In the dark of the ocean, some animals have evolved to use bioluminescence as a defense.When threatened, the ostracod ejects two chemicals, luciferin and luciferase, which, when combined, emit light.
Sicarius thomisoides is a species of spider in the family Sicariidae. It can grow between 12 and 20 mm in length and has nocturnal habits. They have active sphingomyelinase D, a venom that is capable of causing complement-dependent hemolysis and cytotoxic
Alligators move on land using two different modes of locomotion, the "sprawl" and the "high walk." The sprawl involves moving forward with its belly rubbing the ground, however, the high walk is an "up on all four limbs" motion with its belly well above t
The male painted bunting is often described as the most beautiful bird in North America, earning it the nickname "nonpareil" or "without equal". It is a member of the cardinal family and has two recognized subspecies. This painted bunting had a run in wit
Orchid mantises, native to Southeast Asia, have evolved to resemble the colors and shapes of various flowers. Using this camouflage, they can more effectively catch insects. When young, orchid mantises display black and orange colors. In this vid, a young
Aardwolf in the Cincinnati zoo, it's the world's smallest Hyena and feeds exclusively on insects, and actively detests meat unless softened or well cooked.
The long-nosed potoroo is a small marsupial native to southeastern Australia, and it is classified as part of the rat-kangaroo family. It eats fruits, seeds, flowers, roots, fungi and insect larvae. Here we see a mother potoroo with her youngster eating s
Also called the timberdoodle, bogsucker, and Labrador twister, the American woodcock lives throughout eastern North America. They are well known for the males' high-flying courtship display, called a sky dance, but both sexes also sometimes do this weird
The laughing kookaburra is one of four species of kookaburra native to Australia, and it is a member of the kingfisher subfamily. The bird's "laugh" is used to establish territorial boundaries among family groups. Laughing kookaburras are quite used to pe
A lot of people requested that I post this here - This is my morphed axolotl, Gollum. He started out life as a normal axolotl and then absorbed his gills and fins and became a terrestrial salamander.
Sri Lankan green vine snakes are recognized by their long and slender bodies as well as their horizontal pupils. They rely on camouflage as they slowly move along forest vines feeding on frogs and lizards. These are newly born vine snakes.
The golden target tortoise beetle is native to the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. It is so named because its carapace has a target-shaped design with alternating black and gold rings.
Velvet Ants, known as "Cow Killers", are actually parasitoid wasps. Their string is so painful that it is said to be able to kill a cow. Females search for the nests of cicada killer wasps and lay eggs on their larvae, so their growing babies can eat them
Despite appearances, the lesser hedgehog tenrec is only distantly related to hedgehogs. Tenrecs are a family of 31 small mammals endemic to Madagascar. They have poor eyesight but acute smell and hearing. This one at a zoo is dust-bathing and rubbing the
The European or Eurasian hamster, native to the grasslands of Europe and Asia, is currently listed as critically endangered. Hamsters have expandable cheek pouches to transport food to their storage areas. This particular hamster ran into some difficulty
Gouldian finches, native to Australia, are brightly colored birds with black, green, yellow, and red markings. The male's chest is generally purple while the female's is a lighter mauve. In this video, Gouldian finches are joined by blue-cap waxbills, gre
Crayfish must shed their hard exoskeletons in order to grow larger as their body size increases. During the first year of life, a crayfish molts 6 to 10 times. This number decreases to three to five times during its second year. Here we see a cobalt blue
Yacare caimans, native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, mainly eat small aquatic prey such as fish, snails and occasionally snakes. Males can grow to a length of 3 m and females 1.4 m. Here are several caimans basking on a river bank while an
As the hermit crabs grow, they periodically need to upgrade their housing to bigger shells. When a new shell appears on the beach, the cramped crabs will form a orderly queue nearby and change shells all at once, with each crab moving into the next bigges
The Norway lemming, found in northern Fennoscandia, is known for being highly aggressive towards predators despite its diminutive size, and it will even attack humans if they approach too closely. In this video, we see a rather calm lemming feeding on its
Humphead parrotfish play an important role in maintaining diverse coral-reef ecosystems and helping to create islands and sandy beaches. As these parrotfish ingest algae from dying and decaying coral, they promote the growth of new coral colonies. As they
Hermit crabs have soft, exposed abdomens. This leaves them vulnerable to predators. To protect themselves, hermit crabs search for abandoned shells — usually sea snail shells. When they find one that fits, they tuck themselves inside it for protection and
This royal flycatcher is a medium-sized bird with large heads and short tails like peacocks. This bird, like all their relatives, is specialized to catch insects mid-air using their long and broad bills. This bird has a homologous structure to a dinosaur,
The mantidfly, which looks like a cross between a praying mantis and a wasp, is actually not closely related to either of them, and it is not even a type of fly. The mantidfly does not sting and poses no threat to humans. It only eats nectar and small ins
