Bristle Millipede

Image: Biopix, G Drange

In one way, the smallest porcupine in the world is the Rothschild's Porcupine from South America. In another way, it's not a porcupine at all. It's a millipede.

Lion's Mane Mushroom

Image: Wikipedia

Whoa! Er... did Santa snag his beard on something?

This here is the Lion's Mane Mushroom, also known as the Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Pom Pom Mushroom and lots of other names involving beards and hedgehogs. Also Hericium erinaceus, and according to Google Translate erinaceus means 'hedgehog'. So that's nice.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I'm saying 'Merry Christmas!' to everyone, see?

Also Boxing Day. May your cold turkey remain unusually palatable for a long time to come.

RemBunction

Hawaiian Squirrelfish

Image: WorldFish Center - FishBase

Just some random Christmassy garb!

Christmas Tree Worm

Image: Wikimedia

Do you have a Christmas tree? What colour is it? Blue? Yellow? A gentle cascade of white atop deep reds and mahogany extremities? I sure hope it's not green. Terribly passé...

You scratch my dorsal fin, I'll scratch yours

Image: Aleš Kocourek
Giant Moray

We last left the Moray Eel a fearsome creature of the night, his heart darkened by years of solitude, his face grimacing in the shadow of his own bitter soul. You definitely don't want to kick your football into his garden.

Atolla Jellyfish

Image: NOAA

Just in time for the holiday season! Some kind of alternative dreamcatcher. Red with tentacles. Just what the world was calling for!

Spitting Spider

Image: Michel Vuijlsteke via Flickr

This is absolutely nuts! How on earth have I managed to reach a double-digits age without hearing about this thing?! No fair!

Spitting Spiders do exactly what it sounds like they do. I remember Spider Man could squirt out a gooey mess, and he was 15 when he got bitten by that radioactive spider so... no, never mind. The point is, was Spider Man's gooey mess poisonous? I don't think it was!

Himalayan Relict Dragonfly

Image: chochoensis

Now that we know all about the differences between Dragonflies and Damselflies, we can appreciate the confusion caused by the Himalayan Relict Dragonfly and its one and only related species.

What's the Difference Between Damselflies and Dragonflies?

Image: Colon Archilla, Alfredo
Red Setwing, Dythemis rufinervis
A Dragonfly

Dragonflies and Damselflies together form the order Odonata and also happen to comprise some of the objectively best, living things in the world, ever... FACT!

Being so closely related you can appreciate that they'd be pretty similar, but there are also some clear differences. It isn't that the local villagers have to offer up a Damselfly every year to stop the ferocious Dragonfly from coming into town all angry and hungry, but the Dragons are the more formidable beast.

Let's see!

Shoebill

Image: Wikimedia

I've long been a fan of the Shoebill. They just look so... dangerous. I'm a huge fan of dangerous things that can't hurt me in any way. In fact, that's my favourite kind of dangerous!

Kitefin Shark

Oh dear.

Oh dear me, no.

It wasn't long after the Cookiecutter Shark that I discovered they have a big brother. It's in a different genus and dissimilar in many ways, but the Kitefin Shark is more closely related to the Cookiecutter than it is to any other shark. Also... TEETH!

Lionfish

Broadbarred Firefish
Image: Wikipedia

The beautiful, deadly and exquisitely lethal Lionfish. Clear evidence that we can all be murderous and look good doing it!

Cookiecutter Shark

Oh No! There's a shark!

Arrrggghh!

It's only 50 cm (19 inches) long.

Phew!

Wait... it's a Cookiecutter!

AAAARRRRGGH!

Japanese Spider Crab

Image: Wikipedia

The GIANT Japanese Spider Crab! Or Macrocheira kaempferi. Or 高脚蟹, which means "tall-footed crab"... you can say that again!

Red-footed Cannibalfly

Image: Lynette S. via Flickr

When you come across something called the Red-footed Cannibalfly, you don't keep it to yourself. You glory in his name!