Encounter with Hundreds of Thousands of Ladybugs
LADYBUGS! LOTS of ladybugs! If you love nature and enjoy amazing images from nature, stop by my Berkeley, Naturally! nature blog and take a look at my new post about my discovery of several hundred thousand ladybugs amassed in the Berkeley Hills near my home. The post is called: They are the Lady(bugs) of the … Continue reading
Drag Race! Cheetah takes on a Ferrari!
Just about everyone knows that on land, no animal can sprint faster than a cheetah. Able to hit top speeds of 70 to 75 mph (112 to 120 km/h) the cheetah is probably the fastest animal that has ever lived on Earth. In the long, amazing history of animals on Earth, it is our privilege … Continue reading
Biologist discovers world’s smallest snake, lizard, and frog!
My article “The Largest Snake that Ever Lived” proved to be my most popular post to date. It’s not surprising. First of all, snakes can be incredibly beautiful: And a truly big snake is an amazing sight: Big snakes naturally evoke both awe and fear—who knows, maybe we have ancient memories of being their prey: … Continue reading
Meet the creature that eats its own brain!
The sea squirt is one of my favorite sea creatures. When I was a young boy, I first met my first one in a tidal pool in Laguna Beach, California. I remember bending down close to examine it, and like any kid, I gave it a gentle poke. Imagine my surprise when it squirted me … Continue reading
Meet the Amazing Salp
The first time I saw a photo of a colony of salp, I thought it was a picture of something from a science fiction movie: As a science and nature writer, I’ve become familiar with many sea creatures over the years. But somehow, I had never come across the salp before. What in the heck … Continue reading
Amazing Oxygen-Key to Planetary Life
One of the best science books I read in 2009 was Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution by biochemist Nick Lane. Although I think I have a good basic understanding of fundamental biological processes, I didn’t find the book an easy read, frankly. This is no criticism of Lane’s writing. The biological processes … Continue reading
The Red Demons of the Sea of Cortez
The fishermen of the Sea of Cortez in Mexico are said to call it Diablo Rojo, or Red Demon. They tell of fishermen who have fallen into the water and been dragged to horrible deaths, their bodies never recovered. The object of their fear and respect is one of the more formidable predators in the … Continue reading
We’re Killing Our Oceans
As readers of my blog know, I’m passionate about saving our environment from the effects of human pollution and reckless industrialization. In Global Warming and the Loss of Earth’s Coral Reefs I discussed the scientific evidence for the disastrous effects of ocean warming and increasing CO2 in ocean water on our planets reefs. In The … Continue reading
The Biggest Snake that Ever Lived
The anaconda is one big snake, as this capture picture shows: Now, imagine an anaconda-like snake that’s 3 times longer, 3 or 4 times bigger in diameter, and 6 to 8 times as heavy! No, this isn’t a fake monster from a bad Hollywood B-Movie! It’s an actual creature that lived in Columbia some 60 … Continue reading
Amazing Creatures-Weird Fish With Transparent Head
This is the first in a series of posts I’m going to call Amazing Creatures. And what better way to start off, than with a fish with a transparent head! Pictures of this bizarre fish were first taken in 2004 but not released until 2009. You can find great pictures and an explanation of the … Continue reading
Goodheart's Extreme Science 