Written by Scarlet
This cute little wildcat, the güiña, may not be in as much danger as previously believed.
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Written by Scarlet
Researchers believe they have found the reason behind the mass die-off of Saiga antelope over two years ago.
Back in May 2015, over 200,000 Saiga antelope in Mongolia died suddenly in the space of just three weeks. These critically endangered creatures represented over 80 percent of the local population, which itself counts for around 60 percent of the world's population.
The illness was fast acting, with symptoms showing just hours before death. They were suffering from both blood poisoning and internal bleeding. To make matters worse the outbreak occurred during the Saiga's birthing season, leading to many unborn babies and orphaned kids. You may remember hearing about it if you watched Planet Earth II back in 2016.
Written by West
Clathrus archeri - Octopus Stinkhorn
Image: A photograph of Clathrus archeri, a fungus with red octopus-like tentacles. Source: Steveb68 on Wikicommons
Originating from Australia these fungi have spread to Europe, North America and Asia, and can occasionally be found in the UK. They can be first noticed above ground in their "egg" form, already looking like something that's going to hatch into a horror movie monster.
Written by West
These beautiful creatures are part of the Gastropoda, a group of molluscs best known for snails and slugs. The name of their order Gymnosomata comes from the Greek for 'naked body', referring to their lack of shell, but it is now known they do have an embryonic shell when they hatch, losing it within a few days.
Written by West
Good news! A new type of shark has been discovered this year.
The new member of the Lanternshark family is called Etmopterus lailae and can be found in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. It's less than a foot long, weighs around two pounds, and can easily be recognised by its large pointed nose.
Written by West
Mycorrhiza is the combination of the Greek words Mykos (fungus) and Rhiza (root). It is the name of a system that connects fungi and plants together.
Mushrooms you see above ground are just the tip of the iceberg, peeking above ground to spread some spores. Below the mushrooms are thin roots that spread out to form a mycelium, which attaches itself to the roots of various plants. This creates a network that plants can use to share nutrients, water, and information, or they can even sabotage the growth of unwanted neighbours.
Image: A close up photo of Mycorhizae fungus. Source: Wikimedia
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