By Catherine Haase This year, Punxsutawney Phil, our favorite groundhog meteorologist, saw his shadow and gave us another six weeks of winter. Though relying on a rodent to determine how long winter will be is a silly concept, it is a good reflection of how variable winter length can be from year to year and…
Every week, embark with host Boyd Matson on an exploration of the latest discoveries and interviews with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, on National Geographic Weekend. Please check listings near you to find the best way to listen to National Geographic Weekend on radio, or listen below! Hour 1 – Professional big wave surfer Greg Long wiped out while…
Readers went wild for our recent post “Special Albinos and Unusually White Animals,” offering more than a hundred comments about their own sightings and interactions. Eric Rose from Kentucky let us know about two albino alligators named Snowball and Snowflake that live at the Newport Aquarium in Ohio. Cul8rAnnieGator of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, says her…
Male túngara frogs (Physalemus pustulosus) are the romantic type. Instead of roaming around looking for mates, these tiny Central and South American rain forest amphibians sit in puddles singing love songs, attracting females that flock to the aquatic crooner’s home. The frog’s calls have an unintended effect: They create ripples that draw the attention of predators lurking in…
Genitals are useful for transferring sperm, but why stop there? Some animals have evolved unusual and creative ways to use their naughty bits to trick predators or attract mates. Recently, scientists discovered that hawkmoths have an unusual defense against bat sonar—by rubbing their genitals together, the moths produce ultrasonic sounds of their own. These…
By Ker Than- A species of tiny bat seems to be using rolled-up leaves like trumpets to amplify calls, a new study says. A few years ago, biologists Gloriana Chaverri and Erin Gillam were in Costa Rica studying Spix’s disk-winged bat, a species that is known to escape predators and harsh weather by roosting inside the folded leaves of…
By Ker Than- A species of tiny bat seems to be using rolled-up leaves like trumpets to amplify calls, a new study says. A few years ago, biologists Gloriana Chaverri and Erin Gillam were in Costa Rica studying Spix’s disk-winged bat, a species that is known to escape predators and harsh weather by roosting inside the folded leaves of…
Barro Colorado is a 4,000-acre island in the middle of the Panama Canal. Nearly six times the size of New York’s Central Park, the island is at the heart of a wildlife sanctuary that straddles surrounding peninsulas jutting into the famous waterway. The island is home to a wonderfully intact tropical forest with thousands of…
Barro Colorado is a 4,000-acre island in the middle of the Panama Canal. Nearly six times the size of New York’s Central Park, the island is at the heart of a wildlife sanctuary that straddles surrounding peninsulas jutting into the famous waterway. The island is home to a wonderfully intact tropical forest with thousands of…
In the air wars between bats and moths, the bugs are fighting back—by shaking their privates. It’s no award-winning dance move, but a new study shows that hawkmoths in Borneo (map) jiggle their junk to produce ultrasound. That jams Malaysian bats’ built-in sonar, rendering the hawkmoths temporarily “invisible.” Found worldwide, hawkmoths get their name from their large…
Every week, embark with host Boyd Matson on an exploration of the latest discoveries and interviews with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, on National Geographic Weekend. Please check listings near you to find the best way to listen to National Geographic Weekend, or pick your favorite segments and listen now below! Episode: 1323 – Air…