The BBC does it again

There is nothing better than a natural history program that is different to all the rest. A new show called Hidden Kingdoms started last week and offers exactly this,  fresh look at nature!Instead of focusing on the big animals, it focuses on the animals in animal communities that are often forgotten, like the elephant shrew and the chipmunks. The series follows  their lives and the challenges that they face for being so small. This new look at the world is not just fascinating but also educational, enabling anyone to learn about parts of nature that occur below our feet. A word of warning though, , it also shows the harsh reality of the natural world as well!

You can catch up with the series on BBC iplayer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03qkcgs/Hidden_Kingdoms_Under_Open_Skies/

A Natural First

So... Recently I have been AWFUL at blogging on here. Exams really are the bane of my life.

Lots of exciting things have been happening in the natural world and one of them was the discovery of conjoined  twin grey whales. 
The whale calves were found in jo de Liebre lagoon in the Baja California peninsula by some fishermen. The twins were believed to be alive when born but sadly died shortly after birth.  The twins are joined at the abdomen with two heads and two tails and are thought to be a result of a miscarriage. Scientists are taking samples of the animal to try and learn more. This is the first documented case since whales have been recorded since the 1800's, it really is an exciting discovery even though the whales were unable to survive joined together.

Conjoined twins happens when the single fertilised egg doesn't completely split in two leaving the eggs partially joined, the egg then develops into a conjoined embryo.

To read more and watch a video about the whale twins:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25669108

and to learn some info on Conjoined twins:
http://umm.edu/programs/conjoined-twins/facts-about-the-twins

Why Zebras Have Stripes

So just before Christmas the theory of why Zebras have stripes was finally settled (hopefully anyway). Scientists having been using computer models to simulate Zebras movement, the model discovered that the Zebras stripes cause optical illusions when the animals are moving. This helps confuse their predators and therefore helping to keep them safe. Although the stripes have thought to have many theories this is the first one that has been effectively confirmed. The scientists believe that the stripes may lead predators and insects to think the animals are moving in a different direction to where they are really going.

It really does give a new meaning to the idea racing stripes if your opponent thinks you're going the other way now doesn't it!

For a little more detail..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/25260311