Author Stuart Blackman

Stuart Blackman

Recent articles by Stuart Blackman
Bobbit worm

It's a terrifying, ruthless, 3-metre long, deep-sea predator that can slice its prey in half – and its venom can cause permanent numbness in humans

The Bobbit worm is a fearsome marine predator that burrows into the sand and waits for unsuspecting prey. Stuart Blackman explains all you need to know about this terrifying marine worm
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ImageBROKER/ Kevin Sawford/ Getty Images

"Its deadly poison contains heart-toxins, which are potent enough to kill elephants." The 10 deadliest rodents on the planets – including a poisonous rat

Stuart Blackman investigates the 10 deadliest rodents, including human eating hamsters and poisonous rats
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Snapping shrimp

“It’s effectively ripping apart the water.” It's only an inch long but this creature creates shockwaves of over 200 decibels

Despite its size, the pistol shrimp boasts one of the best (and loudest) weapons in the ocean.
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Orb-web Spider species -probably Cyclosa spec.-, building spider dummies with several legs from plant debris and dead insects to deflect from enemy attacks, Tambopata Nature Reserve, Madre de Dios Region, Peru

Think you’re seeing a giant, humongous spider? Think again… as all is not what it appears

Meet the puppet master...
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First recorded in the UK in 1879, false widow spiders have had a recent surge of media attention. © Alex Hyde/naturepl.com

Are false widow spiders really a danger to children?

False widow spiders are one of the few spiders in the UK capable of delivering a venomous bite to human, but does that justify all the scaremongering? Matt Shardlow from Buglife explains.
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Orient mosquito (Anopheles minimus) engorged with blood, feeding on a human host. © Smith Collection/Gado/Contributor/Getty

Why do some people suffer more bug bites than others?

Striped Pyjama Squid

It spends all day in bed and looks like it's wearing striped pyjamas – but its cuteness conceals a toxic side

Yes this is a real animal - be it a rather sleepy and weird one...
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ACarnography/ Getty Images

The strange reason animals eat their own snot – and it may be more than just a disgusting habit

Primates picking their noses? Here's everything you need to answer that question
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Keiko the killer whale, in his enclosure on Heimaey, one of the Vestmannaeyjar or Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland, 21st June 1999. Keiko gained fame in 1993 for his role in the film 'Free Willy'. He was eventually released into the wild. (Photo by Colin Davey/Getty Images)

Free Willy: When Hollywood’s most famous killer whale was rescued from captivity he vanished into the ocean – But what happened next?

The White Bellbird is the loudest bird

"It sounds like the two-tone horn of a fast train approaching a station. Unfathomably, females find the noise attractive…"

Just which bird has the loudest call? And how do they produce such a peace-shattering sound?
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Bush viper shedding its skin

Why do snakes shed their skin?

You might have seen a ghostly snake skin left behind on a walk – but have you ever wondered how snakes shed them?
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With deadly, long, lethal jaws that drain their prey dry, this is one of the world’s most spine-chilling animals — and it's known as an assassin

Rain frog

"It's not unknown for males to get stuck in the wrong position - back to front, or sideways on - or for groups to become hopelessly welded together…"

How these rain frogs get stuck in when mating
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what's the difference between a crab and a lobster

Crab vs lobster – They look similar… but what actually makes a crab a crab – and a lobster a lobster?

Just how do crabs differ from lobsters? Stuart Blackman explains
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Do any animals have periods like humans?

Yes some animal species do menstruate and have periods, like humans, says Stuart Blackman
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The terrifying, deadly island off Brazil that only scientists and soldiers can visit

Discover the island where there's a snake for every square metre - including one of the world's deadliest...
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Biggest eagle in the world

What’s the biggest, heaviest eagle in the world? Meet the contenders – including a giant with a monster 3-metre wingspan

Eagles are one of the most majestic birds in the sky. We take a look at the biggest and most impressive
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"Observations suggest that they can float to the surface for air and then sink down again – all without waking up…"

How exactly have these notoriously aggessive animals evolved to function under the water?
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Why do captive killer whales have drooping dorsal fins?

Orca in captivity live very different lives from those in the wild, and this can affect their physical features
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natures cruellest tricksters

"They too can lull passing fish into a relaxed stupor, but they do so in order to bite rather than pamper…" 10 cruellest, most devious schemers in animal kingdom

Behind every innocent façade lurks a predator, a thief or a schemer — and nature has perfected the art of the con
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Could piranhas actually kill a human

You've seen the horror films but can piranhas ACTUALLY kill a human?

Could piranhas actually kill a human? Stuart Blackman takes a look at the evidence?
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The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena or tiger wolf, is a species of hyena native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Mouth open wide showing its teeth from anterior to posterior.

10 strongest, most powerful bites on the planet – able to pierce skulls, crack bone and crush prey

We take a look at the animal kingdom's strongest biters
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Rhinella proboscidea

"It's the only known example of necrophilia having an evolutionary advantage - to both the male and the unfortunate female…"

Why necrophilia is an evolutionary advantage for the Rhinella proboscidea
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Liger

Forget the liger… the astonishing wild animal hybrids that prove why nature – and love – is far stranger than you think

We may think of cross-breeding as something that just happens with domestic animals, but it can happen in the wild as well says Stuart Blackman
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