The Pink Robin: The Gloriously Pink-breasted Bird
Monday, 22 December 2025
Just in case you think this is some kind of practical joke, here's a rare and short video of the pink robin.
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This very interesting video is all about the Red Panda and how it got its name. You might think that it was a straightforward process, but that isn’t really the case with beautiful animal which belongs in a class of its own (quite literally). Of course, this tells the story of how it got its English name. And it made me wonder – what do the Chinese call both species of panda? As you will have seen from the video, panda is not a word of Chinese origin. Image Credit
The answer? Well the
Chinese call the giant panda 大熊猫 (dà xióng māo). If we break that down, 大 (dà)
= big, 熊 (xióng) = bear, and 猫 (māo) = cat. So
literally, it means “big bear cat.” That's a beautifully pragmatic name, even if it is scientifically inaccurate (but they probably didn't care about taxonomy). So
what of the red panda? The answer is glorious! 小熊猫 (xiǎo xióng māo), literally means “small
bear cat.” It makes me think that
Chinese is a very sensible language, far more so than English. So one panda is the big bear cat and the other is the small bear cat. Ta da.
I digress – take a look at the video which explains, very
humourously, how the Red Panda got its name (and other assorted facts).
Did you know that there are over 50,000 spiders on planet
Earth today? Just imagine if there were
that many different species of human on the planet. Good grief!
As well as being one of the most successful types of animal of all time,
there are many questions the average person in the street couldn’t answer about
arachnids. For example, were spiders
around at the time of the dinosaurs? When did the ability to produce silk
happen and was it used in the same way as spiders use it today? Where on the planet did spiders first emerge? And are there any species of spiders that have
weathered the millennia and are still with us today after millions of years?
All these questions and many more are answered in this
fantastic video from Animated Earth (otherwise known as Peter Schumaker and Tristan
Reed). It really is one of the best
natural history animations that I have seen over the last few years. As such it answered a few questions about
spiders for me that I didn’t even realise that I wanted to ask – such as how
likely are spiders to survive an extinction event?
Watch the video below:
There's no single optimal strategy you can follow at dice games to win money every round at non GamStop casinos. However, you can still make smart choices.
You
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Another
common tactic is to focus on the bonus games. You'll have fewer chances of
winning, but you can get a bigger payout. To hunt for the bonus games, place
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a Mystery Game.
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our experts recommend playing the free demo first or placing a small bet. This
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Dice
games are booming at non GamStop casinos. There are many dice games available
with different themes. These include traditional games like MegaWheels and Take
It or Not, as well as newer variations like Lightning Dice. We'll discuss a few
of these games to give you a better idea of the possibilities.
This
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essentially the same as other dice games. You need 100 points to win, you want
to form a line of three identical dice, and you can play the Mystery Games.
What makes this dice game special is the MegaWheels bonus game. You spin a
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you haven't accepted the previous one. So, it's a matter of guessing which
offer is the best.
Lightning
Dice is a live casino dice game from software developer Evolution. This game is
played with a dice tower, three dice, and lightning bolts. The goal is to guess
the sum of the numbers after the dice fall through the tower. One or more dice
receive an extra high multiplier thanks to the lightning bolts. These numbers
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What
sets Dice Games apart from many casino games is that you influence the outcome.
You can't control which dice you get, but you can choose where to place them.
By playing smart, you increase your chances of winning. For Dice Games, the
odds of winning are therefore highly dependent on the player.
At
Dice Games, you can choose to increase your points total by creating winning
combinations. If you get a winning combination in three slots, you'll receive
one and a half times your points total. If you get a winning combination in
four slots, your points are even doubled. If you also manage to land nine
identical symbols in a slot, you'll receive an additional 200 points.
Another
common tactic is to focus on the bonus games. You'll have fewer chances of
winning, but you can get a bigger payout. To hunt for the bonus games, place
all the dice without a bonus symbol in the same slot. This frees up a slot to
trigger that bonus game. You can then win up to 100 times your stake or access
a Mystery Game.
Dice
games are considered casino games. Therefore, you must be at least 18 years old
to play them in an amusement arcade or online casino.
The
maximum amount you can earn is often 100 times your stake. However, there are
some exceptions. With Lightning Dice, for example, you can earn 1,000 times
your stake.
At
Dice Games, you influence the outcome. After the dice are rolled, you can drag
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The dice are rolled and appear automatically on the reels.
Deal
or No Deal Live is a live game with high risks and high potential winnings.
This live game show has a relatively long runtime and includes three different
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are 16 briefcases available, one of which is with the presenter. This is your
briefcase, and you can choose to keep it until the end and see what your prize
is, or exchange it. You can also accept a banker's offer during the game. The
goal is to walk away with as much money as possible, but deciding whether to
continue playing or not when the banker offers can be nerve-wracking.
There's
no single optimal strategy for playing Deal or No Deal at non GamStop casinos.
However, we do have a few game tips.
Deal
or No Deal has a relatively low Return
to Player (RTP) compared to other casino games, at 95.42%. Roulette,
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games with the best odds of winning. The highest-paying slots even have an RTP
above 98%. Because the house edge is relatively higher, it's wise to take a win
when you have the opportunity. This means that if you do win, it's best to take
it. For example, after a good first round, you can quickly get your stake back
several times thanks to a good offer from the bank.
Still,
you might just have a good suitcase, making it worthwhile to play the game a
bit longer. So, make your choices based on what you want to get out of the
game!
You
can also play with the game's variance. During the Top Up round, you can give
multiple suitcases an extra boost. Want high variance? Then you can make the
best suitcases even better. Want low variance? Then choose some lower suitcases
to give them a boost and spread your risk.
We
list the pros and cons of Deal or No Deal Live for you.
•
Maximum win 500 x the stake
•
Exciting live game
•
Determine the variance yourself during the Top Up
•
House edge 4.58%
•
You must qualify for the Suitcase Game
Deal
or No Deal Live is an entertaining live game show. The Briefcase Game, in
particular, is exciting and fun, making it the central round. The payout
percentage is good, but lower than that of many other live games. Live table
games, in particular, often have a high payout percentage. However, these games
are difficult to compare. It's important to look beyond the payout percentage.
Are you looking for excitement, thrills, and enthusiastic game hosts? Then Deal
or No Deal Live might be a good choice for you at non GamStop casinos.
Once
you've made it through the qualifying round, the odds are 1:16 that you'll have
the best suitcase. However, you don't have to play to the end; you can also
choose to stop playing early if the dealer makes an offer.
Yes,
you can play Deal or No Deal Live on your mobile device or tablet. Almost all
online casinos have a mobile version of their website.
No,
you can't choose your own suitcase. The game software determines which suitcase
you receive.
You
have 10 seconds to accept or reject the banker's offer. So don't forget to
indicate your choice in time. This applies to every player.
No one is quite sure where the name Tanuki came from, but a possibility is the old Japanese word tanoke which means spirit of the fields. Since people first came to Japan they have lived alongside this remarkable canid species. Despite what it’s English name might suggest, this is not a racoon. It is so-called simply because of the physical similarity between it and racoons. It’s a member of the dog family, but it’s definitely not a dog either. Image Credit
Why? The tanuki is not a “dog” in the everyday sense (like Canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog). It’s more closely related to foxes than to domestic dogs, and it has quite different behaviour and appearance. For instance, it can climb trees and even hibernate, which dogs can’t do.
We have already told the story of how the critically
endangered Lord Howe Island Stick Insect was brought back from the edge of
extinction in the animation Sticky. Of course, there is still
much work to be done. This entrancing
video shows – for the first time – the hatching of a young stick insect. It was captured by zoo keeper Rohan Cleave at
Melbourne Zoo. The eggs incubate for over six months and, until now, the
hatching process has never been seen.
This goes to show - yet again - the invaluable conservation work that is done by zoos across the world. Watch the video below. If
this doesn’t bring a smile to your face, then it’s unlikely that anything will!
Now you see me, now you don’t. Australia is well known for all creatures great, small, venomous, bitey, spiky, leapy and apparently hell-bent on ruining your day - there’s a list of them as long as your arm. However, the wraparound spider (Dolophones conifera) is not on that particular list. Although it has given many the shock of their lives when it suddenly appears in front of them, this spider doesn’t want to hurt you. In fact, it has developed a cunning camouflage technique with the sole purpose of being left alone. It’s waiting, resting up, patiently letting the daylight hours pass it by until night falls and its work may begin again. Image Credit
In the meantime, it needs to be unseen, particularly from its main predator – birds. So, over countless millennia it has evolved the ability to wrap its body around twigs of its forest home. It can do this so effectively that when still it simply looks like a small nodule where new shoots, leaves, or flowers might emerge. The underside of its bodies is concave, and this allows it to press itself so closely on and around a twig that nothing or no one can spot them unless they decide to move.
This amazing video presents the life cycle of the sea biscuit Clypeaster subdepressus, as part of a master's thesis project conducted at the Biosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo.
Adult specimens were collected from sand beds in the São Sebastião Channel (São Sebastião, SP, Brazil). Researchers then induced gamete release (eggs and sperm), followed by in vitro fertilisation. The resulting embryonic development was observed under light microscopy in a controlled laboratory setting.
As development progressed, embryos transformed into free-swimming larvae approximately 0.2 mm in width. These larvae were sustained on a diet of microalgae until they reached the stage of metamorphosis. During this stage, a juvenile sea biscuit began forming within the larval body. Once the tiny podia (tube feet) and spines developed, the larva sank and underwent metamorphosis, resorbing its larval tissues in the process.
The juvenile then began life among sand grains, exploring its new benthic environment.
The video footage was captured at the University of São Paulo’s Marine Biology Center (CEBIMar-USP), located in São Sebastião, on the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil.
Here's the video - enjoy!
They are completely blind, but somehow driver ants (Dorylus wilverthi) manage to make their way through their African forest home. They coordinate through chemical signals with the
larger workers, with hooked jaws (that can bite us, yes indeed) protecting the
smaller ones. If they come across an
obstacle – no problem, they just use themselves as bridges. If you’re an insect and you get in the way of
a driver ant swarm, you have no chance.
Even human babies and the infirm have been known to fall victim to a
driver ant swarm…
This fascinating short documentary was made by a member of
the Day’s Edge team when he was a teaching assistant in UCLA's Field Biology
Quarter program. His class of 15 undergraduates spent three weeks conducting
original research in Kibale National Park, Uganda. They encountered these amazing
driver in the forest whenever they entered it. On his return to Los Angeles, he
decided toc create a short documentary about the driver ant species.
Watch the video below.
When I was a kid there was a place on the walk home where touch-me-not balsam used to grow. Over the years, I had great fun touching their seed pods, as, if they were ripe enough, they would explode in contact with my fingers. Pow! The seeds would be ejected, sometimes quite a distance and always at super-high speed. However, during all my pod popping years I never once saw a caterpillar (or noticed one at least).
Yet the touch-me-not balsam is the favourite food of a
certain moth’s caterpillar. I never saw
one because the netted carpet moth (Eustroma reticulatum) was, metaphorically,
on its knees at that point in time. It
was, in fact, close to extinction in the UK and is now still only found in a
few places in the Lake District. That
was a good hundred miles away from where I grew up (Chester) and as such
explains why I never saw any of the moth’s caterpillars. It is, fortunately,
found elsewhere in Europe and Asia so there is no fear of a complete species
extinction – in fact the moth has seen a 900^% increase in abundance in the UK since
2000 (due to some clever conservation management).
That’s great news – but you might notice when you watch the
video below that this caterpillar doesn’t do much to help itself in terms of
staying safe… Just as I would never know which pod was going to pop when I was
a child, likewise the caterpillars have to risk, for the sake of a good munch,
being the trigger for an explosion which will send it flying through the
air. One can only hope that these caterpillars
have a safe landing and can make their way back to the plant without too much
trouble. It just leaves me wondering how
many times the average netted carpet moth caterpillar finds itself being
ejected through space before it undergoes its metamorphosis into adult form and
can use its wings instead…
Watch the amazing video from BBC Earth below.
Did you know that the collective noun for pandas is an embarrassment? So, when you see more than one of them you
can say “Oh, look – it’s an embarrassment of pandas”. Lions get a pride. Owls get a parliament. And hippos get a thunder. Meanwhile, pandas get an embarrassment. (Image Credit)
While there is no doubt that the antics of any family member can leave relatives slack-jawed in bewildered puzzlement, a question must be asked here. Is it fair to condemn a whole species because of the actions of just a few? At Ark in Space, we think not. It is time that this gross injustice was exposed, overturned and ended. Today we begin the search for a new, worthier collective noun for Ailuropoda melanoleuca, otherwise know as the Giant Panda. You will be able to vote for your current favorite or suggest your own at the end of this article.
And yet. Before we move on, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that yes, pandas in general are somewhat prone to doing things that could be considered embarrassing. They love climbing, but they aren’t very good at it. They like rolling down slopes, even if the slope is, in fact, an abyss. They get stuck in awkward places where it might be assumed a panda of average size could not fit. There is so much evidence stacked against them that panda fail compilations are all over the internet. Here’s just one of them…
You may not have heard of the Alpine Newt but, like every other organism, it starts as a single cell. It is silent, so put some inspiring music on in the background to accompany the newt’s development. The detail is absolutely amazing, from the single cell right up to the hatching of the larva, you will remember the alpine newt for some time to come!
Becoming is a film by Jan van IJken. a Dutch filmmaker and
photographer whose work lies at the intersection of art and science. He
explores the hidden dimensions of nature, focusing on microscopy, embryology,
and the complex relationships between humans and animals.
Watch the full video below - and don't forget to find some great music to go with it!
Down in the moist and wet tropical forests of Central and South America, something isn’t moving in the dense canopy cover. It is quite still, rolled in a tight ball, its head tucked under its arms and its partially prehensile tail wrapped around the branch upon which it lightly sleeps. This is the silky anteater – the smallest (and possibly the cutest – you be the judge) anteater species on the this, our ark in space.
The species has the skill of a contortionist and seems able to wrap its body into all sorts of positions in the pursuit of a peaceful day’s sleep. It is nocturnal, so in the day time it snoozes the hours away until the sun goes down and its time to feed again. Yet even though it only goes out at night, it isn’t exactly the lean and hungry type. Sometimes, only around 700 ants will be slurped up by its saliva-covered tongue, onto which the hapless Formicidae stick before being eaten alive.
It's true, most people wouldn’t mind having a little extra cash. Whether it’s to cover bills, save up for a trip or just have some more freedom, a side hustle can really help out. The great thing about this digital age is the fact that you don't have to leave the house to do this. Thanks to the Internet, there are loads of different ways for you to earn money from your phone or laptop and you don’t always need special skills to get going.
It's important that you pick a side hustle that works for you, your time management and honestly, interests you. There are so many options to pick from, below only a few are mentioned but it's up to you to find one that suits your needs.
If you enjoy playing games and don’t mind a little risk, online casinos might be your thing. They’re not a guaranteed way to make money but they can be a fun option when approached responsibly.
There are thousands of online platforms where you can play for real cash. Most offer games like:
There are a few things that you need to bear in mind when it comes to picking online casino games as your side hustle. You must choose a reputable and licensed online casino. It's paramount that you set a strict budget and stick to it. Try to take advantage of welcome bonuses and free spins, they're there, so you might as well use them. Also, remember that if you do make a winning, you want to receive that as quickly as possible, which is why a fast payout online casino might be a good option for you, as they're super speedy when it comes to that.
Freelancing has become a major way people make money online. Whether you're a graphic designer, writer, video editor or even just good at data entry, there’s probably someone out there willing to pay you for your work.
Even if you don’t think you have any skills to sell right now, you can learn a lot online for free or cheap. Platforms like YouTube and Coursera are full of tutorials on everything from coding to writing resumes. Once you’re confident in something, start small and build your portfolio.
Popular freelance jobs include things like writing blog posts or product descriptions, managing social media accounts, designing logos or flyers, translating content or even editing videos or podcasts. The best part? You set your own hours and choose your clients, all you have to do is get the ball rolling.
Selling things online is one of the fastest ways to earn some extra cash. You don’t need a fancy store or inventory to get going, either.
Here are a few options that you can think about:
Here's one pro tip that you can take with you: Keep your listings clean, use good photos and write honest descriptions. The better your listings look, the more likely they are to sell.
If you're confident in a particular subject or skill, teaching or tutoring online can be a great way to earn extra cash. You don’t necessarily need to be a certified teacher to get started. Many platforms are looking for people who can help others learn, whether it’s academic subjects, languages or even hobbies. Most importantly, just try to have a passion for something and that will already get you in.
For example, tutoring English online is a popular option, especially for native speakers. If you’re more academically inclined, you can find opportunities on tutoring sites that focus on subjects like math, science and history. These usually let you set your own schedule and teach at your comfort level.
You could also offer private lessons through Zoom or Google Meet. Promote yourself on social media or local community boards and start working with students one-on-one. This can be especially effective if you specialize in a niche area or offer personalized help.
There are tons of ways to earn extra cash online, whether you’re looking for something fast and easy or want to build a full-blown side business. From online casino games to freelancing, the key is to find something that fits your lifestyle and goals. Why not just give it a go? You don't have much to lose, other than a little bit of time.
Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the garden,
the natural world pulls another fast one on us. The picture above is a snail
infected with a parasitic flatworm that goes under the (rather menacing) name the green-banded
broodsac. Found mostly in Central and
Eastern Europe, its binomial scientific name is Leucochloridium paradoxum which
translated means “strange little white-green creature”. Isn’t that just the understatement of the decade?
Some might be inclined to exchange paradoxum with nauseosum (nausea inducing) because although it looks strange in a photo, you should see this creature in… motion. So, if you are even remotely squeamish by nature, don’t read on. And certainly, don’t play this video (definitely not narrated by David Attenborough). Don’t say you weren’t warned…
He searched online and
came across a website, leaving a message on the local "Swarm Hotline". The person who returned the call was
Mandy, who quickly turned up and resolved the situation. Maxwell captured some amazing footage so
asked Mandy if, next swarm season, he could shoot a little documentary. You don’t need to guess Mandy’s answer as
this charming short is the result.
I love the insight that this video gives swarm chasing, as
Mandy calls it (and a great play on words it is too). You will learn the things that need to be
done to relocate a hive – and how it can get a little tricky depending on where
the bees rock up. If you have doubts
about the importance of making sure that bees end up on the right place, then
seven little words from Mandy should suffice: “Without the bees, there is no
us.”
Watch the short documentary below.
Sploot? Splooting? Splooted? You may have come across the word in one or more of its forms while goggling at a picture of a very flat looking dog or squirrel. Although it’s quite probably self-explanatory, we thought a short diversionary interlude to look into the word, the action and its mammalian manifestation might allow for a little procrastinatory pleasure. So, put off the more important things you must do today and delve with us into this fascinating phenomenon. Perhaps you could even attempt a languid sploot yourself as you read on…
Or perhaps not (disclaimer #1). First, the action. Merriam-Webster added "sploot" to its dictionary in 2022, defining it as a slang term for the pose in which an animal lies flat on its belly with its hind legs stretched out behind it. That much is obvious, but why do animals sploot? The rather silly looking pose is in fact a very sensible solution to the issue of overheating.
This short ten minute film by the British Council provides as much information about the life cycle of the newt as anyone really needs unless they wish to become a herpetologist – the scientific term for someone who studies reptiles and amphibians professionally. Even though it was made in 1942 (during World War II no less), I don’t think you will find a more accurate and succinct description of the life cycle of this charming amphibian.
It focuses on the Smooth Newt and with some great photography
for its time, looks at the process from conception to the point when the tiny
but fully-formed newt leaves the pond for land, where it will stay for three
years until ready to reproduce itself. Watch
this wonderful short film below.
Out of the over 4,000 species of frogs on Planet Earth,
around a third of them are considered to be at threat of extinction. Here, Guy
Fenton takes us on a journey, exploring why frogs are so vital to our ecosystems. Fenton also covers how frogs are helping
scientists to create new innovations in the medical field. Told from a non-scientific perspective, this
short video speaks volumes about the importance of our amphibian friends.
One reason (apart from any species has a right to survive without forced extinction because of our actions) can be seen as purely selfish. The frogs of this world may well turn out to be incredibly important to the future of our species. So, conserving them in the wild so we can continue to learn from them is something that we should make every attempt to ensure.
Scientists, for example, are studying frog skins to see how the cells can be turned into new antibiotics. As most of our current antibiotics are now becoming useless because of antibiotic resistance, these new ones are vital – urgent even. More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics – could frogs hold the secret to a new group of antibiotics?
Have a look at this video – it’s very short and you will (most likely) learn something.
