If you're not an insect lover, this is your final chance to turn your head!

The giant Malaysian katydid (Macrolyristes corporalis) is one of the largest insects in the world, with their bodies growing to 15 cm (6 inches) long with a 25 cm (10 inch) long wingspan. Though the last thing you want to hear is that this giant insect is carnivorous, they pose absolutely no threat to humans (aside from haunting your dreams, of course).

Relatively speaking, the males of this species have the largest testes of any known animal at 14% of their body weight. If humans had the same ratio, a 91 kg (200 lb) man would have testes that weighed nearly 13 kg (28 pounds)!
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The idea that a chimpanzee and human can interbreed, forming a hypothetical hybrid species known as a humanzee, is not uncommon. Since chimpanzees and humans are closely related species (sharing 95% of their DNA sequence, and 98% of coding DNA sequences), it has lead to contested speculation that a hybrid is possible, though no specimen has ever been confirmed.

While there is a commonality in gene sequence between us and chimpanzees, humans still have one fewer pair of chromosomes (46 chromosomes) than other apes (48 chromosomes). This makes conception between the two species naturally impossible. However, a different numbers of chromosomes is not an absolute barrier to hybridization. Similar mismatches are relatively common in existing spec ...

Well, obviously it's white, but take a look at its bill!

The attractive 7.5-inch-long bill is possessed by both male and female toucans. Interestingly, they use them during a mating ritual, pitching fruit to one another, but has very limited use as an excavation tool. Toucans make their nests in tree hollows found in rain forest regions of Southern Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean region to which they are native.

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The fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivorans closely related to the mongoose family. Its classification has been controversial because its physical traits resemble those of cats, yet other traits suggest a close relationship with viverrids (e.g. bearcat).

The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar. Adults have a head-body length of 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and weigh between 5.5 and 8.6 kg (12 and 19 lb), with the males larger than the females. It has semi-retractable claws (meaning it can extend but not retract its claws fully) and flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down tre ...

The tough-yet-fragile physical properties of the tadpole-shaped pieces of glass known as Prince Rupert’s drops have puzzled physicists for as long as, well, there have been physicists. Bash the head with a hammer, and a drop gets barely a scratch. But break off its thin tail, and it shatters into fine powder.

Researchers long ago realized that the strength of the drops - named for Prince Rupert of Bavaria, who presented five of them to Britain’s King Charles II in 1660 - has something to do with stresses in the glass created when a drop is made by letting a blob of molten glass fall into water, so that it cools rapidly.

Twenty years ago, a pair of researchers took high-speed video of a drop disintegrating showing that, when the tail is brok ...

Plants are essential for any ecosystem, being both a food source and habitat for living things. Although plants are stationary, many are dangerous to touch or eat, making you sick or cause a bad reaction. Some of the most poisonous plants are described below:

Abrus Precarious or Rosary Pea (Left)

This plant has beans that contain a deadly poison. Ironically, their seeds are often used in jewelry and rosary making, but are not harmful when touched, only if chewed or scratched. The poison is known to stop protein synthesis, leading to organ failure.

Ricinus Communis or the Castor Bean (Center)

The castor bean plant comes from Africa and its seed is the source of castor oil used all over the world. However, the seeds contain a deadly poison called ...

Opals (shown above) are is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·nH2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Because of its amorphous character, it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia.

The internal structure of precious opal makes it diffract light. Depending on the conditions in which it formed, it can take on many colors. The one pictured on the left is called the "Virgin Rainbow" opal, being the finest ...