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P. maluti. (Cullen Clark) Planet Earth is home to possibly hundreds of species of magic mushroom that contain the hallucinogen, psilocybin. Systematic fieldwork surveys of the genus, Psilocybe, however, are "entirely lacking" for many regions of the world. Now, a new paper describes two species of magic mushroom in southern Africa that are wholly new to science. That brings the total number of reported Psilocybe mushrooms on the continent from just four to six. One of the species, called Psilocybe maluti, is the first scientifically documented magic mushroom with traditional, spiritual uses in Africa. P. maluti was originally photographed in...

Don't be so blue, buddy. Image credit: J. Barker / AWC The aptly named magnificent tree frog is typically green with a yellow belly, so you can imagine the surprise when scientists stumbled across a member of the species with blue skin. The shocking blue frog is an incredibly rare discovery, most likely caused by a rare genetic mutation that affects the production of yellow pigments. It was recently photographed by a team from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) while exploring the Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary along the Kimberley coast of north-western Australia. “It was after dark when we...

PBS NewsHour Here is the transcript JUDY WOODRUFF: Scientists working in Greenland have identified the oldest samples of DNA ever found on Earth. By analyzing this two-million-year-old genetic material, they have revealed how Northern Greenland was once a wildly different environment than the cold polar region it is today, one teeming with ancient wildlife and plants, including some that scientists thought had never lived so far north. William Brangham is back now to explore this with one of the researchers who made this discovery. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: For more on this remarkable discovery, I’m joined by one of the lead scientists...

Surfers at Santa Cruz’s Cowell Beach are used to sharing the ocean with wildlife. On occasion, they’ve been chased by aggressive otters, and white shark numbers are on the rise in an adjacent cove. On the morning of June 24, though, a far more enigmatic and elusive creature made an appearance, and gave the surfers a bit of a scare. In a photo captured by Santa Cruz resident Eric Mendelson from a nearby bluff, the creature’s dorsal fin is sticking out of the water, looking decidedly shark-like. But in another remarkable photo, Mendelson captured the animal’s bizarrely shaped head and...

Scientists have found that wild chimpanzees use plants with healing properties to treat themselves. They conducted their research in Uganda’s forests, carefully observing injured or sick animals to determine if they were using plants as medicine. When they noticed an injured chimp eating a specific plant, they collected samples for analysis. They discovered that many of these plants have properties that fight bacteria. The researchers, who shared their discoveries in the journal PLOS One, believe that studying chimpanzees could lead to the development of additional medications. Dr. Elodie Freymann, the lead researcher from the University of Oxford, highlighted the challenge...

The idea of a giant virus lurking on a vast ice sheet might sound like the plot to the latest science fiction blockbuster. Giant viruses were first discovered in 1981, when researchers found them in the ocean. These viruses had specialised in infecting green algae in the sea. Later, giant viruses were found in soil on land and even in humans. But it's become a reality, after researchers discovered giant viruses while exploring the Greenland ice sheet. Before you panic that the viruses could spark the next pandemic, there's good news. Scientists from Aarhus University say the viruses could actually...

The Ayeyarwady pit viper, a new species discovered in Myanmar by Dr. Chan Kin Onn, illustrates the complexities of species differentiation in pit vipers. This species, which displays traits of both the redtail and mangrove pit vipers, was initially thought to be a hybrid but was confirmed as distinct through genomic analysis. Credit: Wolfgang Wüster Finding and describing new species can be a tricky endeavor. Scientists typically look for distinctive characters that can differentiate one species from another. However, variation is a continuum that is not always easy to quantify. At one extreme, multiple species can look alike even though...

...but, heck, it's Saturday night. Has anyone here been interested in Bigfoot/Sasquatch, or seen one, or know someone who claims to have seen one?

Aardwolves — the "weird cousin" of the hyena world that has peg teeth and only eats insects — are an evolutionary mystery, stemming from a ghost lineage that scientists haven't been able to figure out. Aardwolves, which translates as "earth wolves" in Afrikaans, are the smallest of the four hyena species. (Image credit: pjmalsbury via Getty Images) Name: Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) Where it lives: Savannah and grasslands in eastern and southern Africa What it eats: Termites and ants Why it's awesome: Unlike their meat-eating relatives, these solitary, nocturnal little hyenas survive on a diet almost entirely made up of termites....

On September 7, 1936, the last known thylacine, often referred to as the Tasmanian tiger, is believed to have died in captivity in Hobart, Tasmania. Since then, the species, long presumed extinct, has taken on a near-mythical status. The thylacine still captures the public’s imagination, having earned its place as a modern symbol of both loss, and also possibilities. The creature’s unmistakable striped appearance has also helped propel it to its current position as a pop cultural icon and a constant reminder of humanity’s more destructive side. Yet what is perhaps the most intriguing about the thylacine is that, for...

The creature's shape is striking, as it has not been connected with any known animal. Residents of Totoras in the province of Santa Fe report that a creature is wandering the streets and has even slain two dogs. The photograph, taken and night and somewhat blurry, has already made the rounds of social media to warn against the possible danger. An audio broadcast expains that the beast squared ofrf against a Pitbull and a German Shepherd who lost the encounter and died. The creature subsequently vanished. ... Dentro Irime Cydar noticed that the image matches that of a character appearing...

Not quite a spider, not a scorpion either – where does Douglassarachne acanthopoda fit in? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Douglassarachne acanthopoda was a more experimental version of a modern harvestman, with distinctive armored legs. Image credit: Paul Selden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This leggy, spiny fella is Douglassarachne acanthopoda, whom we’ll call Doug for short (only kidding). You might look at this fossilized specimen and confidently declare, “That there’s a spider.” But wait! While D. acanthopoda certainly shares many of the characteristics of modern arachnids, it has enough unique features to give palaentologists a headache when it comes to classifying it. Spiders and their ancestors have...

Irish folklore has many mythical characters such as the banshees or Tir na nOg, but according to one man Leprechauns are 100 per cent real. Kevin Woods, recognised as Ireland’s one and only leprechaun whisperer, recently shared astonishing claims on Ireland AM. During the broadcast, Woods, who comes from Carlingford, County Louth and affectionately known as McCoillte, shared some of the secrets involving leprechauns and their long history which has become intertwined with human spirits. Is British wine the next big thing? According to woods’ official website: ‘He talks to the 236 leprechauns that still exist there. They are affectionately...

The Loch Ness Centre has reached out to NASA for assistance in a new quest to search for the Loch Ness monster. Following last year’s extensive search of Loch Ness in the Highlands, which included the capture of loud underwater noises and several potential sightings, the centre is eager to enlist NASA’s expertise in their pursuit. Scheduled to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Sir Edward Mountain’s expedition, the latest search will take place from May 30 to June 2. Since the inaugural expedition in 1934 by the Watchers of the Monster, over 1,156 sightings have been documented on the...

A wave anomaly captured by a weather-mapping system sparked a global mystery this week—with some internet sleuths even claiming it proves the existence of aliens. A giant cluster of waves over 80 feet high and spanning 2,000 miles—an area larger than Texas—appeared to move through the ocean off the coast of Africa on April 10 in a journey that lasted about 24 hours before it vanished. Some online commentators said the formation could only have been created by something moving under the surface of the sea—making it an "unidentified submersible object," the ocean equivalent of a UFO. A graphic of...

A small deer, Pudella carlae, stands on rocks in a river. So small. Image credit: Ramiro Yábar, courtesy of Guillermo D’Elía. Anew species of tiny deer has been discovered in the central Andes in Peru, becoming the first new cervid species found in South America for over 60 years – though that’s not the only cool thing about this discovery. Previously, there were thought to be just two species of a group of deer known as pudus, which are the world’s smallest deer. They’re split into the Southern and Northern pudu, reflecting where they’re found. However, whilst out in the...

The whale was spotted 30 miles south of the Massachusetts island Friday diving and resurfacing, appearing to feed. Scientists say climate change may be why the species has reappeared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A gray whale south of Nantucket, Mass., on Friday.New England Aquarium ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A gray whale extinct from the Atlantic for more than 200 years was spotted off New England last week in an “incredibly rare event,” the New England Aquarium said. The whale was spotted Friday 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, diving and resurfacing, appearing to feed, the aquarium said in a news release. The aquarium’s aerial survey team...

A massive new species of anaconda that could potentially be the largest currently in existence has been uncovered in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador, according to newly published findings that expand our understanding of these massive snakes and their habitat. The discovery was made during fieldwork by a team of researchers with the University of Queensland, who traveled to the region in search of an undocumented variety of northern green anaconda spoken of by its indigenous residents. According to accounts shared by the Waorani people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, stories of a variety of large anacondas said to exist in...

Borneo Pygmy Elephant © Source: pinterest Welcome to the wild side of our planet, where nature's most extraordinary and elusive creatures come to life! We embark on a journey to explore the hidden treasures of our natural world—30 rare and exotic animals that have been fortunate enough to grace the lens of a camera. From the depths of dense rainforests to the icy peaks of remote mountains, each of these remarkable species offers a glimpse into the awe-inspiring diversity of life on Earth. Join us as we delve into the realms of the mysterious, the enigmatic, and the endangered. These...

It’s the first time a breeding population of this critically endangered species has been reported. f you’re familiar with the Twitter game “flat f*** Friday”, then oh boy, do we have a treat for you. We present to you one of the flattest fellas around: the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii). And, with the help of local community knowledge, researchers have just discovered both its first-ever nesting female and breeding population. Unfortunately, the Asian (or Cantor’s) giant softshell turtle is also critically endangered; its population has been declining due to habitat destruction, getting caught up in fishing gear, and...