Sand Octopus (Octopus kaurna)

How to Make Quicksand Like an Octopus

When it comes to camouflage, the sand octopus has some truly amazing techniques.
A tree in a native forest planted by Afforestt

The Miyawaki Method: A Better Way to Build Forests?

India’s forest production company is following the tenets of the master Japanese botanist, restoring biodiversity in resource-depleted communities.
A pod of dolphins

How Eco-Conscious is Your Eco-Tour?

Wildlife sighting business is booming. Here’s how to choose the tour operators that care about the animals.
A giant squid

Why Deep-Sea Creatures Get Weirdly Giant

A giant squid sighting has us wondering all over again: how on earth do deep-sea creatures get so large?
Joseph Rock

Meet the Man Behind the Peony

In China, gramophone and camera in tow, botanist and explorer Joseph Rock collected seeds from the tree peony that bears his name.
A bark scorpion in Arizona

How Does a Scorpion Decide When to Sting?

There are actually two decisions to make: whether to sting at all and whether to use prevenom or full venom.
Blue viper snake eating a frog, Indonesia

How Snakes Swallow

A snake’s ability to swallow enormous prey has long been a source of fascination, but the common explanation that they dislocate their jaws is a myth.
Eastern phoebe nest with one brown-headed cowbird egg

The Sky’s Creepiest Parasites

Are you a bird? Is your chick acting weird? You might be victim of a brood parasite.
Lou-seal being released

The Seal That Flew 1000 Miles To Get Home

Found stranded on a subtropical beach, the mystery seal finally comes home to its North Atlantic waters.
An archerfish shooting water at a bug

The Amazing Eyes of the Archerfish

The archerfish has an unusual skill: it spits water directly at its prey, knocking the bugs out of the sky. But how?