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The southern wood ant, aka horse ant or red wood ant, hails from Europe, but has a distribution all the way to eastern Asia. Unconfirmed reports state their presence in North America as well. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction from residential and commercial developments, and clear-felling, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The thorn bug is a widely distributed insect that is often considered a pest to many ornamental shrubs and trees. These insects utilize their thornlike pronotum to thwart various predators, such as birds, from eating them. They can be found in Florida and other southern states, Mexico, Central America, and […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The bombardier beetle is a adephagan (ground) beetle with more than 500 species worldwide. They get their name from their famous defense mechanism. When threatened they can release a surprisingly effective counter attack. So be sure to take a second and be careful not to disturb them or you too […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The red slender loris can only be found in the south-western portion of Sri Lanka. They prefer lowland rainforests, tropical rainforests, and inter-monsoon forests. There are 2 known subspecies: L. t. nycticeboides and L. t. tardigradus. Sadly, these beautiful creatures are threatened by habitat loss at the hands of residential […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The aphid, aka greenfly or blackfly (although they can come in many colors), can be found on every continent, sans Antarctica. These pests exist to provide a slow death to plants, the world over. But they are more than just a pest species. They are not only fascinating, but rather […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The giant walking stick is not a rod used for hiking rough terrain. Nope. These are the longest known insects in the world. A member of the Phasmatodea family, aka Phasmids, these critters are masters of camouflage. They blend right in and look like, well, sticks. Until they actually move. […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The armored cricket, aka koringkrieke, armored bush cricket, armored ground cricket, corn cricket, armored katydid, or setotojane, is an insect native to Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. These “crickets” are actually more closely related to katydids. They have a few tactics to deter predators. Including a nice bite. They […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The golden-tailed gecko, aka the golden spiny-tailed gecko, is endemic to the Brigalow Belt of South-eastern Queensland. There are 3 subspecies recognized, to date: Strophurus taenicauda albiocularis, Strophurus taenicauda triaureus, and Strophurus taenicauda taenicauda. They can be found in open, dry forests and woodland, especially those with brigalow, cypress, ironbark, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The armadillo lizard, aka armadillo girdled lizard, or armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, lives only in the Succulent Karoo biome in the Western and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Armadillo lizards prefer deserts, scrublands, and dry, rocky regions. Due to their cool spiky look, they are unfortunately the victim of over […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The sea cucumber is found throughout the world’s oceans. The sea cucumber belongs to a group of animals called echinoderms. Their closest relatives happen to be starfish as well as sea urchins. There are over 1,200 known species of sea cucumber! Sea cumbers are touted as having medicinal properties and […]

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