🐌This is an amber snail infected by the parasite Leucochloridium paradoxum - which invades its eye stalks, making them pulse and look like caterpillars to attract birds.
The hummingbird with "ears"
Iridescent violet feather tufts, raised during territorial disputes.
The Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans) lives in the Andes up to 4,500 m (14,700 ft), from Venezuela to Argentina. It weighs between 5.8 and 8.5 g (0.2 to 0.3 oz) and measures 13 to 14 cm (5 to 5.5 in).
It is the most aggressive hummingbird in its range. It dominates every other species at nectar sources. Males defend their territory by singing the same metallic call for hours on end.
The "ears" are not for hearing. They are a warning.
Photo: @ diegoemerson
🌱🪴 This is David Latimer’s sealed terrarium — a completely self-sustaining ecosystem that went untouched for over 40 years.
Planted in 1960 and sealed in 1972, the bottle garden recycles its own water, nutrients, and air through photosynthesis and decomposition.
It’s one of the most famous real-life examples of a closed ecosystem — thriving without any human intervention.
🚨This is not AI
This is the Surinam toad (Pipa pipa) - a flat, bizarre amphibian that carries its babies in honeycomb-like holes on its back.
The young develop inside the skin and emerge fully formed.