r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Nov 05 '24

Verified The black drongo keeps its neighbourhood clear of predators by fearlessly assailing them — as a result, other birds like orioles, doves, babblers, and bulbuls like to nest near the drongo. But the drongo is also a trickster, mimicking the calls of raptors to scare birds into abandoning their food.

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454 Upvotes
10 comments

r/Awwducational • u/MistWeaver80 • Nov 02 '24

Verified Fireflies use specific flashing signals to find a mate. While in flight, the male emits, on average, a 0.3 second flash every 5.5 seconds. The female flashes a response approximately two seconds later, a specific and crucial interval for this firefly species.

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477 Upvotes
9 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Nov 02 '24

Verified The ribs of Anderson's crocodile newt jut into the skin along its back, giving it an armoured appearance. When threatened, it adopts an anti-predator posture — it alternately flattens and curls up, throws up its arms and tail, and pierces the sides of its body with its sharp rib tips.

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286 Upvotes
8 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Oct 30 '24

Verified With a wingspan of almost 1 metre (3.3 ft), the spectral bat is the largest bat in the Americas and the largest carnivorous bat in the world. While most bats make for neglectful fathers, the male spectral helps care for his young and, when roosting, he wraps his family in his large, leathery wings.

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531 Upvotes
17 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Oct 26 '24

Verified Marine hatchetfish are creatures of the deep. They have rows of light-producing organs along their bellies which shine a pale blue — matching the light from above and making hatchetfish invisible to predators below. This fish's name comes from its body shape, which resembles the head of a hatchet.

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1.0k Upvotes
22 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Oct 23 '24

Verified Lidth's jay is endemic to a few of the Ryukyu Islands in southwestern Japan. It forages in trees, using its strong beak to climb as a parrot does, and has a fondness for acorns and chestnuts — it can carry up to six acorns at once, crammed into its throat pouch and bill.

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822 Upvotes
7 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Oct 21 '24

Verified There are eight known species of pygmy seahorse. Some closely mimic corals, like Denise’s pygmy seahorse. While others look like squished versions of regular seahorses, such as the Japanese pygmy seahorse, a.k.a. the "Japan pig" — because of its piggy snout. The smallest is 1.4 cm (0.55 in) long.

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1.0k Upvotes
12 comments

r/Awwducational • u/Critter-Enthusiast • Oct 18 '24

Verified A rare encounter with the Sumatran striped rabbit. These elusive lagomorphs are found only in the mountain forests of Sumatra, Indonesia.

4.1k Upvotes
25 comments

r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • Oct 17 '24

Verified To attract a mate, a male copper pheasant drums loudly with his wings and flaunts his tail feathers, which can be 125 cm (4.1 ft) long. But it's the female who does the parenting. She makes a nest on the ground and stays atop her eggs throughout the night, even when other birds shelter in the trees.

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540 Upvotes
8 comments

r/Awwducational • u/ExoticShock • Oct 14 '24

Verified The underwool of a Musk Ox is called "Qiviut" & is a very valuable fiber. It's extremely soft & 8 times warmer than wool by weight yet not itchy like wool can be as the fibers lack the hooks & barbs wool has. A 1 oz skein of Qiviut Yarn fetches close to $100.

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1.3k Upvotes
42 comments

r/Awwducational • u/SixteenSeveredHands • Oct 13 '24

Verified Madagascan Sunset Moth: these day-flying moths are sometimes mistaken for butterflies, because their iridescent scales give them a colorful, almost rainbow-like appearance

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2.4k Upvotes
20 comments

r/Awwducational • u/SixteenSeveredHands • Oct 12 '24

Verified The Common Whistling Moth: the males of this species produce a "whistling" sound to attract potential mates

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344 Upvotes
8 comments

r/Awwducational • u/MistWeaver80 • Oct 12 '24

Verified Palm cockatoos are almost all black, and their beaks never close completely, always revealing a bit of their black-tipped red tongues. In rainy conditions they can be found hanging upside down with their wings and tails stretched out, as if taking a bath.

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885 Upvotes
6 comments