Wild World

The hoatzin doesn’t exactly scream ‘social butterfly.’ This prehistoric-looking bird—sometimes called the stinkbird because it smells

I used to think Gila monsters were just these sluggish, beaded lizards that occasionally bit someone in Arizona. Turns out, they’re one of only two

I used to think mantis shrimp were just the ocean’s weirdest punchers. Turns out, these crustaceans—officially stomatopods, but everyone calls them

I used to think quokkas were just another marsupial until I saw one grinning at a camera on Rottnest Island. The quokka—Setonix brachyurus, if you want

I used to think goblin sharks were just ugly. Then I held one—or tried to hold one, anyway—during a research trip off the coast of Japan in 2018, and the

I used to think squirrels were impressive with their buried acorns. Then I met the Clark’s nutcracker—well, not met exactly, but spent an embarrassing

The blue-ringed octopus doesn’t advertise its deadliness the way a rattlesnake does. I’ve spent years watching these creatures in tide pools

I used to think gibbons just made noise to mark territory. Turns out, their vocal repertoire is way more sophisticated than that—like, orchestra-level sophisticated.

I used to think monkeys hated water. Growing up, every nature documentary showed primates clinging to branches during floods, looking miserable and drenched

I used to think cassowaries were just oversized turkeys with bad attitudes until I watched one gulp down a fruit the size of a grapefruit without even blinking.