This photograph shows T. achilles (left) and another Colombian species, T. (Atreus) icarus (right), exposed to ultraviolet light. (Image credit: Léo Laborie/Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024) A scientist has identified the first South American scorpion species capable of…
The zombie spider fungus (Gibellula attenboroughii) infects spiders while they are still alive. (Photo credit: Tim Fogg/CABI) Researchers have identified a previously undescribed fungus that controls minds and creates ‘zombie’ spiders after it was found in a Victorian gunpowder magazine…
The paradoxical frog (Pseudis paradoxa) is smaller as an adult than as a tadpole. Name: Paradoxical frog (Pseudis paradoxa), also known as the shrinking frog Habitat: Northern South America and Trinidad. What it eats: invertebrates, mainly insects. Why it’s amazing:…
A fanged frog, Limnonectes phyllofolia, cares for its eggs. (Photo credit: 2023 Frederick et al) A research team has discovered a tiny new species of frog, no bigger than a quarter. But don’t let its small size fool you: It…
Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced to Australia in 1935 and continue to cause damage to ecosystems. (Image credit: edelmar via Getty Images) Australia plans to launch a massive annual cane toad eradication campaign – known as the Great Cane…
Mycologists say the fungus may belong to the genus Mycena. (Photo courtesy: Lohit YT) In an unusual and previously unrecorded case, a live frog was found in India with a fungus growing out of its skin, surprising scientists. The frog,…
This is the fossilized skull of an ancient amphibian named after Kermit the Frog. (Photo credit: Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian/University of California) A newly described species of protoamphibian that lived 270 million years ago has been named after Kermit the…
Land managers at a wildlife sanctuary in northern Australia’s Kimberley region spotted a frog hopping into their workshop. (Photo credit: Jake Barker/Australian Wildlife Conservancy) Researchers in Australia have discovered a tree frog with bright blue skin instead of its usual…
The authors of the new study looked at both sexual and interspecies cannibalism among frogs. (Photo courtesy of John Gould and Chad T. Beranek) The researchers noted that reproduction could pose a danger to male frogs seeking to attract the…
(Image credit: Anthony Waddle) All over the world, frogs are being wiped out by the chytrid fungus. At least 500 species have declined, including as many as 90 species now presumed extinct. This catastrophic and ongoing biodiversity loss surpasses the…
Researchers have tagged a giant great white shark off the East Coast of the U.S. that they say is the largest male they’ve ever studied in the northwest Atlantic. The shark, which the researchers named “Contender,” measured 13 feet, 9…
Kissing is a big part of human culture. But do other animals share the same behavior? (Image credit: KuderM via Getty Images) Kissing is a big part of human culture. According to ancient cuneiform tablets found in Iraq, humans have…