Wild Wonders

Provides an overview of the loggerhead shrike, commonly known as the butcher bird, highlighting its unusual combination of songbird taxonomy and raptor-like hunting behavior. It details the bird’s carnivorous diet and distinctive hunting strategy of ... more

Provides an overview of Nicotiana tabacum, or cultivated tobacco, emphasizing its complex role as both a sacred plant in indigenous traditions and a major contributor to global health issues, causing millions of deaths each year.

It describes the pla... more

Provides an overview of the Canada lynx, highlighting its adaptations for surviving in the harsh subarctic regions of Canada. Key features include large, snowshoe-like paws and a thick winter coat, both of which enable it to navigate deep snow and ex... more

Provides an overview of the Stapelia gigantea, commonly called the Carrion Plant. It highlights the plant’s distinctive large, star-shaped flowers and its corpse-like odor, which serve to attract carrion flies for pollination, a process known as sapr... more

Provides an overview of the extinct carnivorous mammal Andrewsarchus, which lived in inner Mongolia during the Eocene Epoch. Its discovery—a single, massive skull in the 1920s—sparked long-standing speculation about its appearance, diet, and classifi... more

Provides an overview of moose biology and behavior, based on observations in Jasper National Park, Canada. It highlights that moose are the largest members of the deer family, noting their impressive size and potential danger to humans.

The passage e... more

Provides an overview of the extinct elephant relative, Platybelodon, emphasizing its unique physical features and evolutionary significance. It describes the species’ distinctive flat lower tusks, which studies indicate were primarily used for slicin... more

Provides an overview of snapping turtles, focusing on their behavior, handling, and ecological role. It explains that snapping is primarily a defensive behavior, linked to their relatively small under-shell (plastron) that offers limited protection. more