Long before J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ring of Power enabled its wearer to vanish, animals evolved the superpower of transparency. No mean parlor trick, Tolkien’s Ring also conferred the power to prevail against one’s competitors. Transparent animals profit similarly in their struggle to survive.

Sand is the consummate shapeshifter, marking time as it sifts through an hourglass, forming ephemeral wave patterns on a beach, squeezing between one’s toes or even morphing into the concrete of our buildings. Yet few realize sand’s fascinating story. What is sand, and where does it form?

An Urchin in Hand Red pencil urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus) in Hawaii Sea urchin skeletons are frequent finds along the Maine coast. With luck, the shell-like skeleton is entire but denuded of the animal’s tube feet and protective spines, revealing orderly but mysterious patterns of tiny knobs and holes. Alive, a sea urchin is equally enigmatic.

Cacti are more than charismatic desert superstars of movie Westerns. They have fascinating biology, and some even live in rainforests.

Avoiding the Big Freeze – Animals in the Cold A spider, about 1 centimeter long, traveling on the snow at -2°C (28°F) Imagine a tiny spider no more than a centimeter long. Winter is in full force, and the spider’s body temperature is below freezing as it slowly crawls across the snow. Yet, the spider

FOAM-Oh! 1 Stream foam collecting around fall leaves Foam isn’t just stuff that comes out of shaving cream cans, keeps your take-out coffee hot, or floats in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.2 It is a ubiquitous natural phenomenon that is fascinating and can affect rainfall; has caused seabird die-offs; and influences global climate. Don’t sell