Honey Bee

Honey Bee

Honey bees probably originated in tropical Africa and spread from South Africa to northern Europe and the Usa, and eastwards into India and China. They are now found worldwide except at the poles. A honey bee hive is an extraordinary places. Tens of thousands of bees work together for the greater good of their colony-building and maintaining the hive, finding food, fending off predators, feeding and rising the young. There is a strict caste system in force inside the hive. A queen (a fertile female) lays eggs; a few hundred drones [Read more]

Blue-ringed Octopus

Blue ringed Octopus

Blue-ringed octopuses live in Indo-Pacific waters from southren Japan to Australia in depths of up to 30m (100 ft). They are usually found on reefs, in crevices and rock pools, and occasionally on sandy seabeds. A tiny, golf ball-sized killer lurks quietly in the tidal pools and coral reefs of the Pacfic and Indian Oceans. When threatened its vivid blue rings ‘glow’ on its body. this warning that animals or people ignore at their peril – the blue – ringed octopus is so venomous, its bite can kill a person in minutes. What’s more thereis [Read more]

Crown of thorn Sea Star

Crown of thorns Sea Star

The Crown of Thorn sea star is found on coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It occurs in its greatest numbers on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and around the islands of Indonesia. Many armed and covered in long, poisonous spines, the crown of thorns sea star has a forbidding appearance and reputation as one of the most destructive marine animals. These starfish feed voraciously on the living corals that make up tropical reefs. Congregating sometimes in tens of thousands, they move like a slowly advancing army over a reef, leaving behind a wasteland of destroyed coral that will take many years to recover. [Read more]

Red Kneed Tarantula

Euathlus smithi

Although there are many species of tarantula, the dffierent forms generally share similar characteristics. Their large, hairy bodies are often strikingly marked, and some species have become popular as pets. Collection of the red-kneed tarantula has put the wild population at risk. The red-kneed tarantula is arguably the most popular of all pet tarantulas, and people have been collecting specimens since the 1970s. First discovered in 1888, the spider was soon recognized as having potential as a pet. It was also used to heighten tension in films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Such publicity encouraged [Read more]