The Brazilian pygmy gecko is a tiny inhabitant of the Amazon rainforest, growing to no longer than 24 mm. But these tiny lizards have some incredible superpowers when it comes Keep reading
Tag: biology
The Fluidity of Worm Blobs
The aquatic blackworm forms blobs composed of thousands of individual worms for protection against evaporation, light, and heat. The worms braid themselves together (Image 1). Once a blob forms, it Keep reading
How Wombats Make Stackable Feces
Wombats are unique among the animal kingdom for their ability to produce cubic feces approximately the size and shape of dice. Researchers found that wombats accomplish this geometric feat thanks Keep reading
Flexible Wings Aid Butterfly Flight
Butterflies are some of the oddest flyers of the insect world, given the large size of their wings relative to their bodies. That could be a recipe for inefficient flight, Keep reading
Sand Traps
Antlion larvae catch prey by digging conical pits in sand. The steep walls of the trap are near the angle of repose, the largest angle a granular material can maintain Keep reading
Rocket Yeast
Usually, microbial colonies are grown on a solid substrate, but what happens when they grow on a liquid surface? That’s the question explored in this Gallery of Fluid Motion video Keep reading
Hammerhead Hydrodynamics
Hammerhead sharks have some of the most distinctive craniums in the ocean, which begs the question: how do they swim with that head? New computational fluid dynamics studies suggest that Keep reading
Rolling Off a Duck’s Back
Ducks and other water fowl need protection from the elements. Fortunately for them, the structure of their feathers cleverly helps them shed water. As seen in this video, feathers have Keep reading
Sensing Obstacles Through Flow
Mosquitoes, bats, and even eels use non-visual means to sense their environments. For mosquitoes, part of their obstacle avoidance comes from the exquisite sensitivity of their antennae, which are able Keep reading
Collecting Animal Tears
Like humans, most vertebrates rely on tear films to keep their eyes moist and protected from the environment. But compared to humans, some animals’ tears have superior staying power. The Keep reading