Planex News

The Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion Cubicus) is a member of the Boxfish family and grows to no larger than 45cm. Divers can find these fish as deep as 40 metres, however they tend to spend most of their time in the shallower and warmer parts of the world’s oceans like the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and also parts of the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. Boxfish tend to spend most of their days on the reef, their main diet is algae, small invertebrates, worms, crustaceans and sponges for example.     Using its puckered lips, it blows small bursts of water at the corals and sand to reveal anything that might be hiding. The Yellow Boxfish is in fact, a yellow, box-shaped fish – who would have guessed it? It is a bright yellow colour with black spots, which helps them to survive by telling nearby predators that they are poisonous. However, as they begin to mature, the number of spots decreases and the yellow blends into almost a dirty, mustard colour. It’s not just the colours that change either, t

Geckos are small lizards that usually live in the jungle. They are only one among many species like Komodo Dragons, Vivipar Lizards, Green Lizards, Sand Lizards and hundreds more reptiles. In warm countries, where most geckos live, there are lots of houses that get annoying insects. Geckos sometimes come into people’s houses, and they are happy to have them there, because geckos eat the insects. Like chameleons, geckos have the ability to change colour to whatever they want. This can help them blend in to the surroundings and stop predators from spotting them. This also includes hunters who sell their scales for a lot of money. Scientists do not know how they do this. Most suggest there is a special organ in their body that stores chemicals and then, in a spraying-like action, it sends them up a tube which opens in a small whole in their body and it changes a colour when released to sunlight. Adding to this, their tongues are actually longer than their body! Yes, you heard that right -

In the Kamchatka Peninsula of far east Russia, there lies a coral reef formally known as the valley of death. Surrounded by seas that are very cold and are almost frozen all year round, there are dozens of mini volcanoes crammed into one space it has got the nickname ‘Land Of Fire And Ice’.  However, there is more to Kamchatka than its wild beauty - in the shadow of one of one of its fiery volcanoes, called Kihpinych, there is a small, narrow valley - that animals enter - but never leave. The Valley Of Death was first discovered in 1975 by volcanologist Vladimir Leonov. At first, Vladimir thought is was just a normal coral reef, but as he explored further, strange icy clouds and a number of dead animals drew him in. Nobody had properly explored them before, so it was a complete surprise to him. But, just as he feared, there were hundreds of dead animals with blood dripping down their head that had been perfectly preserved by the ice. What was even more strange is that they don’t seem s

Parrotfish are more than just ordinary fish. As well as being able to create pyjamas for itself, it can also help create coral reefs! Living alongside many other fish, such as clownfish and stonefish, the parrot fish may seem ordinary. But in reality, it anything but. One of it’s amazing powers includes creating ‘pyjamas’. It essentially vomits out a thick protective mucus that coats its body and stops predators from picking up its scent Night-night, parrotfish! Adding to this, they can also change from male to female! It might sound impossible, but the parrotfish thinks not. Scientists, don’t know how this happens though; maybe they can’t change! Why do white sandy beaches look so nice? Probably not because they are actually made of parrotfish poo! Yep, you heard that right - they can also help to form coral reefs!  As remarkable coral reef residents, these superheroes of the sea can come in many different colours and sizes. Their front teeth are fused together to make a beak, and use

Sir David Frederick Attenborough (born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster and natural historian. He is best known for writing and presenting, in association with the BBC Natural History Unit. Here are some interesting facts about him. Prepare to be amazed! He was raised on the campus of University College, Leicester, where his dad was the head teacher. Instead of saying he’s an animal lover, David says he’s fascinated by them.Interestingly, Attenbourgh has never owned a car because he never passed his driving test. He’s also not keen on sending emails, and prefers receiving letters by fax or post. During World War II his parents adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe. The only animals Dave doesn’t like are rats! Sir David was rejected from the first job he ever applied for at the BBC, the position of radio talk producer. In 1947 he spent two years serving in the Royal Navy. When Sir David got his first job in television, he didn’t even own a TV! His first programme, called Coe

What would it be like if your tummy had see-through skin? Probably a bit weird, I’ll wager. But, if you happen to be a Glass Frog, then, dear reader, it is your everyday reality! Want to check if your liver is tickety-boo? No trouble if you’re a glass frog. They are mostly green, but their bellies are transparent. They live up in the trees in rainforests, where they eat bugs. They can live for 10 to 14 years! That’s pretty impressive for a little froggy-woggy! But that’s not all, Glass Frogs have been declared by Victor Wanyama, captain of the Nigerian national football team, as the best animal that has ever lived. But did you know something even more extraordinary? The Ancient Roman writer Virgil actually wrote extensively about Glass frogs back in 67AD. Here’s what he had to say (in the original latin): “Obist, ut glassus frogus accabor ehentur, officiaspis in plibus eos et aut apelent, utatur magni rem hiciam laciend andae. Itas nonserf ernatqu istius. Otatur sum deseres utaturi non

Last time, we featured some of the world’s wackiest animals, but there are so many bizarre beasts on our amazing planet that we couldn’t possibly tell you about them all. So we’re back, with even more crazy-looking creatures for you to wonder and and learm more about. From the forests to the seas, we’ve scoured the globe to bring you some truly weird and wonderful examples to enjoy... 1. Sea Bunnies  Sea bunnies are a form of mollusc, specifically a nudibranch. The little bunny ears you can see are actually a form of rhinosphore which help them sense the world around them. They eat sea sponges which contain toxins. These chemical-sensing cuties are found primarily in Japan but have also been spotted off the shores of Taiwan, The Phillipines and Indonesia. 2. Sunda Colugo Until recently, it was believed that this Malaysia-dwelling creature was a form of flying lemur, but closer studying of the animals has revealed that they glide between trees. What’s more, it is not even a type

The coral reef is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but sadly they are dying. For example, in Mexico, a mysterious disease was wiping out lots of the coral and fish. Also, as climate change rages on, when the coral gets too hot, they release the algae that live in their cells and provide them with nutrients, turning the corals white and sometimes causing them to starve. This usally causes the surrounding fish to die as well. In other news, a coral reef is an underwater ecosystem containing reef-building coral. Reefs are formed of colonies of ‘coral polyps’ which hold together with calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from ‘stony corals’, whose polyps cluster in groups. There can also be ‘artificial reefs’, which are formed when  some sort of man made machine (such as a boat or car) sink into the ocean, and over time coral begin to form on them. When fish see the brightly-coloured stuff, they automatically go there. As crazy as it may sound, corals are actually living!

Film-makers have created some crazy-looking creatures in the last hundred years, but nothing you’ve ever seen on screen can compare to the real-life, wild and wonderful animals you can find in the furthest and deepest corners of our planet. We’d like to share with you some of Toby News’s favourite weird beasts. Prepare to gasp and laugh... 1: Dumbo Octopus Don’t be fooled by the name, this cute thing can’t fly! Instead, it actually lives in the deepest part of the ocean; deeper than any other type of octopus. There aren’t many of them; that’s why the females carry all their eggs ready to be fertilised and made into babies. Cute! 2: Star-Nosed Mole This bizarre - faced beast is only the size of a Hamster, but that bonkers nose has over 25,000 sensory receptors (nerves that sense) that are so powerful that they can even detect earthquakes! Good job there aren’t many in North America, where they are to be found. 3: Lamprey Belive it or not, these freakish fellows are fish! People used to

When you look up in the stars, you might believe there are aliens out there, or you might not. Well, nobody really knows wether there is life out there or not, but they know one thing: they all need liquid to survive. There could be life out there that is in a different universe; one that can only be reached by a black hole, but let’s take a look at life on Earth. Desert Heat Well, you’ve probably heard of a desert, but do you know how hard it is to survive out there? Cacti only need water about twice a year, but that’s because they’re plants. How did anything evolve to live out here? It’s hard to tell... A well-known desert creature is a scorpion, an animal that has a deadly stinger to catch its prey, but does not need all that much water. It usually sucks the wetness out of the dead animal to get water, or hide in abandoned towns where there could have been water. Rain, Rain, Rain Sometimes there can be too much water. Such places include rainforests, etc. How do these animals surviv

You might think ‘Forest Hunt’ is a very misleading title for what’s about to come up, but the truth is, no. Reports are flooding in of people seeing one murderous hunter. The killer, who’s name is formally known as Lord Hugos has been spotted multiple times attempting to kill or capture animals. All of the goverments of the world have come together to form a plan to stop his reign of terror, so they sent Waylon Anvilton to do the dirtywork. All of the channels on TV will show him today. 20 miles into the forest, Waylon went off the beaten track to search for Hugos, with only a single cameraman to follow him around. Suddenly, he spotted a sinkhole, narrowly missing falling into it. Waylon continued to walk, keeping an eye on the road ahead, when all of a sudden, he spotted a shadowy figure pointing a sharp blade at an innocent, little bunny rabbit. Without warning, all of the back-up Anvilton sent for came in on helicopters, and froze Hugos’s plan immediately, but a group of seven evil

Unless you live near a huge forest, people don’t spend a lot of time connecting or thinking about nature, and that’s the reason why I decided to put this article in. Buffalos, Warthogs, Tigers, even ivy are all part of nature, and each molecule contained in it has a different ability. Take the Kingfisher for example - these birds can dive into the water so fast you can hardly see them. Or the electric eel, these swimming creatures can create static electricity out of nowhere and can swim swiftly through the ocean. Now I’ve mentioned them, I can tell you’re excited. Then this is just up your street! Right of this article is the spectacular Glowfuse Bird, an animal that uses bright lights and switching colours to defend and attract other birds. If it appears red or black, that means it is angry and you should evacuate immediately because it’s eyes will literally blind you, whilst if it is any other colour it is calm and safe to be near. Glowfuses are incredibly rare birds to spot, so if

Humans, it’s been said, are like donuts. They have an opening at each end, and a single continuous hole running through their middle. (Note: This theory has yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal.) It’s a crude simplification of our species, sure, but look far enough back on the animal family tree and you’ll find an ancestor organism that’s little more than a digestive tract with some meat wrapped around it. Limbless and hungry like a sentient macaroni, this ancient creepy-crawler was the first bilaterian — an organism with two symmetrical sides, a distinct front and back end, and a continuous gut connecting them. While bilaterians run rampant today (insects, humans and most other animals among them), the identity of that progenitor organism has long eluded discovery. Now, researchers believe they’ve found it in the fossil record for the first time. In a study published March 23 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists analyzed a chunk of r