Planet Weird

Weirdness is baked in from birth for many animals, from the aquatic pond-dwelling origins of the dragonfly to the funky mating dance that New Guinea's flame bowerbird uses to attract…

We discover snakes that fly, big-eyed nocturnal primates that turn into ninja killers when the sun sets, and foxes that sense the Earth's geomagnetic currents to help pinpoint their prey.

Some species in nature are just born bad; we uncover some of nature's weirdest predatory techniques and the journeys of unfortunate victims who fall prey to villains.

Peculiar problems warrant weird alliances; we discover how evolution brings various species together to solve a problem too big for just one.

The first rule of nature's Fight Club is that there are no rules; the demands of evolution are such that survival strategies often turn violent and opponents can be prey…

Attitude is everything and the weirdest survival strategies are wielded by the most successful species, from gangs of pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys to solitary sharks and octopuses.