Humans have it pretty good. When we’re hungry, we can just go to the kitchen, or at worst, the shop, and get something to eat. Other animals don’t have this luxury, so bumblebees have developed their own trick to make sure there’s always food on the menu. Bumblebees spend their winters hibernating, and when they … Continue reading Hungry bees can make plants flower early →

If you ever visit a glacier, there’s a chance you might see some small balls of moss scattered across the ice. These are called ‘glacier mice’, and they have a mysterious habit of rolling around in groups. Glacier mice are shaped like fuzzy squashed balls, but they don’t have a particular top or bottom. They … Continue reading The moss-terious movement of glacier mice →

Coral bleaching, where entire reefs can go ghostly white, is becoming an increasing common environmental issue. However, some species have an appropriately colourful way of saving themselves – creating a neon-coloured ‘sunscreen’. Corals are very unusual animals. Each individual ‘polyp’ is usually only a couple of centimetres across, but they build on top of each … Continue reading Coral’s neon sunscreen could save reefs →