The pangolin was brought to Thailand's first-ever wildlife hospital, run by WFFT, for assessment after the animal was discovered for sale. Time is of the essence when to comes to pangolin rescues as these unique animals typically do not do well in captivity and may quickly succumb to dehydration and stress.

Pangolins are insect-eating mammals from Asia and Africa known for their armoured coat of overlapping scales that help protect against attacks from predators. The only mammals to sport this scaly exterior, pangolins are also equipped with sharp claws for digging out ants, termites and larvae and a long, sticky tongue for scooping them up. 

There are eight known species of pangolins in the world, four that live in Africa and four in Asia, and all of them are threatened by rampant poaching.

The rescued animal brought into WFFT's care is believed to be a Sunda (or Malayan) pangolin, a critically endangered species found throughout Southeast Asia. Like all pangolins, these animals are sought after for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in some countries, and their scales, which are used in Asian traditional medicine despite there being no evidence of their medicinal efficacy.

After a thorough checkup, the rescued pangolin was deemed fit for release. The team selected a large patch of forest in a nearby national park and placed the animal beside a termite nest in the hopes of helping it settle in.

WFFT are hopeful that stories like this will assist in raising awareness of the plight of these animals as well as highlighting the importance of protecting them. "It’s estimated that at least one pangolin is killed every hour in Asia," explains Tom Taylor, Project Director at WFFT. "That makes a release like this one so important to help protect pangolins in Thailand, and preserve their population for future generations."

Uys and a handful of Sabi Sand staff members were enjoying a quiet afternoon game drive when word came in that a leopard mom and her cubs had been spotted in the area. "We made our way into the sighting and found that the mother had hoisted an impala into the tree, and the cubs were making their way towards the tree to feed," Uys told Latest Sightings.

The young leopards did not appear interested in the meal, Uys explained. After a grooming session with its mom, one of the leopard cubs began to make its way towards the vehicle Uys was in. "It proceeded to walk past the front of the vehicle, and I anticipated it to come out on the other side," Uys said.

Instead, curiosity got the better of the youngster and it clambered onto the foot rest of the tracker seat. "As it moved further into the vehicle, our guide grew wary," Uys recalled. Although the cub appeared to be acting out of inquisitiveness, this kind of proximity can be problematic and may lead to dangerous situations in the future. When the leopard placed its paw on the bonnet of the vehicle, the safari guide "made the right decision and began making noise to deter the young leopard."

"The young cub gave a reluctant snarl and hopped off the vehicle. It moved a short distance away and continued to observe this strange green object that smelled of diesel and humans."

It's rare to enjoy this kind of proximity to a leopard and, while it made for an exciting encounter for Uys and his group, it's always a good idea to keep your distance from wild animals.

Top header image: Colin, Flickr

A Florida family recently shared a close encounter with a group of manatees while enjoying the surf in the Fort Pierce Inlet area. The Blais family with their 11-year-old twin boys, Logan and Evan, were surfing when they were approached by four curious sea cows. Two of the chunky herbivores swam off while the remaining pair stayed behind to investigate the twins and their surfboards.

The family’s GoPro captured the interaction which was later posted on Facebook by the twin's parents, Lisa and Brandon Blais. The clip shows a manatee close to Evan and his surfboard. As it neared, Evan lost his nerve and abandoned the board, which the manatee quickly claimed with its floppy flipper. With the surfboard under its forelimb, the manatee started to swim away while Evan watched on, giggling nervously.

Lucky for the Blais family, the surfboard was returned and the close encounter was a friendly one. Manatees are generally docile creatures and don’t have a bad reputation when it comes to interactions with humans.

These 500-kilogram (1100-pound) herbivores are fairly common residents in Florida’s salt and freshwater areas, however, their numbers have drastically declined in recent years primarily as a result of pollution that has negatively impacted the seagrass ecosystems on which they depend. So far this year, 631 manatees deaths have been recorded, a reduction from last year, but still the fourth highest death toll documented since records began nearly half a century ago. 

Cold weather also played a role in the sudden deaths of manatees in the 2020/21 winter, with already starving animals unable to tolerate chilly conditions. State and federal authorities are expected to repeat emergency feeding programmes that were put in place last year to assist the struggling sea cows. It's unclear when (or if) their seagrass habitats will recover.

Although sea cows are known to be gentle giants, it is not advisable to touch or feed them (aside from state-sanctioned feeding programmes) as this may lead to habituation and human-animal conflict over time. As for Logan, Evan, and the rest of the Blais family, it was a surf outing they’ll never forget.

New species have just been added to the list to replace those that have been rediscovered courtesy of the Search for Lost Species program. So this Valentine's Day, forget about jewellery and overpriced dinners and instead show some love for the species desperately seeking to be seen and wishing for better conservation policies that protect them long into the future (and chocolate probably, because even blind salamanders deserve chocolate).

Fat Catfish

Once described as “the closest a fish could get to the Michelin Man,” the fat catfish is one bootilicious bottom-dweller. Only ten records exist for the unique species with the last known specimen collected back in 1957 in Lake Tota in the Andes Mountains – the only place the fish is known to live. Before their disappearance, the voluptuous catfish were sometimes caught and their fat extracted for use in lamps, but that's unlikely to be the reason they vanished. Some theories suggest that the introduction of trout may have played a role. Ichthyologists are hopeful that the freshwater heavyweights are still hiding out in the bottom of Lake Tota waiting to make a dramatic reentrance into the scientific literature.

Togo Mouse

If short and mysterious is your cup of tea then the Togo mouse is just the lost species for you. Known only from two individuals collected in 1890, the rodents are thought to hang out in pockets of forest in Ghana and Togo. If the stomach contents of the two specimens on record are anything to go by, an insect dinner is preferred, while their short tails suggest that they probably spend most of their time on the ground rather than scrambling around in the tree canopy. Efforts to find the species have thus far been unsuccessful but local knowledge from hunters and field staff suggest that they could still be out there. The best ones are worth waiting for.

Dwarf Hutia

Last seen 85 years ago, the dwarf hutia is a guinea pig-like rodent that once lived all over Cuba. Competition with introduced species like black rats and mongooses pushed the species to the brink. If they are still out there, it's likely that they are hiding out in the Zapata Swamp, a remote wilderness 150 kilometres (93 miles) southeast of Havana. While most rodents give birth to many offspring in a single litter, the dwarf hutia has just one baby at a time, which is one of the reasons population growth is likely to be slow.

South Island kōkako

The New Zealand Department of Conservation had all but given up on the South Island kōkako and declared the species extinct in 2008. But in 2013 new evidence surfaced of a verified sighting from six years earlier that allowed them to overturn their decision. No confirmed reports of the birds have surfaced since, but ornithologists and birders remain hopeful that the crow-like kōkako are still out there singing their melancholy tune.

Blanco blind salamander

To describe the Blanco blind salamander as an introvert would probably be an understatement. The species is only known from a single discovery back in 1951 by a team of workers excavating a crevice in the bed of Texas's Blanco River (which was dry at the time). The spot where they were found has since been buried in gravel and sediment and it's unknown if the salamanders are still hiding out in underground aquifers. They have the sort of dogged survivability you'd hope for in a lost species: they can breathe through their skin, are depigmented and probably feed on groundwater invertebrates. The search has already begun to find out if these hardy creatures have managed to survive declining groundwater quality and quantity. We're rooting for a rediscovery (just look at that grin).

Header image: Auckland Museum Collections

A round of golf in South Africa's Kruger National Park comes with uniquely challenging hazards ... 

While on a recent, early morning inspection of the golf course at Skukuza rest camp – the largest camp and also administrative headquarters of South Africa's Kruger Park – greenskeeper Jean Rossouw filmed a leopard 'teeing off' in an altogether feline fashion. The young cat couldn't resist stalking and pouncing on the tee markers much like a playful house cat, before eventually bounding off into the surrounding bushveld.

"I was inspecting the course to see what damage the animals had caused on Wednesday [September 8, 2021] night," Roussouw told a local news outlet. "Upon arrival at the second tee box, I came across this usually skittish, but on this day very playful, female leopard." The big cat is known to roam the area and this was not the greenskeeper's first encounter with the leopard. "Fear not, golfers can still enjoy a round," he insisted. "She [the leopard] poses little to danger to humans. That is, if you respect her in her natural habitat," he added. 

The Skukuza golf course – constructed in the early 1970s as a recreational facility for camp staff, but later made accessible to all visitors to the Kruger Park – is unfenced and it's not uncommon for uninvited spectators to stroll onto the fairways. The second tee seems to be particularly popular with predators having played host to a clan of hyenas earlier this year:

If it's a wild, close-to-nature round of golf you're after, nine holes at Skukuza should do the trick.

Top header image: Mihael Hercog/Flickr

But the latest news items concerning golf-course beasts are focused on a shaggier, more warm-blooded variety. Namely Ursus americanus, the American black bear, star of not one but two viral videos this month.

Good morning to these baby bears playing on the green and to these baby bears only. pic.twitter.com/at64chSGjd

— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) August 9, 2021

In one, taken by Arden Botha and all over social-media channels at this point, a trio of black-bear cubs are out and about – and apparently very much ready to rumble – on a golf course at Lake Toxaway in western North Carolina. One full-of-moxie cub engages in mock battle with a flagstick: tackling and wrestling it, spurred on, it seems, by its opponent’s dogged springiness. Its two littermates, meanwhile, aim the same kind of pugilistic spirit at one another in the background. All three of them showing plenty of devil-may-care spunk out there on the course, but presumably watched over by mama bear somewhere off-camera.

The second widely shared video hails from across the continent, in western Canada: the Swaneset Bay Resort & Country Club in British Columbia, to be exact. There, golfer Tim Jeves was recently unnerved by the sight of a black bear running straight at him, spooked by a golf cart. “Honestly, I didn’t have time to really think,” Jeves told USA Today/FTW Outdoors. “I won’t say I ran, but I definitely didn’t back away slowly. I was moving quickly and loudly calling out, ‘Hey bear! Hey bear!’”

The bear, as it happens, didn’t pursue Jeves, but rather retreated to a tree before engaging in a nervous-looking faceoff with his abandoned golf clubs. Jeves labeled his video “Stationary Golf Clubs Worthy Adversary for Scared Bear.”

American black bears are thought to be the most numerous of the world’s ursids, and they not only range across a goodly portion of the North American continent, but show an impressive adaptability to many developed rural and suburban spaces within that domain. And that puts quite a few golf courses within their potential stomping-ground.

Should you yourself run into a black bear during your game, give it plenty of room and calmly back away. Such an animal almost assuredly wants nothing to do with you, but – as in the British Columbia sighting – it may be a bit stressed-out and unpredictable. If approached by a bear, either continue slowly backing away or hold your ground while, in either case, shouting, clapping, and waving your arms to appear as large and assertive as possible.

(And in the western U.S. and Canada, be aware that grizzly bears – the bigger, testier, humpbacked cousin of the black bear – sometimes make their own cameos on golf courses in the Wildland-Urban Interface.)

Now we’re just waiting for a video – out of, say, Florida or the Carolinas – to show both black bears and alligators doing their things on a golf course at the same time. If you’re playing a round or two down there, keep your eyes peeled...

Header image: Ben Forsyth

Maren Norris – a resident on Kangaroo Island off the mainland of South Australia – recently captured footage of a rarely witnessed echidna "mating train". When a female echidna emerges from hibernation, lovelorn males will rush over and form a line behind her, snout to tail, hoping for a chance to put their ultra-weird wedding tackle to use. As many as 10 eager suitors will form a train behind a female, following her eagerly for up to six weeks, sometimes making advances by nudging her tail. Eventually, the female will signal her readiness to mate by partially digging her front legs and head into the ground at the base of a tree or bush. Then comes part two of this colourful ritual.

The male echidnas begin digging a trench alongside the eligible female, sometimes digging all the way around the bush or tree to form an 18-25-centimetre (7-10-inch) donut-shaped rut. With the female in the centre like a trophy on display, the males go head-to-head in the trench trying to push each other aside until a lone victor remains in the ring. He will go on to mate with the female (that is, if other males haven't already pulled a fast one).

Some theories suggest that the males line up in order of dominance with the most supreme monotreme winning out in the end, but it's likely that more than one male will wind up mating with any given female. Echidnas are promiscuous creatures and research indicates that females take on multiple partners. "They have group sex - one female and many males," Gemma Morrow a zoologist from the University of Tasmania bluntly told ABC News. "That's basically because there's not as many reproductively active females as males because females don't reproduce every year." In fact, some sneaky males will even try their luck with a female while she's still hibernating (which seems a bit rude to say the least).

Around 22 days after mating, the impregnated female lays an egg which is transferred to a secure pouch similar to a kangaroo's. Ten days later, a 1.5-centimetre (0.6-inch) puggle (yes, that's what baby echidnas are called) will hatch and begin the journey from one end of the pouch of the other to claim its first meal. For the first seven months of its life the puggle will drink milk which it gets from patches located on the front end of the pouch (patches, because apparently nipples would be too conventional for an echidna). When the young echidna reaches maturity, it'll be left in a burrow to fend for itself.

One of only two mammals that lay eggs (the other is the duck-billed platypus), short-beaked echidnas are found throughout Australia, while their longer-beaked relatives are found in New Guinea. The oddball animals prefer cooler temperatures, so they are sometimes only active at night making it tricky to spot them in the wild (except in one recent incident involving a thirsty echidna that broke into a liquor store, sampled the produce, and took a nap under some shelving).

Ah, echidnas. Don't ever change.

Top header image: Laurence Barnes, Flickr

Grizzled giant squirrel 

Indian giant flying squirrel 

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel 

Giant Red Flying Squirrel

Prevost's squirrel

Malabar giant squirrel

Top header image: Robert Engberg, Flickr

Researchers operating NOAA’s ROV Deep Discoverer spotted the embryo at a depth of 250 metres (820 feet) off the west of Puerto Rico’s Desecheo Island. It is believed to be the embryo of a catshark in the genus Scyliorhinus; they have been recorded in the area and are known to lay egg cases on organisms like coral and sponges.

The egg casings of oviparous sharks – sometimes also called mermaid's purses – contain many of the vital amenities that support life. The pinkish yolk sac seen at one end of the casing provides nutrients for the mini shark until it is ready to emerge. And as for that wriggling movement, that helps stimulate the flow of oxygen between the egg and surrounding water, allowing the babies to breathe as they grow (although this little predator-in-the-making may also have been wriggling in response to light from the ROV).

Catsharks belong to a family of small, bottom-dwelling sharks that spend their days cruising the coastal shallows. Perhaps the most well-known family member is the bashful "shyshark", which gets its name from a particularly adorable defence behaviour: when threatened, it wraps its tail over its eyes!

Top header image: Ken-ichi Ueda/Flickr

The adorable youngster was spotted by photographer Ville Pääkkönen in the Finnish woods back in 2015, but fear not – there was a reason for this vertical stunt! (You can't let your siblings out-climb you, after all.)

Closer inspection revealed a second and third cub farther up the trunk, and all three were under the watchful eye of mom.

We know that black bears are master climbers, but it's a common misconception that their brown kin can't get off the ground, too. They aren't as well-adapted to the sport as their sooty cousins because their long claws make for an awkward ascent, but even adult brown bears take to the trees. In fact, moms will often head up a trunk to prompt their cubs to follow suit:

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Top header image: Shutterstock

Wildlife experts from the American Eagle Foundation (AEF), who monitor eagle nests in the area, first noticed the tiny bird's condition earlier this week. The chick's leg had become lodged in a V-shaped split in the trunk of a tree, and its mother seemed unable to help the youngster.

"The eaglet was unable to free itself after many attempts to do so over a considerable period of time," the team wrote on Facebook. Eventually, the call was made to intervene. Two professional climbers and advisors from U.S. Fish and Wildlife were sent to recover the chick, who is known as "DC4". 

The rescue has received mixed reaction, and that's not surprising. Interventions of this kind often spark heated debate online (we saw that just recently when a bear cub was rescued in Oregon), and wildlife officials often urge the public to leave baby animals – even injured ones – alone. But in this case, the team stands by its decision. Because the entanglement was caught on a nest-cam, they note, there was no uncertainty about the chick's distress. What's more, an incoming storm meant that the window for a rescue attempt was closing.

Some commenters also wondered whether the presence of the human "intruders" might scare away the adult eagles, which could leave the second chick in danger. The AEF, however, was quick to allay those fears. "There is no need to distract the parents," the team clarified. "They always leave when they see humans approach the nest, but the parents were nearby."

Happily for everyone involved, the rescue mission ended in success. After being evaluated by vets at the Maryland Zoo, DC4 was cleared for re-release and has since been safely returned to its family. 

"A physical check-up and radiograph of the leg confirmed that the eaglet is in acceptable condition with the exception of an abrasion and swelling on the leg," the team said.

Had the bird been left tugging through the night (in the face of an approaching storm), things may have turned out very differently.

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Top header image: Everglades NPS/Flickr

The chromatic closeup was captured off the coast of Lahaina, Hawaii when curious humpback whales decided to investigate a tourist boat returning from a day of scuba diving. Greg Gallent, a tourist on holiday from New York, was lucky enough to have his camera out and ready when the magic happened. 

"The whales were originally around three hundred feet away, but started getting closer and closer and soon they were directly next to the ship," Gallent told Caters News. "We were completely awestruck and didn't think it could get any better, then suddenly they spouted rainbows into the air."

And while there's certainly a little magic about the sight of a massive whale rising majestically out of the deep to shoot rainbows, there's nothing otherworldly going on here. As we noted the last time a humpback decided to spout some colour, these giants can project their breath up to 13 feet (approximately four metres) into the air. When they do this, their breath often carries a fine mist up with it. Add a sunny day and the right viewing angle, and hey presto – rainbows!

Fortunately for enthusiastic whale watchers, these are not just one-off humpback stunts. Here's a grey whale in Depoe Bay, Oregon getting in on the act as well:

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Top image: Gary Lloyd-Rees/Flickr

"I don't know if she'll remember it, but I knew it was pretty special," Gerstle told local media outlet Alaska Dispatch News. "She was staring out the window in awe."

The sighting began with just one lynx sauntering along the road, according to Gerstle. This alone was interesting enough for him to take a few snapshots with his phone – it was the first lynx he had seen since moving to Alaska four years ago. But then the sighting went from unusual to extraordinary: four more cats emerged from the treeline.

Realising he was watching something very special, Gerstle dashed off for his DSLR camera, but the lynx had moved off by the time he made it back. "It was pretty obvious that they were interested in something over the snowbank that was just off the road," he said.

According to Ken Marsh, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Division of Wildlife Conservation, encounters like this one are rare – but they do happen. When they breed, generally in the spring, Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) usually have litters of four to six kittens, and it's not uncommon for a mother lynx to be in the company of her young, Marsh told Alaska Dispatch News.

He added that lynx populations fluctuate cyclically, and are closely tied to the availability of the cats' favourite food: snowshoe hares. A mother lynx will spend up to a year teaching the youngsters to hunt and fend for themselves.

This is hardly the first time Anchorage residents have come into close contact with the local lynx population. Back in 2013, a woman filmed what looked to be a young lynx investigating her front deck.

Sightings like this one happen in no small part because lynx – much like every laser-chasing, shoe-ambushing house cat alive – are inquisitive by nature, according to Alaska Fish and Game biologist Jesse Coltrane.

"The thing with lynx is they're really super curious," he said.

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Top image: Keith Williams/Flickr

This tree-stump stowaway was caught on film by Michigan local Chris Cooper back in 2010. 

Chances are you've seen an ermine (Mustela erminea) before – remember the woodpecker-riding weasel? – but you're just not used to seeing one sporting its winter pelage.

Also known as stoats or short-tailed weasels, these animals turn white to blend in against a snowy backdrop. It's so effective that they're extremely difficult to see during the colder months. (A brief pause while you test your eyes against the ermine's camouflage). A built-in invisibility cloak is particularly important when your predators hunt from on high. 

So what was this one doing in the tree? It's hard to say for sure, but it was likely denning there. Tree stumps make particularly good nest boxes for weasels, as do holes in river banks:

But it's also possible that this guy was busy with other ermine enterprises, and ferreted itself away only when Cooper approached. Perhaps another animal had been nesting in the stump, and this little shredder followed it inside. 

Don't let those big blues fool you: ermines are fierce, skilled hunters. They can leap nearly three times their body length, and run up to eight miles per hour in short stints (for a bit of perspective, that's the equivalent of a human running at about 44mph).

Being fast and agile means the small mustelids can chow down on a wide variety of forest dwellers. The bulk of their diet is made up of other mammals – mice, voles and chipmunks (to name a few) – but birds and amphibians also feature on the menu. An ermine may travel more than two kilometres on a single hunting trip, but once a target is spotted, it doesn't stand much of a chance. After getting as close to its prey as possible, the ermine will charge, pounce and deliver a swift bite to the neck. They're able to take down prey as large as rabbits in this way! (Somewhere along the line, the internet also concocted a myth about blood-sucking stoats. In reality, these animals don't suck blood, but they will often lick it from the wounds of their prey before feeding on the meat and internal organs.)

During the harsh winter months, stoat survival means eating up to 32 percent of their body weight in food each day, so carrion will sometimes fill the gap when prey is scarce. Feeling brave? See for yourself:

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Top header image: Gillfoto, Flickr

Lady in Red 

Measuring just 4.5 inches (12cm), the bloodybelly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) glows boldly red. Red light doesn't penetrate the deep ocean, so crimson creatures appear nearly invisible in the depths. Scientists speculate that this jelly's red belly takes that camouflage tactic one step further by masking luminescence produced by swallowed prey. Those sparkling flashes you see come from light diffracting off hair-like "cilia" that beat to propel the jelly through the water column.

Pink Peculiarity 

Like its cousin, the Portuguese man o' war, this glowing opalescent goo is no jellyfish. It's a siphonophore, a colonial cluster of tiny animals called zooids. This one was caught on film by the research vessel E/V Nautilus back in 2014 – but it's far from the only strange siphonophore that's caught our eye. From purple feather dusters to the orange oddball below, this group features some truly bizarre species.

Eye Spy

It's not hard to see why insects in the genus Pyrophorus earned the nickname "headlight beetles" – but those bioluminescent light organs don't help them see in the dark. Instead, the spots lure in prey! Native to Central and South America, Mexico and the southwest US, the beetles' brilliance has inspired many a legend. In the West Indies, for example, lore has it that native peoples tied the animals to their toes to light their way (we don't recommend trying on beetle slippers, however). 

Sun's Out, Buns Out

We couldn't leave these backyard beacons out, now could we? Fireflies might seem commonplace, but we're still learning a lot about them. In fact, scientists unravelled the secret to the insects' signature glow only in 2015. A firefly's abdomen contains oxygen and luciferin (a light-emitting compound), but those substances don't typically react when mixed – at least, not in a way that produces the light we see here. Research from Connecticut College showed that the oxygen in a firefly's backside possesses an extra electron, which changes the way the chemicals converse.

Green Goblin

Swell sharks might not be as obviously impressive as their top-predator kin, but under blue light, we can see they have one heck of a party trick. Unlike bioluminescent animals, which produce light through chemical reactions, these sharks are biofluorescent. Special pigments allow them to absorb light in one wavelength, transform it and then re-emit it in a different wavelength (or colour). Swell sharks belong to the family Scyliorhinidae – a group known as "catsharks" – but over 180 fishes are known to fluoresce. It's thought these particular animals use DayGlo outerwear to advertise their whereabouts, perhaps during courtship.

Fun Guy

Of the nearly 100,000 species of mushrooms, over 70 are known light-producers. The most widespread of those is Armillaria mellea, the "honey mushroom". Some bioluminescent fungi produce an all-over glow, thought to attract insects, which help spread spores. But honey mushrooms glow only beneath the cap, in the mycelium. Scientists believe that in this species, the light serves as a warning sign, a way to say: "I'm toxic, don't eat me." 

Legs for Days

California is the only place in the world known to harbour bioluminescent millipedes (genus Motyxia), and like some fungi, their glow also serves as a toxicity warning. The bodies of these leggy critters are laced with cyanide!

But that's not all the glow the Golden State has to offer. During a rat census on Alcatraz Island, scientists discovered fluorescent millipedes as well. We still don't know why that species, Xystocheir dissecta, goes green, but the secret lies somewhere in its exoskeleton.

Cave of Wonders

A fungus gnat does not sound like a particularly alluring animal, but one particular species of fungus gnat found only in New Zealand has an illuminating secret: in its larval stage, Arachnocampa luminosa (also known as the glowworm) is capable of putting on a breathtaking light show. The blue-green glow is emitted by special organs in the gnats' tails, and it acts like a luminous lure for prey. Hanging from cave ceilings ensconced in silky tubes, the gnat larvae transform their subterranean abodes into star-speckled galaxies. 

Son of Odin

Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor!

This crab might not be playing with a thunder weapon, but it is wielding something: a bioluminescent brittle star. Unlike true starfish (class Asteroidea), which mosey along atop hundreds of tube feet, brittle stars (also known as "snake stars") move quite quickly. But when the ability to make a quick getaway fails, some species can emit bright light from their long, flexible arms. It's thought the built-in flashbang scares would-be predators. 

Shiny Shake-up

And speaking of quick getaways, this cuttlefish's sneaky escape is being foiled by its surroundings. While it looks like the creature is shooting light, it's actually activating bioluminescent plankton in the water. Many minuscule organisms (most commonly ostracods and dinoflagellates) glow brightly when agitated, and the cephalopod's jet propulsion stream provides enough of a shake-up to do the trick! 

I'm Blue

For the bloodybelly jelly we started with, red light's weakness offers a way to blend in against the ocean's dark waters. But on the flip side, many animals use bright blue light to stand out. Why? Let's take a look.

Some organisms, like the stunning comb jelly (Beroe spp) and Atolla jelly, use mesmerising ripples to ward of would-be predators. 

"Fire-breathing shrimp", on the other hand, prefer to defend through distraction. When threatened, the animals squirt a cloud of light liquid that confounds predators while they make a getaway. The fluid is produced by an organ similar to our pancreas. 

Every year, millions of firefly squid (Watasenia scintillans) gather in Japan's Toyama Bay to spawn. (You can see their tiny bodies moving here with the flowing tide.) Despite being just three inches (7cm) long, the creatures pull off dazzling displays that put others to shame. These squid use thousands of tiny light organs, called photophores, to attract potential mates and stake their claim against rivals during breeding events. Amazingly, the squid can control how their light looks: photophores can be flashed in unison or separately in an endless array of morphing patterns.

Though their dark bodies blend in against the black backdrop, the shiny lures of many deep-sea anglers bring prey within reach of their sharp teeth.

Animals like the strawberry squid (genus Histioteuthis) are particularly good at finding blue clues in the sea. That glowing, green eye is fine-tuned to absorb blue light, allowing the squid to detect the faintest changes in its surroundings. 

Purple Haze

Now you see me, now you don't! This underwater Houdini, colloquially known as a "sea sapphire", is a small crustacean (copepod) in the genus Sapphirina. Despite what your eyes are telling you, these animals are completely translucent (that's why they seem to disappear between flashes), but the males have a neat trick up their sleeves called structural colouration (more on that here). This results in the beautiful, vibrant colours you see here. 

Expecto Patronum

We're rounding off with the pièce de résistance: the fish that pukes up Patronus. Unlike the fire-breathing shrimp, this luminous spew is, well, actual spew. What you're seeing is a cardinal fish eating and then regurgitating bioluminescent ostracods.

Ostracods are planktonic crustaceans, typically about the size of a cucumber seed. To avoid becoming lunch, the drifters emit light-producing chemicals when ingested, which puts their attackers at risk of attracting predators of their own. The bloodybelly jelly may have found a way to hide its food, but cardinal fish are translucent, so if their meals glow, so do they. The only option is to release a glowing cloud of majestic egesta, and move along.

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Top header image: Threthny/Flickr

To get into the holiday spirit, we've rounded up some of our favorite facts about these colourful creatures, starting with the obvious: what are those branches actually for? 

1. Tree sieve  

The Seuss-style plumes you see above – which come in an array of colour morphs – are called "crowns", and you'll notice they appear in pairs. That's because each worm has two of them. By pumping water up and over the crowns, a Christmas tree worm can filter out tiny plants and animals to snack on. The feathery structures are lined with both sticky mucus and spiky bristles (called cilia), which help trap passing prey.

2. Double duty

After a bit of size sifting, the worm moves any tasty morsels – conveyor-style – to the mouth, but the crowns do more than just catch food: they also harness oxygen! For this reason, the structures are often mistakenly called gills.

3. Now you see me

Underwater "pines" might be beautiful, but they're really just the tip of this worm's iceberg. Two-thirds of the body of a Spirobranchus lies hidden in a calcium carbonate tube, which it erects as a bunker. 

Some groups take this one step further, by setting up shop in stony corals. But the crafty worms don't do the heavy drilling: by nestling their bodies against the corals' living tissues, they force the polyps to build around them. Over time, these coral-encased bunkers can reach ten inches in length. 

Spirobranchus worms are pretty choosy about which corals they settle on, but scientists are still working out why. Some speculate that landing on carefully selected species could help the worms with reproduction. Others suggest the pickiness comes down to avoiding accidental predation (no worm wants a coral-munching parrot fish is hankering for its home turf).

4. Only the classics for these worms

Once settled down, a Christmas tree worm can live upwards of 30 years! (Though 10-20 is more common.)

5. Ladies and gents

While many invertebrates reproduce asexually, there are actually male and female Christmas tree worms. These animals are broadcast spawners, meaning they shoot their genetic contribution into the surrounding water, in the hope that it meets its match. Once fertilisation occurs, it takes just 24 hours for a larvae to develop. 

Red crab eggs hatch as soon as they come into contact with sea water, and for the first time ever, the spawning event was broadcast in real-time by Parks Australia!

A female red crab can lay 100,000 eggs per brood, but the number that actually develop depends on a variety of factors. How many hungry predators are in the area? How rough are the waters? For now, these tiny plankton are entirely at the mercy of their environment. 

If conditions are right, the larvae will morph into prawn-like animals called megalopae over the coming weeks. After moulting, they will finally return to land as fully formed crablings. "Some years we see very few, or none," says Australia's Department of Environment and Energy. "The successful emergence of baby crabs is unpredictable but is incredible when large numbers emerge."

Although they measure just five millimetres across, the baby crabs will begin the long march back to the forest as soon as they leave the water. 

"It takes about nine days to reach the plateau," adds the team at the Christmas Island Tourism Association, who hit the beach to watch the spawning event. "[Once there], they seem to disappear and are rarely seen, living in rocky outcrops and under fallen tree branches and debris on the forest floor for the first three years of their lives."

This year's brood is of particular ecological importance as an infestation of yellow crazy ants has been killing red crabs at an alarming rate. The invasive insects perceive the scuttling crowd of crabs as a threat, and spray passersby with formic acid in defence. The ants have wiped out over ten million red crabs to date – and it's humans who brought them to the island. Until just recently, Christmas Island had few biosecurity measures in place, so unwanted passengers like the ants snuck in with tourists.

While scientists work to mitigate the problem, every surviving crab is precious. By feeding on leaf litter, the crustaceans keep the forest floor in good health, and their abandoned burrows provide critical habitat for other animals. If their numbers continue to drop, we could see unwanted ripple effects throughout the island ecosystem.

Protecting red crabs takes many helping hands, and in recent years, the clawed creatures have earned their own commuter lanes, road signs and crossing guards. Here's hoping this year's babies scuttle their way to safety! 

Top header image: Geraint Draheim, Flickr

The lizard (Anolis proboscis) was spotted by herpetologist Lucas Bustamante some 40 feet above the leaf litter in the cloud forests of Mindo. Also known as the Ecuadorian horned anole, this species can be found here and only here. 

"This was no small feat," recalls biologist and wildlife photographer Aaron Pomerantz, who was part of the expedition team. "This anole likes to hang out high in the canopy and has cryptic camouflage, meaning it blends in very well with the mossy branches and vegetation."

In order to film and photograph the rare animal, the team, which also included science journalist Dr Jason Goldman, had to climb a tree to get within reach. 

As you might have guessed, the lizard's common name stems from its unusual facial appendage, which is made mostly of cartilage. The structure is known as the proboscis, and only in recent years have we begun to understand its function. 

"One early hypothesis was that the males might use the horns to do battle, using their faces as if they had swords attached," writes Goldman for the BBC. But because the "horn" is flimsy, that theory didn't quite fit the bill. Only male anoles have these horns, so it's likely that they have something to do with sex. Our best guess is that a big proboscis tells any nearby female Pinocchio lizards that the male is fit to mate. 

But as Goldman explains, there's something else at play here: these lizards are born, well, horny. 

"That is unusual," he says. "Other horned lizards only develop their horns as they grow up. Nobody knows why the Ecuadorian anoles grow theirs so early, but it cannot be for attracting females." We're still unravelling the mystery, and that job is made particularly difficult by the lizards' hiding skills. These animals are almost impossible to find during the day, something this intrepid team found out firsthand.

The Pinocchio lizard has a small range and the added pressure of habitat loss has already landed it on the IUCN's list of endangered species. Without sufficient protection, the canopy-dwelling critter could be pushed to the brink before we fully understand its life and ecology. 

"We hope that by sharing this amazing and endangered creature, we can also help to encourage the protection of the cloud forests of Ecuador so that future generations can experience this habitat along with the incredible endemic species within," says Pomerantz. 

Follow the team's next adventure on here, here and here, Tropical Herping and Pomerantz's NextGenScientist blog!