(Images via: Caught Offside, Hollow Hill, Its Nature, Wildshores, Above the Buzz, Lists O Plenty, Game Winning Graphics, Ehow, Organic Garden Info)

As any college basketball fan knows, today is Selection Sunday, when 65 teams will be slotted in the NCAA Tournament (also known as March Madness). In celebration of this annual holiday, WebEcoist has selected some of the coolest, strangest and most interesting animal discoveries from recent months. From bottlenose dolphins turning diabetes off and on to extremely drunken bats flying straight to gorillas possibly eating monkeys, this Sweet Sixteen of recent animal stories and findings certainly fits the bill of downright weird, exciting and intriguing.

Must See TV: What’s Been Brewing Under the Sea?

(Images via: Hi Tech Dolphin, Babble, Dive Discovery, Flickr, Big Island Divers)

Dolphins have been previously included among the world’s smartest mammals, and now according to new research, our bottlenose friends may be able to induce type II diabetes to sustain their large brains. Suggested by new findings, bottlenose dolphins are able to turn on diabetes (when sugar builds up in the blood rather than the cells as a result of insufficient or ignored insulin) when food is scarce and then turn off the condition after eating a meal. Commonly viewed as enemies to dolphins, sharks apparently are not bloodthirsty hunters 24/7. According to a new study, sharks and manta rays commonly visit fish cleaning stations – where smaller fish suck off algae, mucus, dead tissue, etc. – peacefully letting the cleaner fish pick them clean for hours at a time. Who new that sharks were capable of embracing their softer sides?

Unexpected Game Plans: Underwater Deception and Drama

(Images via: Bukisa, Ocean Explorer, Take Action, Twisted Physics)

Speaking of some more underwater surprises, normally big and bad Atlantic octopuses were recently documented mimicking the swimming style and appearance of smaller flounders to avoid predators. Rather than swimming with their arms trailing their heads, the Atlantic octopuses have been recorded folding and then athletically moving their arms like flounders, which allegedly would cause larger predators to pause before taking a bite at them as compared to when their arms are dangling about. In a similar light, startled vampire squid have been recently documented completely turning themselves inside out – allowing their arms to retract within their bodies – to throw off predators. As for the Hawaiian bobtail squid, it has been known to utilize a luminescent bacteria to light up its underside, thus providing a sense of invisibility and protection from sharks and other predators that may be lurking below. Just as in the NCAA Tournament, it’s apparently all about surviving and advancing in the marine world.

Sharp Shooters: Chameleons and Tentacled Snakes

(Images via: Yahoo! Video, Curious Animals, Flickr)

In the animal kingdom, the ability to sprint, swim, jump and perform other advantageous activities usually is slowed by drops in temperature; however, this is not the case for chameleons. According to recent research, chameleons feature a unique, weatherproof accelerator muscle in their tongues that allows them to snag prey at alarming speeds in all types of weather conditions. As for the curious tentacled snake, it uses two tentacles at the top of its head to hunt for and see fish in murky water conditions. Researchers recently learned that the tentacled snake adeptly forms its body into a “J” shape when hunting for food, which causes fish to dart towards rather than away from its mouth. It seems that some reptile athletes aren’t competing on a level playing field.

High Above the Rim: Drunken Bats and Shrewd Bees

(Images via: U.S. Forest Service, Divaboo, West County Gazette, Vee Three)

Up in the sky, there have been a variety of recent surprises, including that of the inebriated bat. According to recent research, bats can get drunk eating nectar and fermenting fruits; however, the intoxication hardly affects them thanks to sonar that allows even the most drunken bats to fly normal. Just as bats can suck up their fair share of alcohol without too many worries, the sucker-footed bat is rare in that it roosts upright as opposed to the normal upside down position. While researchers previously thought that the sucker-footed bat was able to roost this way as a result of using its pads like suction cups, it turns out these bats are more like tree frogs and certain other insects that use sweat and water adhesion to stay perched on leaves.

In terms of landing on leaves and other objects, bees recently amazed researchers with their abilities to use their eyesight when adjusting to different landing platforms. When coming to a surface, bees steadily slow down as the object gets larger, which helps them determine specific landing strategies, such as touching down their back legs first when approaching flat surfaces or making initial contact on vertical and upside-down platforms with their antennae and then using their front legs to help flip their hind legs onto the surface. Apparently masters at stopping, honey bees will alter their normal waggle dance, which typically signals good sources of food for other bees, by butting their heads into recipients, which apparently details sites that are dangerous and warns the other bees to avoid those areas. As for other unique insect communication and travel, a new finding detailed how migrating moths and butterflies are hardly slaves to the wind but rather active surfers of breeze, which allow them to travel to where they want to go at much higher speeds and in shorter time periods.

Freakish Plays: Microscopic Worms and Parasites

(Images via: Top News, Nature, Sunny Sweet Farms)

In the category of miscellaneous, intriguing and bizarre recent discoveries, scientists have found that microscopic worms can be paralyzed by ingestion of a light-sensitive chemical called dithienylethene. Once exposed to light, the microscopic worms regained normal wiggling movement; though it should be known that the paralyzing chemical eventually killed the worms. Now if it was only so easy for a parasite known as Wolbachia bacteria, which has been found to shut down the immune systems of wasps and other insects. Especially morbid, these parasites have been shown to turn male spiders, mites and nematode worms into females and cause virgin females to give birth. Even worse, these parasites can reproduce at rapid rates. Talk about a freak show.

Big Upsets: Monkey-Eating Gorillas & Autism-Treating Mice?

(Images via: Gorilla Doctors, Plus Maths, Anatom, Master New Media)

While wild gorillas have historically feasted on plants, fruit and the occasional insect, they may actually eat meat after all, according to new findings discovered nowhere else but in gorilla poop. A recent analysis found monkey and antelope DNA in gorilla feces, possibly suggesting that gorillas prefer a meaty meal every so often. If the thought of gorilla poop is a bit too filthy for your tastes, perhaps these recent findings on house mice will suffice. Hardly known to make a peep, male mice were recently observed singing ultrasonic love songs to court females, which responded with their own vocalization. According to the study’s researchers, learning more about mice vocalization may help us understand autism, a developmental disability marked by communication differences. Essentially, researchers note that some mice are better than others at vocalizing their love songs; if more can be understood about what makes certain mice better communicators, researchers propose that this may provide more insight on human communication gaps. Sounds promising.

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(Images via: The Inspiration Room, Pet Wise, Change, Pet Insurance, Adda or Ardor)

Defined as the intentional killing of oneself, suicide is a sad and tragic event most commonly associated with human beings. Whether animals are capable of committing suicide has been a subject of debate for hundreds of years.

Proposed Examples of Animal Suicide

(Images via: Camusnagaul, Alex Wild, BioCrawler, Dive BC)

Suicide has traditionally been thought in terms of a conscious and willful decision to live or die. To some, this idea of suicide eliminates animals from the capability of intentionally killing themselves. However, to others, animal suicide is a very realistic thing, as evident by certain events in nature and the fact that animals experience feelings such as depression. A recent study in the journal Endeavor explored a history of suggested animal suicide, noting stories from the 1800s of a depressed Newfoundland dog repeatedly trying to drown itself until succeeding, a grieving cat hanging itself after the death of its kittens, a fleeing stag leaping off a cliff rather than being swarmed by a pack of dogs, etc. In a more contemporary light, believers in animal suicide have noted flies called pea aphids exploding themselves when threatened by ladybugs, wolf spiders willingly being devoured by their young, sad whales intentionally beaching themselves, and even octopuses biting themselves to death in experimental settings.

Different Opinions on Animal Suicide

(Images via: Soda Head, James Adonis, Tico Times)

The Endeavor study notes how animals have been shown to display grief, anger, insanity and other feelings, suggesting that they are more human than people give them credit for and thus potentially capable of making “willful decisions” to kill themselves. However, what may seem like an animal killing itself to one person may be interpreted by another as an animal displaying uncharacteristic behavior as a result of an external stimuli. Consider an animal that is taken out of its natural environment and held captive in an unfamiliar setting that disrupts its natural ability to find food, which may lead to depression and an appearance that the animal has lost the will to live (see above images). To others, animal deaths may appear suicidal but be accidental (such as the scared stag mistakenly running off the cliff), or simply a natural occurrence (such as when mother octopuses and wolf spiders die shortly after birth). Opponents of animal suicide note how such deaths are done not for selfish reasons but to ensure the survival of the young. While certainly subjective,  the idea of animal suicide is seemingly easy to dismiss on the surface but merits more thought and research, especially when considering how captivity, depression and other circumstances can affect animals.

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Have you ever wanted to retreat from the daily grind to an island paradise? What if you could envision them with a bird’s eye view first to help you decide where to go? If Superman took vacation, these are some of the sparkling seas, sugar-white beaches, and stunning locations that he would visit to escape from it all. Flying through blue skies with Superman’s point of view, here are 37 gorgeous island paradises and amazing aerials.

Glover Reef

(image credit: National Geographic)

Two rainbows arc over Glover’s Atoll, a World Heritage Site and Marine Reserve, and Belize’s most remote atoll. An atoll is a ring of coral that first grew completely around the shoreline of an island, but then continued to grow upward on top of itself as the island eroded away. Glover’s Reef Atoll is an oval ring of coral surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. It offers an outstanding place to swim, to snorkel, and to dive. Glover’s Atoll has 700 patch reefs in the lagoon and is surrounded by 50 miles of sheer drop-offs, starting from 25 feet down to 2,700 feet.

Bora Bora

(image credits: National Geographic, yannarthusbertrand2, National Geographic, National Geographic)

The archipelago of Bora-Bora is in the Leeward group of French Polynesia’s Society Islands located in the Pacific Ocean. Waves crash against the ring of coral reefs around this sunken remnant of a 7-million-year-old extinct volcano. The clear lagoon can be seen from the air, but hundreds of tropical fish species live in the turquoise-blue water, showing remarkable biological diversity. Bora-Bora is renowned for sugar-white beaches and the twin peaks Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia.

Tahiti, another Society Island

(image credit: National Geographic)

Tahiti is the largest of the Windwards, but is another Society Island like Bora-Bora. Together the 35 islands and 83 atolls of French Polynesia are spread out between the South Pacific about halfway between Australia and South America. Tahiti has a mountainous interior, deep valleys, clear streams, and high waterfalls. Most of the island’s population lives along the coastline.

Sulu Archipelago

(image credit: yannarthusbertrand2, yannarthusbertrand2)

The Sulu Archipelago is made up of hundreds of volcanic and coral islands, numerous rocks and reefs in the southwestern Philippines. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘backdoor of the Philippines.’ The deep sea diving is some of the best in the world, a prime source for pearls, marine sea turtles, and exotic tropical fish. The Sulu Sea supplies a large proportion of the nation’s commercial catch. Kurachas, small crab-like shrimp, are sweet to the taste once cooked and another notable thing about Sulu. The most popular entry point for visits to the Sulu Islands is Jolo, where there is outstanding hiking among the volcanic landscapes. The best diving spot in the Sulu Islands is Tubbataha Reef. The Sulu Archipelago includes the Samales Islands, home of this village on stilts as pictured on bottom. It is home of the Badjaos who are also known as sea gypsies.

Republic of the Fiji Islands

(image credit: National Geographic)

In the South Pacific, another archipelago is the 322 chain of islands which make up the Fiji Islands. Of those, only about 106 are inhabited. Only part of the tropical lure, the stunning coral reefs ring around Mondriki Island, foreground, and Monu Island, background. There are divine places to dive, taking in the fish and the coral gardens. Lush rain forests and sparkling white beaches make it an ever popular tourist destination.

Phi Phi Le, near Phuket island, Thailand

(image credit: yannarthusbertrand2)

Another tropical delight is the Phi Phi Archipelago which is nearly 25 miles off the coast of Thailand. It consists of six islands with Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi LePhi Phi considered the mainland. Phi Phi Le (above) is the more unspoiled of the two, a part of the Hadnopparattara-Koh Phi Phi National Park. Phi Phi is home to amazing marine life, an abundance of corals, long white sandy beaches, and limestone mountains with cliffs and caves. From archaeological discoveries, it is believed that the area is one of the oldest communities in Thailand and dates back to the prehistoric period.

Palau Islands

(image credit: National Geographic)

More than 250 beautiful forested and rock islands, wreathed with sands and exquisite seas, make up the nation of Palau. About 500 miles east of the Philippines, Palau enjoys a tropical climate all year round with an annual temperature of around 82 °F. As a bonus, Palau is just outside the main typhoon zone. Tourism is the country’s leading industry as it is legendary for its astonishing marine diversity and beauty. Palau has a rich marine environment which invites snorkeling and diving around its barrier reef walls and World War II wrecks. Named one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World” by divers, Palau holds far more than seems possible in the 170 square miles it covers. The Palau Islands are protected. Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.

Los Roques Archipelago

(image credit: webpark)

These scarcely populated Venezuelan Islands in the Caribbean Sea are not known to many people and thus its virgin beauty, wild and exotic, has been maintained. Los Roques Archipelago is a dream landscape with one of the biggest National Marine Parks of the Caribbean. The Los Roques islands consists of about 350 islands, cays or islets and abundant aquatic life surrounding the coral reefs. With only about about 1,500 permanent inhabitants, there is almost no crime and times seems to have nearly stopped. It’s a great place to enjoy calm and crystal clear turquoise bays and sugar-white beaches.

Buccaneer Archipelago

(image credit: yannarthusbertrand2)

Two-billion-year-old rocks make up the Buccaneer Archipelago, about 800 islands off the coast of Western Australia. These islands between King Sound and Collier Bay near Yampi Sound are in almost pristine condition due to the difficulty of gaining access. The Buccaneer Archipelago is compromised of ancient pre-cambrian sandstones with many high cliffs; some islands have patches of rain-forests. Large, fine pearls are harvested by local pearlfarmers in the surrounding Timor Sea.

Eldey Island

(image credit: webpark)

This sheer rock which is over 252 feet tall is Eldey Island, Iceland, but is also called The Fire Island. With over 70,000 birds counted there, it has the largest gannet colony in the world. In the past, different clusters of skerries and rocks have appeared only to disappear again due to tectonic movements and eruptions. In this unstable ocean area, it is not considered very safe for sailing, thus making the area a rich fishing ground for herring and lobsters.

Exuma Cays, Bahamas

(image credits: yannarthusbertrand2)

The Bahama Islands consist of over 700 islands and rocky coral islets or cays. Two James Bond films were set in Exuma Cays, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again. Divers come from all over the world to explore the underwater caves and enjoy the vast marine life. An emerald sea and white sands beaches attract tourists in search of sun, sand, and nature adventures. Exuma National Park is known for its brightly colored fish, exotic birds, and distinctive Bahamian iguanas.

Neuika Coral Reef France

(image credits: yannarthusbertrand2,yannarthusbertrand2)

Varied and contrasting blues of the lagoon surround Neuika coral reef in New Caledonia, France. This is the second longest double barrier coral reef in the world and is also considered endangered. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reef encircles a lagoon of 9,300 square miles which has an average depth of 82 feet. Pictured on bottom is the Nuami Islet, an atoll of Nokan Hui, near New Caledonia.

The Maldives

(image credits: wikipedia, ISS twitpic, dyscario, yannarthusbertrand2)

Nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the 26 atolls of the Maldives are a series of ancient coral reefs that grew up around the sides of prehistoric volcanoes. This island chain extends north-south for about 550 miles. The gorgeous Maldives are composed of 1,190 small coral islands which range on average from three to six feet above sea level. From the more modern Male Atolls to the laid back Southern Atolls, all are extremely popular with tourists. Most of these atolls have deep-water lagoons and look like jeweled pieces of tropical treasured paradise.

Sandbank on Whitsunday Island

(image credit: yannarthusbertrand2)

This bizarre but beautiful pattern is a sandbank on the coast of Whitsunday Island, Australia. Whitsunday Archipelago is made up of numerous coral islets from the coasts of Queensland to about 20 miles offshore from the Great Barrier Reef. Whitsunday Island is the largest of the 74 islands with sugar-white sands like on Whitehaven Beach pictured above. It is part of Great Barrier Marine Park.

Belize Blue Hole

(image credit: National Geographic)

This large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize at Lighthouse Reef Atoll is a vertical cave. There are quite a few blue holes located worldwide, but the Great Blue Hole is 984 feet across and 410 ft deep. Once upon a time during the Ice Age, it was an opening to a dry cave system. Today it is a hotspot, luring scuba divers to dive the spectacular crystal clear sea among many species of marine life.

Zakynthos

(image credit: yannarthusbertrand2)

The third largest of the Ionian Islands, Zakynthos, Greece, is an amazing place to stroll the sandy beaches or swim in the company of sea turtles. Zakynthos is an underwater paradise, fantastic for snorkeling or scuba diving the underwater caves. This is one of the sunniest islands in the Mediterranean. Zakynthos National Marine Park was setup to help protect this island of sea turtles. Above is one of the most famous beaches in Greece, Navagio Beach. The Shipwreck is home to the wreck of smuggler ship Panagiotis and is often referred to as Smugglers Cove.

Taiwan: Lalu island & Wreck in the Pescadores Archipelago

(image credits: yannarthusbertrand2,yannarthusbertrand2)

On Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake, the tiny island is what is left of Lalu Island after floods and earthquakes. Sun Moon Lake is one of thirteen national scenic areas in the Republic of China. Before the earthquake, this island was a place to worship the “Matchmaker god” and many young couples participated in “Shueishang Group Weddings.” Lalu Island is regarded as the dwelling place of the Thao, the highest-ranking ancestral spirit.

Pictured on the bottom is one of the Penghu islands. 90 small islands and islets are also known as Pescadores Archipelago in the Taiwan Strait. This is a highly fished area and reefs were extensively damaged by commercial fishing and the practice of fishing with dynamite. Professional diving fishermen sometimes dive with a simple hooka system, a breathing umbilical cord from the surface. This wreck, suspended between the sea and basalt, is one that Superman missed saving due to his last vacation in paradise. It reminds him that he is needed elsewhere.

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(image via: Wikipedia)

While we may think that we understand how life on Earth works, there are still many mysteries out there to make us question everything. Blood Falls is a waterfall in Antarctica that spews blood-red water from five stories up. It was first discovered in 1911, but it wasn’t until recently that scientists have begun to dig into just how significant the location really is – both for understanding life on Earth and for speculating about life on other planets.

(image via: Not Exactly Rocket Science)

Blood Falls offers an interesting and wholly unusual way for researchers to study microbial life in glacial Antarctica. Scientists have long been curious about whether there might be microbial life surviving in the frozen continent’s subglacial lakes. But testing the waters has proven extremely difficult as extremely thick ice and concerns about contamination have stalled any possible research. So Blood Falls, a naturally-occurring outflow of saltwater from the lake beneath Taylor’s Glacier, offers a unique opportunity to look at what might be going on under the surface of the ice.

(image via: Atlas Obscura)

What researchers found was truly amazing. The waters beneath Taylor’s Glacier are a kind of ancient time capsule where a community of microorganisms was able to develop and evolve in an environment not found anywhere else on Earth. When the lake was trapped under the glacier some 1.5 – 2 million years ago, some simple life forms were trapped in it. The subglacial lake contains no oxygen, but is home to at least 17 different types of microorganisms. The water is hyper-salinated (very salty), and its unusual coloring is due to its high iron content, which instantly rusts upon being exposed to air outside of its closed-in origin, creating the blood red waterfall. The strange and inhospitable conditions in the subglacial lake had led researchers to wonder just how all of those microorganisms could have survived in the extremely cold, airless, completely dark environment for so long.

(image via: Science)

The working theory is that the organisms evolved to use sulfate to “breathe” the ferric iron, and lived on the very small amounts of organic matter that were trapped in the subglacial pocket with them millions of years ago. The discovery is significant because similar conditions are present on some extraterrestrial bodies; knowing that such life forms exist here on Earth make it easier to believe that somewhere out there in space, there could be similar colonies of microbes surviving at extreme temperatures with no oxygen and no light.

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Signs Of Life

(images via: Inner City Snail and More Intelligent Life)

Famed urban guerrilla artist Banksy is not alone in turning London’s mean streets into evocative canvasses of subversive subculture. Meet Slinkachu, a 30-year-old street artist who’s based in London but has done “work” in a number of large European cities. “In 2008 I started the ‘Inner City Snail’ project, involving the decoration of snails that I find around London. After decoration, the snails are then placed back, free to go about their business in the city.”

(image via: Papersurfer)

Why paint snails? Slinkachu reasons that projects like Inner City Snail can be interpreted in a number of ways – a keystone of art that makes one think. As well, though he can be classified as a street artist, works like Inner City Snail can be seen as satirizing the genre of street art. Society’s relentless desire to appropriate every available inch of the cityscape for advertising, signage and even illegal graffiti is mocked in miniature by these pictorially modified gastropods.

Tiny Tags, Tinier Taggers

(image via: Inner City Snail)

Slinkachu selected a number of hardy London snails to become part of Inner City Snail; once “prepared”, they were gently released to continue their slow-motion journey through England’s largest city.

For those who have qualms as to the morality of painting a living creature, Slinkachu stresses that the paint used may be long-lasting but it’s also non-toxic. As he puts it, “No snails were harmed, they just had their homes vandalized”.

Human Es-Cargo

(images via: Kanye Universe City and Inner City Snail)

In his online presentation of Inner City Snails, Slinkachu provides a series of images that quickly zoom out, bringing the small size of the illustrated snails and the intricacy of their designs into perspective. Not only paint is used – tiny plastic figurines are photographed either alongside their hard-shelled co-stars or, in the case above, affixed to them to be a permanent part of the roving exhibit.

Shell Out For Parking Fines

(images via: Inner City Snail)

Sure, snails move slowly but slow enough to attract parking tickets? Sad but true – London’s a big city and it can use all the revenue it can get. Hard to think how the unfortunate snail above is going to pay the fine… and if it doesn’t? Well, there’s always Snail Jail.

The Road Less Traveled, More Painted

(images via: Concrete-Canvas and Quirky Insider)

Slinkachu’s styled snails (and others of their ilk) are a movable feast – for the eyes, at least. Imagine coming across one of the artist’s “models” while enjoying an outdoor work break or simply sitting in one’s garden at home?

(image via: McCrappy)

It’s doubtful anyone could fail to be affected in some manner by any artistically modified snail. Love them or hate them, living artworks like Inner City Snails are certain to move anyone who encounters them… albeit very slowly.

Living Color

(image via: FreakingNews)

Slinkachu hardly has a monopoly on the questionable practice of painting snails. Take the example above, obviously crafted by someone of some talent but who prefers to let their work speak for them. It bears repeating that anyone seeking to emulate Slinkachu by attempting their own series of snail shell artistry should ensure that they use only non-toxic paints.

This Is Sparta?

(image via: Ant Graffiti)

Though it appears by the looks of it to be a semi-skilled work of photo-shoppery, the snail above is more noteworthy for the message than for the medium. “Ant-agonize All Humans”, reads the glammed-up gastropod above, which hails from Sparta, Georgia. Wouldn’t it be cool if there were 300 of them sliming about? Wouldn’t it be even cooler if they decided to invade Athens?

(image via: MaikT)

Painted or not, snail shells are marvels of natural engineering and evolutionary design. Are we humans so arrogant as to think we can improve on a design that can trace its lineage back hundreds of millions of years? Perhaps “improve” isn’t the right word… “complement” works much better.

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Nothing puts the imminent threat of rising seas or the size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch into perspective quite like an effective information graphic. Infographics make complex data or information much more accessible, which definitely comes in handy when you’re trying to make sense of things like the half-formed arguments of global warming skeptics. Some of these great eco-infographics are scary, others are hopeful or humorous, but they’re all really effective.

Click on each image to view details in the larger version.

When Sea Levels Attack

(image via: The Guardian)

At the current predicted rate of rising seas, when will each city in the world go under? This visually striking infographic organizes cities by their height above sea level, and at just 1 meter above sea level, Venice will be the first to go within about 100 years. Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Lower Manhattan and San Francisco wouldn’t be too far behind, while London and Taiwan – at 20 meters above sea level – have about 1000 years before the party’s over. Of course, this graphic uses the lowest, most conservative figures available – so it could be much worse, much sooner.

A Core Set of Environmental Indicators

(image via: cool infographics)

We’ve known for a while now that something needs to be done about serious environmental issues like threatened species, drinking water and CO2 emissions – but have these issues really gotten any better? This infographic breaks down progress on core issues during the period between 1995-2005, making it easy to see that while we’re doing great in correcting ozone depletion, energy and governance, we’ve got a long way to go on greenhouse gases and the oceans.

The Effects of Bike Commuting on Obesity

(image via: good.is)

If we all rode bikes instead of driving cars to work, how much healthier would we be as a whole? This chart shows the percentage of people in various countries who commute on bicycles (in green) and people who get around on foot (in orange), along with a graphic representation of a person on a bicycle that reveals the percentage of the population that’s overweight.

The Facts About Bottled Water

(image via: online education)

Just how much damage does bottled water do to the planet? This infographic breaks down the disturbing facts – like the fact that 22% of bottled water brands contain contaminants at levels above strict state limits, that 17 million barrels of oil are used annually in the production of water bottles and that it takes three times the amount of water to produce a bottle as it does to fill it.

How Long Will It Last?

(image via: infographics blog)

How many years do we have left of resources like aluminum, zinc and tin if we keep using them at the current rates? We’re damn near out of inidium, used to make LCDs, with just about 4 years left on the clock and a 0% recycling rate. The darker shade of each spoke on the wheel represents the years left at today’s rate, while the lighter shade shows how long we have if the world consumes at half the US consumption rate.

What’s the Difference Between Humans & Animals?

(image via: metrobest)

We consider ourselves to be pretty special, but the truth is, every year scientists are finding characteristics that we once considered “purely human” in other species. Elephants have empathy, apes have a sense of humor, dolphins have culture and even magpies have self-awareness.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

(image via: metrobest)

It can be tough to wrap your head around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. How big is it? What’s in it? Where did it all come from, and how is it affecting marine life and ecosystems? It’s all here to ponder, and quite incredible to see the size of it compared to the gigantic state of Alaska, located to the north of it.

Surface Area Required to Power the World

(image via: information is beautiful)

If we were to power the entire world with solar energy alone, producing zero emissions, how much land would it take? The answer is astounding. We’ve got the land – we just need the dedication, the materials and the technology.

The Global Warming Skeptics vs. The Scientific Consensus

(image via: sodahead.com)

The so-called ‘global warming debate’ is complex in terms of defining the precise points on which skeptics and climate scientists disagree. The main issues are pinpointed here – the ‘CO2 lag’, reliability of temperature records, the medieval warm period, the hockey stick graph and more.

The Coming Water Wars

(image via: princeton university)

“Of all the water on Earth, only 2.5% is fresh, and less than 0.007% is readily available to people through rivers, lakes, and streams. As worldwide populations surge, temperatures rise, climates change and diseases spread, clean water will become even more essential (and more rare).”

Globalization: Starbucks vs. McDonalds

(image via: princeton university)

Starbucks and McDonalds are global forces, but each in their own way. While Starbucks has indeed spread across the world, its sales – about $4.1 billion annually – are still dwarfed by those of McDonalds, which top $41 billion a year. This graph of McDonalds locations around the world looks like some kind of plague. Meanwhile, it takes 19 countries to make one cup of Starbucks coffee.

How do Carbon Offsets Work?

(image via: the onion)

When you pay for a carbon offset so you can take a guilt-free international flight, what exactly happens to that money? It’s a long and winding road, as illustrated by this humorous graphic from The Onion. “Enjoy your clear conscience for 0.13 seconds, the amount of time that will lapse before your carbon offset is entirely erased by a new coal-powered drinking-straw factory outside of Chongqing, China.”

None of These Rainforest Species Are Endangered

(image via: gizmodo)

The list of endangered rainforest species is depressing… chimps, orangutans, jaguars, Bengal tigers, toucans and gray mice are all going the way of the wooly mammoth. But don’t forget that there’s also a nice long list of species that are doing fine, like the Le Tourneau 5594 Log Stacker and the John Deere S43 J Feller/Brancher.

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(Images via: Babble, Belief Net, SACO, Flickr, Woodbridge, Mental Floss, Oregon Mag)

Male pregnancy is a rare but real phenomenon in the animal kingdom. In some instances, male pregnancy is the result of man-made chemicals having strange effects on male frogs and bass, prompting weird intersex developments. In other situations, male pregnancy is a natural part of how seahorses, pipefish and leafy sea dragons reproduce. Whatever the case, males taking the reproductive roles of females provide bizarre and surprisingly fascinating studies.

Common Weed Killer Causes Some Male Frogs to Lay Eggs

(Images via: Flickr, SF Gate, Magic Canoe, Jeremy Biggs)

Did you know that one of the most common weed killers can cause drastic changes in male frogs, transforming them into females that lay eggs? In a recent study, 40 male African clawed frogs were raised from infancy to adulthood in a solution containing the chemical Atrazine, which is found in many weed killers. According to the study’s findings, 10 percent of the 40 frogs apparently developed into females. Upon dissection, 2 of the 4 transformed frogs maintained their male DNA despite also displaying ovaries. As for the other two transformed frogs, they mated with male frogs and laid eggs that produced male offspring. Previously, Atrazine had been shown to decrease sperm and testosterone and cause some male frogs to mate with other males rather than female frogs. Now it appears that the chemical can apparently cause some males to become near female frogs, a strange development to say the least.

Feminized Fish: Intersex Development in Male Bass

(Images via: Harkness, Seqfish, Fishing Fury, Big Fish Tackle)

Just as Atrazine has a surprising effect on male frogs, other pesticides and even prescription drugs and pills have been shown to affect male species of fish after entering U.S. rivers, streams and other bodies of water. In 2004, researchers discovered male bass laying eggs (see top left and bottom right images) in the Potomac River, a strange occurrence that was attributed to contaminants that included natural hormones and were excreted by humans and livestock. According to a survey around this time period, 42 percent of male bass in the Potomac showed signs of intersex development, which refers to one sex displaying both testicular and ovarian tissue, while 79 percent displayed some sort of sexual abnormality. A year later, intersex fish were found in tributaries in West Virginia. More recently, researchers have noted how antidepressants and other wastewater compounds disrupt the endocrine systems of male fish and cause them to become feminized and lay eggs.

Seahorses: Wombs That Would Make Kangaroos Proud

(Images via: Bukisa, Wet Web Media, Dive Gallery, Fused Jaw)

Prior to these recent intersex discoveries in male frogs and bass, only a few other male animal species demonstrated pregnancy. Probably most famous among these species is the male seahorse, which takes on a reproductive role that is opposite to what is most commonly seen in nature. Male seahorses compete with each other not to impregnate female seahorses but to be impregnated. During seahorse mating, the female deposits unfertilized eggs into the male’s brood pouch. The male seahorse then fertilizes the eggs with his own sperm, thus initiating a three-week pregnancy that is marked by an inability to move around and search for food. After 3 days of labor, the male seahorse will give birth to 200 baby seahorses.

Male Pipefish Breeding: It’s All in the Genes

(Images via: Get A Huge Tank, Flickr, Cold Water Images, Top News)

A member of the same Syngnathidae family as seahorses, male pipefish also carry eggs in a protective pouch before giving birth. A few years back, researchers discovered a specific gene that supports the protective pouches and allows male pipefish pregnancies to occur. Called patristacin, this gene sustains male pipefish pouches, which help regulate the amount of saline in the womb. Interesting but not surprising, the patristacin gene is also found in seahorses and even in the kidneys and livers of other bony fish.

Male Leafy Sea Dragons: Shooting Out Their Offspring

(Images via: Sandshack, Sea Sky, KGOE, Animal Pictures Archive)

There is more to the eye when it comes to the leafy sea dragon, another relative to the seahorse. Not only looking like a piece of floating seaweed, the male leafy sea dragon cares for roughly 250 bright pink eggs that are attached to its tail via a long tube stemming from the female leafy sea dragon partner. After attaching to the male’s brood pouch, the eggs take nine weeks to hatch, changing in color to either purple or orange during this time period. When ready to give birth, the male leafy sea dragon shoots the baby sea dragons out of its tail during a 24-48 hour period. Only 5% of the leafy sea dragons survive, and those that do are pretty much independent from birth.

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Assassin Bug

(images via: NCSU, Creepy Crawly Poetry and Thailand IPM-Info)

Assassin bugs lie in wait for their prey, then ambush it much like James Bond on a secret mission. What follows is somewhat un-Bondish: the assassin bug spears its unfortunate victim with a wickedly curved beak, or rostrum, through which a potent flesh-dissolving enzyme is injected. Once the bug’s saliva has done its dastardly deed, the rostrum becomes a straw through which the prey’s liquified innards are slurped. Personally I’d rather have a martini… shaken, not stirred.

(images via: Ecohealth-101, Science Daily and Help! Nurse!)

Most species of assassin bugs prey on other insects, which is nice considering their revolting way of feeding. I did say “most”, however, so stifle that sigh of relief. Some types of assassin bugs are haematophagous, meaning blood-suckers. The so-called “Kissing Bug” of the genus Triatoma is the most notorious of these, named for its habit of biting sleeping humans on their lips or eyes. If that’s not bad enough, their bites can spread a potentially fatal illness known as Chagas Disease.

Robber Fly

(images via: Thomas Shahan, Bob Mullen and Gallicissa)

These big-eyed beasties are built to kill, though thankfully they limit their deadly attention to other insects. Like assassin bugs, robber flies “prepare” their prey by stabbing it with their beaks, then injecting a potent combo of enzymes that both paralyzes and liquifies the victim from within.

(image via: J Cossey)

Robber flies have 5 eyes, though the huge, multi-faceted compound eyes are much more prominent than the 3 tiny simple eyes located between them. Good vision serves the robber fly well when it goes after its favored prey, which include other flies, moths, dragonflies and even spiders.

Wolf Spider

(images via: Dreamstime, Wolfspiders.net and Allpro Pest Mgmt)

Spiders look scary close-up, with the exception of a few Jumping Spiders that have become popular Internet images. Wolf spiders sound seriously bad and they’ve got the looks to match. Shaggy, with massive venomous fangs and eight eyes of various sizes, wolf spiders patrol the landscape like their lupine namesakes, dispatching most any other creature approximating its size.

(image via: Ryan Photographic)

Wolf spiders express creepiness in another, almost endearing way: when the baby spiders in the egg sac the females carry around with them begin to hatch, the tiny spiderlings clamber up and onto the mother’s back and ride along, sharing in meals and taking advantage of mom’s fearsomely fanged deterrent.

Ant Lion

(images via: Wayne’s This & That and Kensea Media)

If “ant lion” isn’t a scary enough name, how about “sand dragon”? Either way, you just know they’re up to no good. Ant lions have evolved a remarkably complex and unique method of feeding that is their claim to fame: they construct a conical depression in loose sand and hide just beneath the surface at the funnel’s apex. Anything that stumbles into the ant lion’s trap quickly finds that climbing up the sandy slopes take both effort and time – the latter of which is unavailable due to the intervention of the ant lion’s humongous fangs.

(image via: Devan-1)

Ant lions were the likely inspiration for one of the most frightening scenes in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), in which Jabba the Hutt feeds his captives to a sand-dwelling Sarlacc whose lair in the Great Pit of Carkoon lies just beneath Jabba’s floating ship.

Death’s-Head Hawkmoth

(images via: Secret Shropshire, Sansior and Animal Pictures Archive)

Fast-flying hawkmoths are not rare; their large caterpillars are often found on tomato plants and feature a large “horn” on their tail leading to the casual name “tomato hornworm”. Hawkmoths are unusual among moths for their ability to make a high-pitched squeaking noise when irritated. Death’s-head hawkmoths display an eerie, skull-like pattern on their backs that serves no practical purpose other than to, unintentionally, give us the willies.

(images via: Growabrain)

Most people have never seen the death’s-head hawkmoth in the flesh, instead recalling its image from the posters advertising the 1991 horror film The Silence Of The Lambs. A curious fact about the image used on the poster – what appears to be a skull is actually a Salvador Dali portrait of several nude women!

Killer Bees

(images via: Viewzone, Amoeba and Babypoohbarella)

Killer bees are the angry, winged, stinger-equipped poster kids for the maxim “do not mess around with nature!” The original intent was noble enough: toughen up meek European honey bees by breeding them with African bees so their progeny could withstand the rigors of tropical climates. Of course, a hybrid Killer Bee queen soon escaped from the lab and the overly sensitive, swarming critters have been making a beeline (sorry) for the USA ever since.

(image via: Hit The Road)

Killer bees first entered the United States through the town of Hidalgo, Texas, in the autumn of 1990. Seemingly without any other claim to fame or noteworthy roadside attraction, Hidalgo’s city council splurged the better part of their budget on the immense killer bee sculpture shown above. You’ll find it beside city hall, honey.

Tiger Mosquito

(images via: Daily Mail UK and Fohn.net)

Imagine if researchers managed to cross tigers with mosquitoes… then again, let’s not, we already know what happened with the bees. There ARE tiger mosquitoes, however, and though they’re 100% insect they’re also plenty ferocious – and they’re out for your blood! Tiger mosquitos are easy to identify, just look for the striking black and white stripes… and the rapidly expanding blood-red belly.

(image via: Mosquitaire)

Formerly restricted to forest and wetland areas of southeast Asia, modern-day human travel patterns have spread the tiger mosquito to new habitats across the globe. It’s thriving as well; tiger mosquitoes do well in human communities and are active at any time of day instead of merely dawn and dusk.

Hickory Horned Devil

(image via: Entomology for Master Gardeners)

Hickory Horned Devils are the caterpillars of the Regal, or Royal Walnut moth. The caterpillars resemble those of hawkmoths but in this species the “horns” are longer, colored black & red, and come in clusters. Combined with their bright turquoise bodies, the horns really stand out and, it’s assumed, make predators think twice about having them for a snack.

(image via: The Hidden World)

Hickory Horned Devils can be found in the southeastern USA and are North Carolina’s largest caterpillars, growing up to 5 inches long. They’re harmless, though, both to humans and to other insects. Walnut and hickory trees, not so much.

Vampire Moth

(images via: Gigazine)

Vampire Moths are one instance in which the behavior of the creature fully backs up their unpleasant name. Yes indeed, these moths are fully equipped to suck blood from – in their native habitat – water buffalo and also humans if given the opportunity. The male Vampire Moths (females only drink fruit juices) press a barbed proboscis into the skin and drink to their heart’s content.

(image via: Vampirewire)

Entomologists only recently described the ghoulish feeding habits of these moths, possibly because occurrences have been exceedingly rare. On the bright side, it seems that unlike mosquitoes, Vampire Moths do not spread any communicable diseases or parasites when they drink blood.

Bee Wolf

(images via: New Scientist and Wikipedia)

Beewolves, also known as Digger Wasps… nah, “beewolf” is way cooler so I’m sticking with that. The way they got their name is sort of creepy, though: a female beewolf will paralyze a bee by stinging it, afterwhich it takes the doomed insect back to its underground lair and lays an egg on its body. The egg hatches into a larva that burrows into the somnolent bee and eats its fill. Sweet! Another curious habit of beewolves is that as adults they drink nectar – often acquired by “squeezing” the bees they have captured.

(images via: New Scientist and PhysOrg)

Beewolves have been in the news of late, and not because of their supremely rad name. It seems that the creatures have evolved a symbiotic relationship with certain species of bacteria who coat the surfaces of beewolf pupae with antibiotics. This protects the metamorphosing insects within safe from microbial attack during this critical period in their development. In the pair of images above, mass spectrometry was used to highlight the antibiotic compounds on the pupa’s surface.

As awesomely scary as beewolves sound, they don’t frighten everyone – in one Japanese town, digger wasps are baked into crispy crackers as part of a traditional recipe. Recipe for WHAT, who can say… and as for the taste, we’ll just guess that it has a mild sting.

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(Images via: Wonders of Pakistan, Daily Mail, Max Waugh, Consejo, Flickr, It’s Nature, Indy Media, Get Eco Now, Invasive Species East, CMS, Jagtheesh)

Defined as man-, animal- or machine-made noise that has a harmful effect on surrounding life, noise pollution or environmental noise from transportation, construction and many other loud and annoying activities is wreaking havoc on natural habitats and environments. From birds in the sky to elephants on land to dolphins in the sea, noise pollution is threatening all types of species and altering the way in which these animals communicate, mate and even protect themselves from larger predators.

No Solace High Above from Noise Pollution

(Images via: P Base, Science Daily, University of Manchester, Happy Pet Travels)

For many types of bats, owls and birds, noise pollution from planes, machinery and car traffic in urban areas and construction in natural habitats is changing normal ways of life. Environmental noise has been shown to affect the way that bats and owls find and hunt for prey. For example, gleaning bats such as the Bechstein’s bat are less likely to hunt in noisy areas. According to researchers, too much noise pollution could put these animals at risk of extinction by making once fulfilling environments unlivable. While some birds like great tits, waterbirds, birds of prey, corvids and starlings are able to adapt to urban noise by tweeting louder, other birds with lower frequencies are not as adaptable at changing their tunes, which may affect these winged-friends from communicating with and finding each other for mating, and even propel them to fly away to less noisy environments.

Turn Down the Sound on the Ground

(Images via: Flickr, AJ Tours and Transfers Zambia, Free Webs, Wildlife Pictures Online)

For Zimbabwe elephants, helicopters that fly above their herding grounds can be as frighteningly loud as an elephant stampede. As tourist helicopter rides over Victoria Falls (see top right image) have been ramped up in recent years, environmentalists warn that such increased activity may scare the area’s large concentration of elephants, causing them to run and flee to other areas. If such altered elephant behavior occurs as a result of helicopters, environmentalists worry that the entire ecosystem – meaning thousands of other wild animals and birds – will suffer as well. However, the local government has not seemed too concerned about these possibilities, saying that the tourist shows must go on.

The Budweiser Frogs Wouldn’t  Put Up With This

(Images via: AARP, The Magnolias, Bourbonnais Township Park District, University of Oklahoma, P Base)

For female grey tree frogs, increasing noise from nearby traffic has been shown to slow their abilities to listen for and locate male frogs that are calling for their services during the mating season. As for European tree frogs, they simply don’t call as much due to increasing noise pollution. Unfortunately, both grey and European tree frogs have struggled to adapt their calls to the growing demands of increased environmental noise, which environmentalists say could lead to less reproduction and declining populations of these frogs.

I Don’t Mean To Be A Crab But Please Be Quiet

(Images via: Learnativity, King Snake, Built City)

While hermit crabs are equipped with great protection (their shells) from larger predators, they are not as quick to shield themselves when environmental noise is present. According to a recent study, hermit crabs that were distracted by nearby noises from boats were slower to hide in their shells when presented with a simulated predator, in this case a donut that was covered with a black T-shirt and attached to a pole swung near the crabs. Based on the study’s findings, the hermit crabs in quiet areas quickly hid from the potential predator. On the other hand, the hermit crabs in noisy areas appeared distracted by the boat noise and did not retract as quickly, suggesting to researchers how noise can put crabs in a disadvantageous position when predators are near.

Hardly Noise Free under the Sea

(Images via: Okinawa, Flickr, Anon, Switched)

The deep blue sea would seem to offer some peace and quiet for whales, dolphins and porpoises, but this is not the case as noise from sonar, commercial shipping and drilling for oil and gas are causing great harm. In the case of military sonar and seismic testing, it is believed that whales, dolphins and porpoises can become scared by the high-pitch sounds, causing them to surface in water that is beyond their physical limits and beach themselves. Communication among these animals is also affected by underwater noise pollution like sonar, which has caused some dolphins to go temporarily deaf and whales to be separated from their calves. Sadly, it doesn’t appear that the ocean’s noise level is going to be reduced any time soon, that is unless some more stringent sound regulations are passed. With climate change, the oceans are expected to get noisier as molecules that usually absorb sound are changed by the water becoming more acidic. In fact, some experts are predicting that sound absorption in the ocean may decrease by 60 percent and that underwater noise may travel 70 percent further in the future as a result of climate change.

Beetles and Loud Rock Music: Literal Beatle Mania

(Images via: Photobucket, Chesapeake Tree Services, Sky Blu, Myremecos)

Loud noise is detrimental to so many species that scientists are using it to their advantage, in this case for more noble purposes. To combat the effects of ravenous bark beetles that are damaging many types of trees (see top right image), researchers recently conducted an experiment in which loud rock music from Metallica, Guns & Roses and Queen and backward recordings of Rush Limbaugh were blasted near trees infested with these beetles. According to the study’s findings, the loud noise severely bothered the beetles to the point where it disrupted their tunneling, feeding and reproduction habits. In some cases, the loud recordings caused the beetles to kill each other, thus possibly providing a new way to handle these pests and save infested trees. Of course, this experiment was performed in a controlled laboratory setting and does not take into account how the music would affect birds and other species that live in the trees. Judging by the response of most animals to noise pollution, such music would likely be problematic for these other animals despite eradicating one major problem: annoying bark beetles.

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(Images via: South Villa Orlando, Flickr, Wikimedia)

Since the sad and shocking death of a SeaWorld trainer who was attacked by a killer whale earlier this week, much speculation has ensued about what would happen to Tilikum, the 12,000 pound orca in question. Earlier today, SeaWorld’s president announced that Tilikum will not be euthanised or punished for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who suffered multiple injuries and drowned after being grabbed by the ponytail and dragged into the water by the whale during a session of SeaWorld’s Shamu Believe Show on Wednesday.

In a press conference this morning, SeaWorld added that the controversial Tilikum, which had been linked with two prior human deaths, will continue to be featured in the park’s upcoming shows, set to resume on Saturday. While a review of the killer whale attack is ongoing, SeaWorld said that trainers will not be allowed to swim with any of the park’s killer whales, which have been cast into a national spotlight following this tragedy.

The Misleading Name of the Killer Whale

(Images via: Yale, Yukul, Nature Crusaders)

Here are a few surprising facts about killer whales before examining this week’s stunning attack in more detail. Killer whales, or orcas, are not actually whales but the world’s largest dolphins. Powerful predators that stalk seals, sea lions, and even other whales and sharks for food and survival, killer whales are generally not seen as a threat to humans. While there have been several killer whale attacks on humans in confined settings over the years, these situations have often been described as isolated and rare incidents.

So What May Have Prompted the Killer Whale Attack?

(Image via: Julie Fletcher/Orlando Sentinel/Associated Press)

While SeaWorld has not admitted human error on behalf of Brancheau (seen above), her mentor has indicated that she likely made a mistake by getting too close to the whale’s face. According to some reports, Brancheau was lying in rather than standing in an area meant to interact with the whale. It is suspected that Brancheau’s hair may have brushed Tilikum’s face and even its mouth, which may have confused the whale and caused it to attack the trainer. Sadly, this event happened in front of an audience that was initially unsure what was occurring until the orca started violently thrashing the trainer.

Tilikum’s Controversial Past Adds to Mystery

(Images via: Free Webs, MySpace)

Even before this week’s attack, SeaWorld trainers reportedly were not supposed to be in the water with Tilikum due to the killer whale’s history. Tilikum was one of three killer whales that drowned a SeaWorld trainer in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1991. Eight years later, a dead man was found floating on Tilikum’s back. It was later determined that the man sneaked into the whale’s tank and drowned. With the whale’s history in light of this week’s death, there has naturally been some people who’ve wondered if Tilikum is a danger to its trainers and should be killed. Apparently, SeaWorld does not feel that this is the case, as evident in its decision to keep the killer whale a part of its shows and its explanation that the circumstances surrounding all three deaths varied.

Early Reaction to SeaWorld’s Handling of Tilikum

(Images via: Thunda Funda, Answers in Genesis, SMH)

According to those close to Brancheau, she would have never wanted Tillikum to be harmed, thus suggesting that she would have been happy with the park’s decision. Likely not as happy with the decision, PETA and other organizations have argued that this killer whale attack is further evidence of the dangers of taking animals out of their natural habitats, and then called for Tilikum to be released gradually into the wild, a scenario that others say is not viable since the whale has become so dependent on humans for its survival. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to monitor when Tilikum is incorporated back into SeaWorld’s shows and to gauge how killer whales in general are viewed in terms of audience attendance and public opinion. Also worth noting, SeaWorld has said that Tilikum has not been separated from the park’s other orcas since the attack, although the whale was not present in a glass tank of killer whales that was directly behind today’s press conference.

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