Encyclopedia

Tiger (Panthera tigris)

Tiger cub image; Credit: © Shutterstock One of the biggest carnivores on land (at 3.3m or 11ft), descended from the most formidable monsters of mammals imaginable, the tiger (Panthera tigris)...

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Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)

Bowhead Whale; Credit: © WWF If there is an animal that deserves some human kindness, it is this. This remarkable creature of the Arctic was the “common whale” to our...

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Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification image via Shutterstock If majority rule applied to all things natural, then the oceans would win the bid for status and recognition hands down, making up 71% of...

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Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

The most magnificent of finned animals emerges from the deep, the whale shark, its vivid pattern identifying each individual. They are now recorded around the globe as enthusiasts monitor their...

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Manta Ray (Manta birostris)

Manta (Manta birostris) - Manta ray image via Shutterstock Rays and sharks are seen by some people simply as oceanic monsters. They are instead some of the most important predators...

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Deforestation and Afforestation

After trees are cleared, then even more damage is done, as soil erodes away to dust and regeneration even of scrub depends upon water, which has been lost - Deforestation...

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Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)

The huge claws and sensitive tongue of Varanus komodoensis: the true dragon of Chinese "myth." - Komodo Dragon Image via Shutterstock Greatest of the Varanus lizards, the Komodo monster (V....

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Ozone Holes and the Ozone Layer

Ozone via Shutterstock The ozone that saves the planet from direct ultraviolet light (UV) and ultraviolet radiation sits in the stratosphere above us. It has been there since oxygen rose...

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Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Breaching Humpback, showing gigantic white flippers and the characteristic rorquql throat grooves via Shutterstock The rorqual whales are generally those which share slim bodies, throat grooves and tiny dorsal fins....

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Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Sperm whale off Sri Lanka; Credit: © Shutterstock The sperm whale is perhaps the most distinct of all whales. Being toothed, it could be distantly related to the dolphins, but...

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