Nick Lee

Can A Polar Bear Defeat A Lion, Tiger, Gorilla Or Grizzly Bear In Battle?

By Nick Lee | August 4, 2021

Before polar bears became our most iconic symbol of climate change, they were more often a symbol of terrifying animal strength. Anyone old enough to have played pioneering fight game Tekken 2 in the mid nineties will likely remember the polar bear, Kuma. Other characters had laser beams which blasted out of their eyes or fists which turned into balls of fire, but Kuma’s special move was actually the most satisfying – lumbering to his feet he would smash both of his enormous claws together, dropping even the strongest enemy to the floor quivering and bleeding, and very often dead.

Are Snapping Turtles Dangerous To Humans?

By Nick Lee | August 24, 2020

While their name might make them sound menacing, snapping turtles are very docile creatures. They won’t attack unless provoked or if they feel vulnerable.

Does The Executioner Wasp Have The Most Painful Sting?

By Nick Lee | August 14, 2020

An executioner wasp has an excruciating sting, something which is believed to be one of the most painful in the world. If stung, it can leave behind some nasty side effects.

Hedgehog vs Porcupine: Whatʼs the Difference?

By Nick Lee | August 12, 2020

At first glance, hedgehogs and porcupines might look similar, but they are quite different from each other. These animals not only vary in their sizes, but have a different diet, defense skills, and habitat. This article will explore some of the major differences between them and how you can tell them apart.

Wolf vs Cougar, Bear and Hyena: Who Would Win In A Fight?

By Nick Lee | August 16, 2021

Wolves hold a special and fearful place in the human imagination. After all, the idea of the werewolf has terrified us for almost two millennia. A form of the werewolf appears in ancient Greek sources, although the concept began truly flourishing in European myths from the fifteenth century onwards. It soon spread to America, and even led to so-called werewolves being persecuted and killed as part of the international witch trials. It’s hard to imagine another animal creating quite the same kind of fear – weremooses, weresheep and even werefoxes just don’t feel quite as chilling.

10 Fascinating Facts About Queen Ants

By Nick Lee | August 4, 2020

Did you know ants rely on a queen for survival? Without her, the colony would collapse and eventually vanish. The queen ant is notably different from other ants thanks to her vast size and unique colors. Below are 10 more intriguing facts about queen ants and why they’re so important.

The Billion Ant Supercolony Taking Over The World

By Nick Lee | August 4, 2020

It’s been a year where invasion metaphors have, well, invaded our lives. There’s been the global spread of Covid-19, for example, which has often been compared to an enemy force taking over the world country by country. Then there was the brief terror in the US over the invasion of murder hornets. But did you know that there was already an invasive species we found new facts out about this year, one which numbers in the billions and has already taken over six continents? No, not humans, but Argentine ants.

Rats Will Avoid Actions That Hurt Others – Even If It Earns Them A Treat

By Nick Lee | July 28, 2020

A new study has found that rats, like humans, will avoid actions that can cause pain to their fellow beings.

This trait is known as harm aversion.

Researchers believe their findings will help scientists develop new treatments to increase harm aversion in human patients who show psychopathic behavior.

“We share a mechanism that prevents antisocial behaviour with rats, which is extremely exciting to me,” says professor Christian Keysers, study group leader at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. “We can now use all the powerful tools of brain science to explore how to increase harm aversion in antisocial patients.”

Do Ants Sleep?

By Nick Lee | September 21, 2020

Take a look at even the strangest creatures in the world, such as the shape-shifting, poison-wielding, flashing-skinned flamboyant cuttlefish, and we can normally still relate to them in some way. They are individuals, like us, after all. They are driven by the same basic instincts – food, safety, reproduction and an insatiable need for moving lights, even if theirs is on their skin and ours is on our smartphones.

A colony of ants, however, seems truly alien because of their group consciousness, sometimes called the hive mind. Ants don’t act for themselves, they act selflessly and continuously in service of their colony, to the point where an ant which deliberately explodes itself as a sacrificial defense tactic for its comrades has been discovered.

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9 Unique Ways Animals Catch Their Prey

By Nick Lee | July 23, 2020

Most people imagine animals running after their prey. While some animals like lions like the direct approach, some animals have developed crafty and clever methods to seize their meals. Below you’ll discover a few unique methods animals use to catch prey.

5 Animals That Get Drunk In Nature

By Nick Lee | July 17, 2020

You might be surprised to learn that it’s not just humans that can get drunk. Many different animals can get a little tipsy after enjoying some bad fruit or flower nectar. Below you’ll discover some of the most common creatures to get drunk and the side effects that come with it.

What Animals Sleep Standing Up?

By Nick Lee | July 16, 2020

Humans have in fact been arguing about which animals lie down to sleep for more than two millennia, particularly disagreeing over which are are physically incapable. In 350 BC an apparently irritated Aristotle firmly debunked the myths that elephants were incapable of lying down: “what is asserted of the elephant by some is not true (ie that he cannot sit or bend his knees) for he can do both.” By the sounds of it, the argument had been raging for some time.