The blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are three (or perhaps four) octopus species that live in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia.
Contrary to popular belief, the blue-ringed octopus is not the only venomous octopus. In fact, studies have shown all octopuses are venomous. The blue-ringed, however, is the only octopus with venom powerful enough to kill a human.
The researchers used
high-speed photography and an instrument called a Rheometer to analyze frog saliva under prey-capturing
conditions. The scientists think frog tongues could one day
help engineers design reversible soft adhesives that could work at high speeds.
Only surviving species of the genus Rhinophrynus, over 190 million years of independent evolution, spend nearly all their lives in the dirt, looks like a whoopee cushion, has a very short breeding period and their call sounds like this:
Cephalopods are quick-change artists. Like a living LCD screen, their skin can flicker and flash, or create complex patterns for camouflage and communication. Layers of specialized skin cells interact to match the environment’s color and texture.
The highest elevations on Iceland are covered by the Vatnajökull glacier, an ice cap that sits nearly above the heart of the hotspot that helped form the island. A combination of geothermal heat from the volcanoes and summer melting can produce enough water to flood through the base of the glacier and erode away the ice, sometimes creating a massive outburst flood called a jökulhlaup. If the winter is cold enough, these caves will empty and can be entered and toured with local guides. This cave was photographed in 2015; the pale blue light is likely a tiny hint of blue sunlight able to travel through the ice layer above.
![thenatsdorf:
“Cuttlefish changes from “smooth” to “bumpy” texture. [full video]
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