On a camping trip in Queensland, Australia, insect researcher snapped a shot of what may be the world鈥檚 fluffiest beetle (Excastra albopilosa). Its hairs are especially thick around the top half of its red and black body, and may have evolved to mimic a fungal infection, making it appear unpalatable to predators.
Deep in the tropical rainforest of Indonesia, researchers spotted this majestic male Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) named Rakus smearing a chewed-up plant that is commonly used in traditional medicine onto a gash on his face.
The聽evergreen climbing plant called akar kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria) has been found to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. It is the first known case of a non-human animal seemingly using a plant to hasten healing of a wound.
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This cat is wearing an adorable crocheted hat that holds in place electrodes that record its brain activity. Without such woolly caps, researchers have found that cats shake sensors off their heads. The recordings generated by using the hats have helped to pinpoint brain activity that is linked to cats鈥� pain levels.
Endangered green and golden bell frogs lounge in a naturally heated shelter that helps them fight off a deadly fungal infection in this shot captured by at Macquarie University in Australia. The disease, called chytridiomycosis, has decimated frog populations worldwide. But Waddle and his colleagues have found that 鈥渇rog saunas鈥� built from bricks with holes in them that are housed inside greenhouse shelters help this species (Litoria aurea) resist fungal death.
This rare bird with a vibrant yellow crest and bright rings around its eyes belongs to a species that was considered lost for nearly 20 years. The yellow-crested helmetstrike (Prionops alberti) was photographed in the humid forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo almost two decades after its last confirmed sighting.
The striking blue skin of this appropriately named magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) spotted this year in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is probably due to a genetic mutation that causes a loss of skin pigments. The species is usually a vibrant green, which is thought to camouflage them.
Sometimes beauty is on the inside. This is a map of how all the neurons are wired in the brain of an adult fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). It was put together this year by using artificial intelligence to pinpoint how nearly 140,000 neurons connect to each other through junctions known as synapses. These circuits of cells underpin behaviours such as flying, navigation and social interactions.
No, it鈥檚 not looking for lunch 鈥� this trained giant rat is sniffing at boxes in search of illegal wildlife products. Southern giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) have a sharp sense of smell, so a group of researchers at non-profit organisation APOPO has taught them to detect trafficked items from endangered species, such as rhino horns, elephant ivory and pangolin scales. The rodents offer a cheap way to tackle illegal international wildlife trade.
