One of my favourite books is Sperm Whales by Hal Whitehead. Reading this rounded off a lifetime of fascination with the species. Sperm Whales are one of the biggest animals …
When I was thirteen years old, the BBC made a nature series called Supersense that explored the miracle of animal senses. It helped sparked my interest in the natural world …
Life is serendipitous as we’re all victims of circumstance, born into our local environment. The Galápagos Penguins’ Pacific climate deal ensures that it can survive but only just. This animal …
![However, Mantis Shrimps are currently the only group of animals known to be able to detect circular polarised light using arrangements of nanocrystals in their eyes[87]. Not only that, they have structures embedded in their shell that can reflect it for territorial purposes, mating and defence. It’s thought this is an ideal way to hide in plain sight.](https://simonmustoe.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mantisshrimp-1170x836.jpg "However, Mantis Shrimps are currently the only group of animals known to be able to detect circular polarised light using arrangements of nanocrystals in their eyes[87]. Not only that, they have structures embedded in their shell that can reflect it for territorial purposes, mating and defence. It’s thought this is an ideal way to hide in plain sight.")
The Peacock Mantis Shrimp seems to have the ability to camouflage itself with naturally-occurring biotech that makes it practically invisible. The invisibility super power of the Mantis Shrimp might be …
There have been a few reports this year of Black Noddies washing up dead along Australia’s coastline. While we can’t rule out climate change effects, widespread seabird deaths during La …
Last week I had a rare encounter with Paper Nautilus in the shallows of Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Australia. It was a rather sad event. Every seven years or …
Animal-driven processes many millions of years ago were responsible for storing the fossil carbon we dig up today. Those animals are long-since extinct. The wildlife that remains today is managing …
Do animals seek revenge? Maybe. Do they seek retaliation for things that harm their survival? Yes, almost certainly. It seems the difference between animals and humans comes down to degree …
Why are fruit bats important? It’s because any large mammal that can move a significant distance is critical for functioning ecosystems. This is how animals differ from plants. Migration is …
The underlying simplicity of ecological system structure Ecology gives you an understanding of how most things work and that ecosystems are built around their structure and function. So, what’s the …