The Ark In Space

Sea Lebrities: The Sea Lions of Pier 39

Wednesday, 12 November 2025

We often read about people taking over the natural habitat of other species but it is rare to come across a case where the animals come back and reclaim their territory from us. Yet this is exactly what has happened in San Francisco. Local Californian Sea Lions have always been present in the city’s bay but had been pushed out to Seal Rocks, a small formation at the north end of the Ocean Beach. Pier 39’s K-Dock was developed and opened in 1978. Little did we know that the sea lions also had their eyes on this particular piece of seaside real estate.

Image Credit Flicrk User WallyG

Image Credit Flickr User WallyG

They bided their time but their opportunity to move in (or back, if you argue that their presence along the Californian coastline predates human occupation by tens of thousands of years) came just over a decade later in 1989. It was then that it was decided that the docks needed refurbishment. In order to facilitate this all the boats had to be removed from Pier 39. This left large open spaces inside the Bay. A small number of sea lions saw their opportunity. They metaphorically weighed anchor from the stony slopes of Seal Rocks and began to arrive at Pier 39.

The Darth Vader Ant with Superhero Gliding Skills

Sunday, 16 October 2022

Their skills eluded observation until early this century, but you can add another animal on to the list of those who have developed the ability to glide. Joining snakes, squirrels, frogs and lizards with those superhero-like gliding skills is a species of ant.

Image Credit Wikimedia

And what an Ant! The Darth Vader of the insect world, Cephalotes atratus, inhabits the canopy of the tropical forest systems of Central and South America. That’s a long way up and if an ant was to fall it would lead to almost certain death on the floor of the forest. Either that or a trip that would make The Incredible Journey look like a walk in the park, but one which would probably be impossible due to the lack of chemical trails to guide the ant back home.

The Extraordinary Pink Katydid

Saturday, 19 June 2021

Flamingos aside, you do not get to see the color pink in the animal kingdom a great deal. A notable exception is the pink katydid. Yet this is by no means a separate species – this coloring affects around one in 500. You may have already guessed that the condition is something similar to albinism.

Image Credit Flickr User janetandphil

Image Credit Flickr User MGJefferies

Known as erythrism, the condition causes a curious reddish pigmentation. It can affect the body of an insect as well as its skin, and it is so rare that it was not noticed by western scientists until 1887. The reason for this oversight was perhaps due to the inclination of the insect to remain perfectly still during daylight hours.

Why Does a Dog Lick Its Nose?

Saturday, 12 June 2021

When dogs are in their training stage a question that comes up a great deal is why do dogs lick their noses? While it is tempting to simply go with the old chestnut of an answer – because they can – there are a number of reasons why a dog might lick its own nose. Are they thinking about speedy paper reviews? One thing is for certain sure, however: while they are doing it they often bring a smile to the faces of their human companions. As you can see from this spread of pictures, it is sometimes difficult to resist this particular canine photo opportunity.

Image Credit Flickr User Evansville

7 Questions Kids Always Ask About Animals

Friday, 22 May 2020

Kids and animals – they go together so well! However, kids are curious about all sorts of concepts and animals are no exception! Children will never stop bothering us with their thought-provoking and annoying questions up to and including "write a paper for me." Here are eight of them about animals, and how to answer them - starting with two of the more frequently asked and then some of the lesser (but still amusing) answers. Oh and don't worry about the little girl above - she does not have cruel and irresponsible parents. It's a statue.

Caught In The Web: How Spiders Eat their Prey

Friday, 16 August 2019

Imagine you are an insect caught in a spider web. What exactly will happen to you once the spider comes and, as it were, sits down beside you? It’s not a pretty process, that’s for sure but some amazing macrophotography can make even death a thing of beauty...

Image Credit Flickr User A Currell

Image Credit Flickr User e_monk

The fate of a creature caught in a spider web often holds a morbid fascination to the casual viewer. The urge to release them may be strong but many hold back, perhaps afraid that if they assist the struggling animal then a similar fate may well be in store for them.

Why the Loggerhead Shrike is Also Known as The Butcher Bird

Monday, 31 December 2018

Some animals have a reputation that they did nothing to warrant. Not so the Loggerhead Shrike. It has an alternative name which it richly deserves. It is called the butcher bird and anywhere it is common in North America its prey are left out to dry in the same way that a butcher might hang his meat.

Image Credit andymorffew

Image Credit Hunter Desportes
If you can’t see a loggerhead shrike then you will know if one is about if you check and barbed wire or sharp, pointed vegetation. If you see the impaled remains of insects like the grasshopper then although you might suspect it to due to the exertions of some willful boy it is much more likely to be the handiwork of the butcher bird.

Are These the Cutest Kittens on the Internet?

Sunday, 2 October 2016

We thought we would take a break here at the Ark in Space. A break from rare species, unusual bugs and dangerous beasties. We thought we would take time out to bring you a real cutefest – something which, as you can see by the title of this post, still raises a question or two. Why bring you this glorious gallery of the cutest kittens on the net? No real reason. Except because we can! Prepare to say aaaw a lot - enjoy!

Image Credit Flickr User Lastquest

Image Credit Flickr User Merlijn Hoek

OK, now we know that this has been done before - however, these are not pictures ripped (and ripped off) from a quick search. As ever, here, all the pictures are licensed through Creative Commons. We would like to thank the photographers for their huge generosity in allowing us to share their photographs with you. You can visit their photostreams on Flickr by clicking each picture!

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