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 ch...

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 se...

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...

On stormy days, you should probably expect lightning. But what is lightning? You’re about to find out... Lightning is a naturally occuring electrical discharge (the sudden flow of electricity) that happens when two electrically charged regions in the atmosphere temporarily equallise themselves, causing the instant result of, well, lightning! When you get struck by lightning, you won’t nessccesarily die straight away. There was one man who was struck by lightning 7 times and still survived! Thunder is the sound of lightning. They happen at the same time, but depending on how far away you are, the thunder might sound like it happens after the lightning. Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people. That’s even more than the Coro...

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...

The Chocolate hills in the Bohol province of the Philippines are a valley of densley-vegetated hills. In the dry season, the grass and crops go brown. From a distance, it looks like the hills are made of bubbly chocolate, thus getting their name. According to legends, the hills came into existence because of two giants who hurled rocks, boulders, and sand at each other. After their fight was over, this eventually led to a huge mess of hills – which is the Chocolate Hills we know today. The Chocolate Hills are a popular tourist destination in The Phillipines, and even feature on the regional flagof Bohol province, where they are the Bohol’s “main attraction”. These unique domed hills can be found in their hundreds in the towns Batuan, Carmen, and Sagbayan in Bohol They are listed as one of The Phillipines Top 3 geographical monuments and there are plans to hopefully include them in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Chocolate Hills are conical karst hills and similar ones can be seen i...

Everyone has heard about the aztecs, who lived in Mexico. But hardly anyone has ever heard of the Mayans, an advanced civilization who ruled before the Aztecs took over. Using the new ‘LiNEAR’ technology, experts are shedding light on the most mysterious civilization. Drones or aircrafts fly over the jungle or forest and shoot hundreds of lasers down to the ground. These scan the area around them and upload them to a special computer. When you view the image back, it deletes the trees so you can see any hidden structures. You can also get LiNEAR on an augumented realty app that you can get on an iPAD, if you’re dwn on the ground. This can be very helpful if you are an archaeologist and want to discover lost treasures. By now, you’re probably wondering ‘how did the Mayans tame the jungle’ or something like that. But the answer is the landscape was less densley vegetated, and thus making it easier to build there. LiNEAR technology has revealed some suprising things - castles, watchtowers...

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 t...

Though they look harmless, plants can be one of the most deadly weapons of all time. Sometimes, they can even kill a human being, so stay away, readers! 3: Water Hemlock Closely related to the poison Hemlock (the plant that famously killed the greek philosopher Socrates), water hemlock has been deemed “the most violently toxic plant in North America.” Sometimes confused with edible parsnips or celery, this plant is infused with deadly cicutoxin, especially in its roots, and will rapidly generate potentially fatal symptoms in anyone unlucky enough to eat it. 2: Deadly Nightshade It is the sweetness of the berries that often lures children and unwitting adults to eat this lethal plant. A native of wooded or waste areas in central and southern Eurasia, deadly nightshade has dull green leaves and shiny black berries about the size of cherries. Nightshade contains atropine and scopolamine in its stems, leaves, berries, and roots, and causes paralysis in the involuntary muscles of the...