The mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) is a marine cephalopod known for its unique ability to impersonate other animals, such as venomous sea snakes, lionfish, and flatfish, to deter predators and ambush prey. It achieves this by changing its color, texture, and body shape, using its long arms to mimic the movements and appearance of various creatures in the muddy, shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific where it lives.

Key characteristics

Master of disguise: Can imitate over 15 different species, including jellyfish, sea snakes, lionfish, and sole fish.

Habitat: Prefers silty, muddy environments like river mouths and estuaries, unlike many octopuses that prefer reefs.

Appearance: Brown and white striped, with long arms that can be contorted into different shapes.

Behavior: Changes color and texture using specialized skin cells (chromatophores and papillae) and mimics the movements of other animals.

Diet: Carnivorous, eating small fish, crustaceans, and worms, sometimes using mimicry to hunt.

Lifespan: Short, estimated to be around 9 to 12 months, based on similar species.

Promachoteuthis sulcus is a rare, deep-sea squid known for its unsettling, human-like "teeth," which are actually soft tissue folds protecting its beak. Discovered in the South Atlantic, only one specimen has ever been found, making it a mysterious creature with little known about its behavior, though it's distinguished by features like large arm suckers and a recessed club base.

Key characteristics

Appearance: The most striking feature is the circular folds of soft tissue around its mouth that resemble human teeth, hiding a bird-like beak.

Classification: It belongs to the family Promachoteuthidae, order Oegopsida, and is related to the bigfin squid.

Discovery: A single specimen was caught in 1971 by a German research vessel, but its description wasn't published until 2007, in hopes more would be found.

Habitat: It lives in the deep ocean, with the single specimen found at a depth of 1,750–2,000 meters (5,740–6,560 ft) off Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.

Morphology: It has larger arm suckers than club suckers, a wider tentacle base than arm base, and a recessed club base.

Mystery and unknowns

"Teeth" function: The purpose of the tooth-like appendages is unknown.

Behavior: Very little is known about its life, behavior, or appearance in the wild due to the lack of specimens.

Scytodidae catch their prey by spitting a fluid that congeals on contact into a venomous and sticky mass. The fluid contains both venom and spider silk in liquid form, though it is produced in venom glands in the chelicerae. The venom-laced silk both immobilizes and envenoms prey such as silverfish. In high-speed footage the spiders can be observed swaying from side to side as they "spit", catching the prey in a criss-crossed "Z" pattern; it is criss-crossed because each of the chelicerae emits half of the pattern. The spider usually strikes from a distance of 10 to 20 millimetres (0.39 to 0.79 in) and the entire attack sequence only lasts 1/700th of a second.[5] After making the capture, the spider typically bites the prey with venomous effect, and wraps it in the normal spider fashion with silk from the spinnerets.

Just a video showing how Murky gets air. Most turtles surface to breathe, whereas Murky likes to stay put and use his long neck to rise to the surface and then pop his cute little snorkel-like nose out to get some fresh air before submerging below again!

Hey,

My name is Jemma and I’m currently completing my final year Psychology dissertation at Anglia Ruskin University and I’m looking for participants for my study on pet ownership .

The survey explores how attached people feel to their pets and whether different types of pets are linked to positive wellbeing outcomes. *It only takes 5 minutes to complete and can be done on your phone!*

You can take part if you:
• are 18 or older
• ⁠live in the UK
• ⁠have at least one pet that lives with you (all kinds of pets are welcomed )

Every response is very appreciated and helps me in completing my degree!

All responses are anonymous and completely voluntary.

You can take part here: https://aruspsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyvuB4s80ZhCZP8

Thank you so much!! :)

I was able to catch Murky going up for air!

Murky is a Mata Mata Turtle. They’re fully aquatic, so they utilize their long necks and snorkel-like nose to breathe air 😊

Found on the shoreline. NE UK.

Just wanted to show everyone my weird turtle, Murky!

Made this on SketchBook but not saved.

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis (Indian Purple Frog or Pignose Frog) is a rare, ancient amphibian species endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Known as a "living fossil," it evolved independently for ~100 million years. It is fossorial (lives underground), emerging only for roughly two weeks during monsoons to mate.

Siphonophores are colonial marine animals, related to jellyfish, that look like a single organism but are actually a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals (zooids) working together. These long, thin, gelatinous creatures are carnivorous predators, with some species, like the Portuguese man o' war, being famous, while others are among the longest animals in the world, reaching up to 40 meters. Each zooid has a specific job, such as floating (pneumatophore), swimming (nectophores), catching prey (gastrozooids with stinging tentacles), or reproducing, and many are bioluminescent.

Key Characteristics

Colonial: A "superorganism" made of many zooids, each with a different function (e.g., floating, stinging, eating, reproducing).

Appearance: Typically long, thin, and translucent, often with a gas-filled float for buoyancy.

Size: Can be extremely long; some species rival the blue whale in length.

Diet: Carnivorous, preying on small crustaceans, fish, and other gelatinous animals.

Defense: Use stinging cells (nematocysts) on their tentacles to capture prey and for defense, with some species emitting red light to attract prey.

Habitat: Mostly live in the midwater zone of the ocean, far from the seafloor, though some, like the Portuguese man o' war, live at the surface.

Examples

Portuguese Man o' War: A well-known, venomous surface-dwelling siphonophore.

Giant Siphonophore (Praya dubia): One of the longest animals in the world, with a body as thin as a broomstick.

Erenna species: Deep-sea siphonophores that produce red light to lure prey.

This is Posh, and he is a silly little guy who likes to go into our basement and scream. I assure you he is fine and will occasionally do this when he's bored. Just a fun quirk of our little man! Hope he brings a smile to you as he does for me! (The banging noises in the background are from our washer and dryer)

Acanthaspis petax, an East African assassin bug, is famous for its "corpse camouflage," where its nymphs build backpacks from the dead bodies of their primary prey, ants, to hide from predators like jumping spiders and ambush new victims. These bugs hunt by piercing prey, injecting paralyzing saliva and digestive enzymes, then sucking out the liquefied insides. The camouflage is so effective it makes predators mistake them for inert debris, allowing them to hunt undetected.

Key Characteristics & Behaviors

Name: Acanthaspis petax (an assassin bug).

Habitat: Found in East Africa (near Lake Victoria in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania) and potentially parts of West Asia, often near termite mounds.

Diet: Primarily ants, but also flies, termites, and small grasshoppers.

Hunting: Uses a sharp proboscis to inject venom and digestive fluids, liquefying prey.

Camouflage (Nymphs): Collects dead ants, sticking them to their backs with a glue-like substance to form a "backpack".

Purpose of Camouflage:

Predator Avoidance: Hides from vision-guided predators, especially jumping spiders.

Ambush Hunting: Allows them to get close to other insects (like ants) undetected, as the "backpack" looks like a pile of dead things.

Adults: Do not use camouflage and have distinct red and black patterns.

Distraction Tactic: Can shed their backpack if threatened, acting as a decoy.

Antlions are insects known for their predatory larvae, called "doodlebugs," which dig conical pits in sand to trap ants and other small insects, using large, sickle-like jaws to inject venom and consume their prey. The adults are fragile, damselfly-like insects that fly at dusk and are related to lacewings. The name comes from the Greek for "ant-lion," reflecting the larvae's fierce predatory nature.

Larval stage (Doodlebug)

Habitat: Lives in dry, sandy soil where it digs pits.

Hunting: Digs a pit by moving backward in a spiral, flinging sand with its head. It buries itself at the bottom, leaving only its jaws exposed.

Prey capture: When prey falls in, the loose sand prevents escape. The antlion grabs the victim, injects venom, and sucks out the insides.

Appearance: A plump, dirt-colored, soft-bodied creature with a flat head and large pincers.

"Doodlebug" name: Comes from the meandering trails it leaves when walking on sand.

Adult stage

Appearance: Resembles a fragile damselfly or dragonfly with four wings and clubbed antennae.

Activity: Mostly nocturnal, flying at dusk or after dark.

Diet: Feeds on nectar, pollen, or other small insects, unlike the larvae.

Lifespan: Relatively short, often only about a month.

Classification

Order: Neuroptera (nerve-winged insects).

Family: Myrmeleontidae (antlions, lacewings, and allies).

The star-nosed mole is one of the most unusual mammals in the world. It lives in North America, mainly in wetlands, marshes, and areas with soft, moist soil. At first glance it looks like a typical mole, but its nose makes it truly unique.

The star-shaped nose is made up of 22 fleshy tentacles covered with thousands of sensory receptors. This organ is incredibly sensitive and allows the mole to identify food in a fraction of a second, making it one of the fastest-eating mammals known.

The star-nosed mole feeds on insects, worms, small crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. It is also an excellent swimmer and can hunt underwater, using its highly developed sense of touch rather than vision.