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Cone snails are ocean predators with beautifully patterned shells. The snails produce a potent venom to paralyze their prey. The venom contains a complex mixture of substances that includes neurotoxins, which are chemicals that block the conduction of nerve impulses. At least one of these neurotoxins can sometimes relieve severe pain in humans. Researchers have […]

English is indeed a strange language, and nothing is stranger than the variety of collective nouns assigned to groups of particular animals. So why is a group of crows called a murder of crows or a group of sloths called a bed of sloths? Animal group names date back to medieval times when a list […]

If you’re ever in my neck of the woods here in Northern Arizona, I encourage you to explore the many wonders of the Coconino National Forest. At 1.8 million acres with an elevation span of 10,000 feet, the Coconino is one of the most diverse National Forests in the country. Its vistas range from cactus-filled […]

Clouds are large groups of tiny water droplets (vapor) or ice crystals that cling to pieces of dust in the atmosphere. Clouds are so important to the earth’s weather that meteorologists (people who study the weather) also study the clouds and their movement. In fact, without clouds, it wouldn’t rain or snow! They come in […]

Clostridium perfringens is a microscopic bacterium that can have major effects on humans. It exists in different forms called strains. Depending on the strain, the bacterium can live peacefully in our gut, produce a nasty case of foodborne illness, cause gas gangrene, or perhaps cause multiple sclerosis. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) […]

Cinnabar is a beautiful orange red to dark red mineral that is prized for both its color and its mercury content. In ancient times, it was ground into a powder to form a pigment called vermilion. This pigment was used for art and decoration and was also added to cosmetics. It’s still used in artists’ […]

Chloroform is an interesting chemical. It’s famous for its ability to act as an anesthetic and is useful in industry and science laboratories. It’s a toxic substance, however, and can cause serious health problems. These include organ damage and heartbeat irregularities. At high concentrations, inhalation of chloroform can depress the respiratory system so much that […]

Did you find a caterpillar outside, and you’re wondering what kind of butterfly or moth it will turn into? Would you like to raise it to an adult? Find out the name of your caterpillar, what it eats, and what it turns into with the help of this quick and easy caterpillar identification guide. There […]

To most people, biology and mathematics probably seem like two completely different disciplines. Biology is the scientific study of living things; mathematics is the study of quantities, patterns, and relationships between quantities. A knowledge of math can help a biologist, however, just as understanding biology may be useful to mathematicians. Biologists collect large quantities of […]

Like all insects, bumble bees have small brains with a much simpler appearance than a human’s. Researchers have discovered that despite these facts the insects have some surprising mental abilities. Experimental evidence indicates that bumble bees have the ability to solve quite complex problems, generally after receiving training by humans or after observing other bees […]