Southeast Asian gliding snakes flatten bodies

Some snakes can glide through the air without wings

Flying snakes in Southeast Asia launch themselves from trees, flatten their bodies by spreading their ribs and move in wave-like motions through the air. Their flattened shape generates aerodynamic lift, allowing them to travel between branches and even steer. They do not truly fly, but their controlled gliding is remarkable for an animal with no limbs.

Some octopuses drill through shells

Some octopuses use tiny teeth near their mouths to drill into the shells of crabs and mollusks. Their toxic saliva then helps break down the shell, and the prey dies very quickly once the shell has been opened.

Predatory fish can carry much more mercury than their prey

10× the prey fish’s body burden

Fish take in methylmercury faster than they can remove it. Larger fish then eat many smaller contaminated fish, causing mercury to build up through the food chain. A predator can carry about ten times as much as the fish it eats.

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Southeast Asian gliding snakes flatten bodies

Some snakes can glide through the air without wings

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