Rare bear in the DMZ

For over sixty years, no-one has been allowed into the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the border between North and South Korea. The Korean War left the 2.5 kilometre-wide area filled with landmines, but since then, nature has taken over. Thousands of species are estimated to live there, and we’ve just discovered that this includes bears. … Continue reading Rare bear in the DMZ →

Three-eyed snake found in the Northern Territory

If you think snakes normally look scary, you may want to turn away now, because this one has its eyes on you. In March, rangers in the Northern Territory found this three-eyed carpet python on the side of a highway, near Humpty Doo. The snake, nicknamed ‘Monty Python’, was quite young, and around 40 centimetres … Continue reading Three-eyed snake found in the Northern Territory →

Under the microscope: My job as a sheep poo analyst

On a farm half an hour from Temora, in the middle of New South Wales, is a lab. Every day before work, Tom Shuttleworth drives to town, collects the mail, and takes it back to be analysed under a microscope. However, this isn’t anything that you’d normally find in a parcel. Instead, Tom looks at … Continue reading Under the microscope: My job as a sheep poo analyst →

Healthy bananas grow without soil

Bananas are famously a tropical fruit, only growing in warm regions of the world. However, a group of scientists in the Netherlands have just harvested their first crop, and it could help save banana plantations around the world. Fusarium (fyoo-SAIR-ee-um) is a fungus that has infected banana crops worldwide. It blocks water transport to the … Continue reading Healthy bananas grow without soil →

Dracula ant snaps up world record

When you think of fast animals, cheetahs and falcons are probably at the top of your list. However, an animal speed record has just been won by an unusual candidate – the dracula ant. Scientists from the United States have discovered that when these ants snap their jaws, it’s the fastest movement made by any … Continue reading Dracula ant snaps up world record →

Human history preserved in whale earwax

Scientists are measuring stress in whales – using the animal's earwax. The research is uncovering how recent human history has affected whales. Whale earwax has light and dark bands, with one of each made every year. The bands are caused by the different conditions the whales experience on their annual migrations (travel). This means that … Continue reading Human history preserved in whale earwax →

Spiders use electricity to fly

If you’ve read or watched Charlotte’s Web, you might remember the scene where hundreds of baby spiders fly away from the farm on their webs. This technique, used by many spiders, caterpillars and mites, is called ballooning. You might expect that the spiders use the wind to balloon, like flying a kite. However, Dr Erica … Continue reading Spiders use electricity to fly →

Birds’ eyes work as a compass

Migrating birds 'see' magnetic fields... and scientists now think they know how. Many birds, such as robins, travel thousands of kilometres during spring and autumn. For years, scientists have thought that they use Earth's magnetic field to navigate, like having an inbuilt compass, but they weren't sure how it worked. Researchers from Germany and Denmark … Continue reading Birds’ eyes work as a compass →