: Born in Snowdrift Dens Wolverines stand as fierce predators capable of outmatching larger animals and moving through harsh Arctic landscapes with ease.Predators · 9 min Honey Badger: Loose Skin 6 mm Thick Honey Badger gains its reputation from fearless nature and the ability to confront much larger predators with remarkable resilience.Pangolins · 8 min Sunda Pangolin: Armour Poachers Pick Up 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: An Egg in a Pouch The short-beaked echidna is an egg-laying mammal with unique adaptations, including sensory abilities for hunting insects.Marsupials · 9 min Spotted-Tail Quoll: Spots Down to the Tail Explore the attributes of the Spotted-Tail Quoll, one of Australia's largest carnivorous marsupials.Wolves and Wild Canines · 6 min Fennec Fox: Ears That Shed Desert Heat 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.
Reptiles & Amphibians
70 articles Lizards · 15 min Thorny Dragon: Drinking 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: A Head-First Termite Hunter 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: Two Legs, Five Claws 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: Running at 1.5 m/s 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: A Frog of 7.7 mm 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: A Rattle Built From Old Skin 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: Color Change via Nanocrystals 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: Nanocrystals 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: Outliving the Dinosaurs 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: Painted Rainforest Scavenger 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 Chicken Breeds: Black to the Bone 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: Draw a Line 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: Africa's Whale-Headed Bird 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: A Raptor That Stamps Prey Explore the secretary bird's biology, unique hunting style and conservation efforts for Sagittarius serpentarius.Corvids · 12 min Clark's Nutcracker: 98,000 Seeds a Season Discover Clark's nutcracker's impressive seed caching ability and learn about its ecology and remarkable spatial memory.Corvids · 9 min Can Crows Recognize Faces? Yes, for Years 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: Ravens Plan 17 Hours Ahead 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: Planning Like Great Apes 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 Birds Lost Flight: Emus Outran an Army 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: Who Wins? 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: It Walks on Its Fins 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: Shooting Insects Off Leaves 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: Eyes Inside a Clear Dome 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: Algae Inside Corals, giant clams, sacoglossan sea slugs and the spotted salamander all convert sunlight into food, none of them unaided.Deep Sea · 12 min Viperfish: A Glowing Lure and Huge Fangs 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: Walking 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: Arms Up to 8 Meters Long 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: Walking on Twelve Tube Feet 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: Anemone in the Ice 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
86 articles Spiders · 7 min Zodarion cyrenaicum: Spider vs Giant Ants Zodarion cyrenaicum, a small spider of Israel's Negev desert, feeds almost exclusively on Messor arenarius harvester ants up to almost four times its size, using a hit-and-run bite and venom that is potent even in juveniles.
Termites · 6 min How Termite Mounds Stay Cool: Porous Walls 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: A 5 mm Dancer With a Fan Discover the vibrant courtship dances and unique traits of the peacock spider.Spiders · 5 min Giant Huntsman Spider: Widest 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: 175 g of Spider 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: Eyeless and Infamous 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: Orbs on Stilts 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): Living Sequins 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: Living Jars of Nectar Discover the fascinating world of honeypot ants, their living larders, unique adaptations, ecological roles and survival strategies in desert environments.
Extinct
63 articles Dinosaurs · 13 min Chilesaurus diegosuarezi: Dinosaur Mosaic 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: How Big Did It Really Get? 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: How Species Change 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: A DNA Half-Life of 521 Years 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: Smilodon's 120° Gape 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 Smilodon: How Saber-Tooth Cats Hunted 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 Mass Extinctions: Five Brushes With Death 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: An Ancient New World Lineage 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: Up to 4,000 kg 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
194 articles Health and Care · 9 min Pet Tracking Systems: Chip vs GPS Tracker How microchips, GPS trackers and Bluetooth tags really work, what each can and cannot do, and the step-by-step plan for finding a lost dog or cat.
Dog Breeds · 5 min Norwegian Lundehund: Six Toes for Sea 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: Bred From the Jungle Cat 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: Frank and Louie Lived 15 Years 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: One Undivided Brain 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: Puppy Limits 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: A Rice-Sized ID Chip 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 bHealth 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: Build a Catio 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
VS
Build your own matchup →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 minNature's extremes
World records from the animal kingdomFrom the gallery
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Free interactive tools, no sign-up Animal Quiz Test your wildlife knowledge with 20 fun questions. Animal vs Animal Head-to-head matchups between incredible creatures. Size Comparison See how animals measure up against each other. Animal Identifier Describe traits and find which animal matches. Animal Map Explore wildlife by continent and region. Random Animal Discover a species you have never heard of. World Records The fastest, biggest, deadliest and oldest animals on Earth. Speed Race Race animals over any distance, from 100 m to a marathon. Hearing Range What each animal can hear, from infrasound to ultrasound. Lifespan Lookup Your age measured in animal lifetimes. Bite Force Meter Compare bites, and see which figures were measured. Food Chain Builder Follow the energy up a chain in three ecosystems. Dive Depth How deep animals go, and the pressure down there. Gallery Browse our photo collection of the world's strangest creatures. Submit a Sighting Spotted something strange? Share it with our editors.
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