Ants: Inadvertent Artists or Experts in Seed Preservation? What a fantastic finding! Researchers have discovered an amazing instance of ant creativity—or serendipitous discovery, maybe. Ants are known to gather and store seeds in preparation for the winter. They usually break these seeds in half before storing them in the nest to stop them from germinating too soon. This method is quite effective because a seed that has been cut in half cannot be made to germinate even under ideal circumstances. The twist that had experts scratching their brains, though, was the coriander seeds! Coriander, when split in two, does not lose its ability to germinate like…

Zombie Salmon: The Strange Life Cycle of Nature's Smart Design If you're interested in strange and interesting natural phenomena, the term "zombie salmon" really stands out. It might make you think of the dead, but the truth is much more interesting and deep. Even though the name "zombie salmon" sounds strange, it is one of nature's most amazing and smart designs. Each of the five types of Pacific salmon goes through an amazing change on their amazing trip upstream to their freshwater spawning grounds. The fish's bodies start to shut down as they use up all their energy, making it look like they are dying alive.…

The Lovely Gomesa Jiaho Queen Orchid: A Unique and Beautiful Flower A unique plant called the Gomesa Jiaho Queen orchid has caught the attention of plant and orchid fans all over the world. This orchid is truly a wonder of nature, with its tiny, complex flowers and one-of-a-kind traits. You can also call the Gomesa Jiaho Queen orchid by its formal name, Gomesa crispa. It is an orchid and it comes from South America, more specifically Brazil. It is a medium-sized orchid that grows to 8 to 12 inches tall and has thin pseudobulbs and narrow, oblong leaves. The flower on this orchid is what makes…

The amazing story of Harriet, a giant tortoise that lives for 176 years In the vast world of animals, there are some truly amazing creatures that have lived through the ages and seen important events and the passing of time. Harriet, a giant turtle, was one of these amazing creatures. She was thought to be 176 years old when she died. The famous "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, and his wife, Terri, owned the Australia Zoo in Queensland, where people were saddened by her death. At the start of her trip, Harriet had an interesting and somewhat mysterious link to the famous naturalist Charles Darwin. Local legend…

How Climate Change Affects Wildlife: A Shocking Picture of a Balding Bird   During a very hot afternoon, one of the brothers saw something strange in his own backyard: a bird looking for a place to rest and eat. But this wasn't a normal bird; it showed signs of being hungry and thirsty, and most noticeably, its body and head were bald where feathers had been. The scary effects of climate change are shown in this strange and funny picture. This force affects all living things on Earth. Animals and plants are both dying because of climate change, which is making temperatures rise and causing big…

The interesting way that Holly Trees protect themselves from deer browsing People love Holly trees (Ilex aquifolium) because they have beautiful evergreen leaves and bright red berries. This makes them a popular choice for gardening and landscaping. These trees are also known for being deer food; the deer love to nibble on the soft leaves of the lower branches. Holly trees have an interesting way of keeping hungry deer away that has evolved over time. Deer like to nibble on holly trees' leaves. To protect itself, the tree grows spiky, prickly leaves on the lower branches that the deer don't like as much. This lets the…