Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are a member of the Accipitridae family, which also includes hawks, kites, and old-world vultures. Scientists loosely divide eagles into four groups based on their physical characteristics and behavior. The bald eagle is a sea or fish eagle.
The adults have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; and yellow feet and...
Arctic tundra animals do not enjoy the luxury of simply heading into thick forests to escape the biting wind. Instead, it is just them vs. vast expanses of treeless tundra. Some, like the Caribou, do head south to enjoy those forests at least part if the year. Animals in the tundra survive thanks to harboring multiple defenses against the...
10 of the World's Largest SpiderWe share this world with a lot of types of spiders and some of them are unbelievably (like horror movie) big.Take a look at our list of the world's largest spiders, starting from the smallest of the largest, all the way to the winning monster-sized, biggest spider in the world.10. Cerbalus AravensisThe smallest, but...
Although science can explain almost everything that happens on this planet, that doesn't mean there isn't room for a little mystery, as well.Some places are just so permeated by intrigue that there is no explaining it away. Below are just a handful of the most mysterious places on Earth.10. Caño Cristales, ColumbiaCano Cristales Columbia (DanteBW/deviantart)Caño Cristales is a river...
One of the most spectacular phenomenon that you can see when you look up at the sky is the northern lights, also called aurora borealis.
The northern lights occur when solar activity from the sun ejects a cloud of gas that travels to the Earth's atmosphere and collides with the Earth's magnetic field, creating the beautiful dancing streams of light...
If you think only saltwater fish are big, you are sorely wrong. Gigantic fish swim in fresh waters around the world, just check out our list of the 10 largest freshwater fish and see for yourself.10. PaddlefishPaddlefish (Timothy Knepp / US Fish and Wildlife Service)Paddlefish can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 60 pounds. These...
Rainforests are extremely diverse, containing a wide variety of plants and animals. Some of the animals found in the rainforests have adapted to the lush landscape, giving them characteristics that look quite strange to us.Check out this list of the 10 strangest animals in the rainforest to see what we mean.10. AxolotlAxolotl (Wikimedia Commons)Axolotls are aquatic salamanders. They owe...
First of all, just where is the Sahara Desert?Take a peek at northern Africa on a map, and most of what you in fact see is the Sahara. From the Atlantic, north to the Mediterranean, and east to the Red Sea, most of Africa's northern reaches have been swallowed up by the ever-expanding Sahara.Interestingly, "Sahara," in Arabic, means desert....
Animals have the amazing ability to survive even the harshest of circumstances.Some animals hibernate (go into a deep sleep) so they can survive throughout the cold season when the weather is freezing and the food is scarce. Hibernation truly is a clever survival mechanism. Here is a list of 10 animals that hibernate.10. Wood FrogsIf you saw a frozen...
Millions of global citizens live in areas where toxins shorten lives. Here are perhaps ten of the most polluted cities in the world. The primary pollutant in each city is noted in parentheses:
10. Sumgayit, Azerbaijan (petrochemicals)
This is another city that suffered from generations of environmental neglect in the former Soviet Union. The indiscriminate discharge of industrial pollutants into the...