Sharon Parry
Author for A-Z Animals

Getting greeted at the door by a wagging tail is one of the purest pleasures of owning a pooch. No matter how big, small, or fluffy your dog’s tail is,… Read More

By Sharon Parry 8 hours ago

Ostriches are strange-looking birds. They are also the largest, heaviest, and fastest-running birds on the planet. Yet, like their other feathered cousins, they reproduce by laying eggs, and the parents… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 day ago

The zebras in this very special YouTube clip show us that nature can be extraordinarily kind as well as cruel. It captures the moment when a baby zebra has been… Read More

By Sharon Parry 2 days ago

Elephants are fascinating and highly intelligent creatures. In this heart-warming YouTube clip, we get to see a herd of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) racing towards a new arrival at… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 days ago

Sometimes we come across video clips that are not what they first appear to be. This YouTube clip of a beluga whale playing with a rugby ball is one such… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 days ago

This YouTube clip, released in 2019 as part of a BBC documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough, is so heartbreaking that it reduced many viewers to tears. Many people expressed… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 days ago

The term ‘symbiosis’ means living together, and symbiotic relationships are close or intimate relationships between members of two different species. The animals involved have evolved together, and over the years,… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 days ago

As you wander through the forests of the northern US states and southern Canada, you may have heard a strange drumming noise. This sound is made by the ruffed grouse,… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 days ago

What you can see in this YouTube clip is very different from most of the underwater footage that you will come across online. It features a diver picking up sea… Read More

By Sharon Parry 6 days ago

There is something mesmerizing about the ethereal sounds made by orcas (killer whales) in their natural environment. In this very special YouTube clip, you can hear the sounds made by… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

We are all used to seeing caterpillars hide themselves away and emerge as butterflies or moths, but the species featured in this YouTube clip emerges as another caterpillar. There is… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

The leopard in this short video clip looks very at ease both climbing up a tree trunk and relaxing in the branches. The ease with which it scales the vertical… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

When it comes to problematic prey, snakes are one of the most challenging. They seldom stay still and allow themselves to be eaten; in fact, many of them fight back.… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, and this adds to the fascination of learning how they behave and interact with each other. We know that they, like humans, live in… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

Animal species that live in environments as harsh as the Antarctic have many incredible adaptations to help them survive. Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are a leading example. These resilient birds… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

African bullfrogs approach parenting a little differently from many other species. It is the males who take on the heavy lifting when it comes to childcare duties. The dad in… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 week ago

The African jacana is an unusual bird and at first glance looks quite out of proportion. However, as you will see in this fascinating Instagram post, there are very good… Read More

By Sharon Parry 2 weeks ago

Overexploitation is a major factor in the decline of many species. Humans exploit at least a third of vertebrate animals to provide food, products, or medicines. A scaly mammal called… Read More

By Sharon Parry 2 weeks ago

The illegal trade in wildlife is a continuing threat to global biodiversity, and marine organisms are victims in the same way as land animals. People participate in this trade because… Read More

By Sharon Parry 2 weeks ago

The relaxed feeling you get after a cold beer or a glass of wine is down to the ethanol content of the beverage. This is a naturally occurring substance produced… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

Islands are biodiversity hotspots. They only make up 5 percent of the world’s land mass, but they are home to 20 percent of its bird, reptile, and plant species, many… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

In this wonderful Instagram post, you get to see a very rare creature. It is a pale yellow or cream sea turtle, and, what’s more, this one has survived long… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

There are seven species of sea turtle alive today, and they are found in oceans all over the world except the Arctic. Many of them travel thousands of miles between… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

Matriphagy is a type of animal behavior where the young eat their own mother. It is the ultimate display of maternal martyrdom and takes motherly love to the highest level.… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

The motivation behind everything that animals do is to stay alive, at least until they have produced offspring. Any species that cannot do this is not going to last for… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

Sunlight is critical to life on Earth, but excessive exposure to sunlight can cause serious harm. Infrared rays can cause burns, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages the DNA of cells.… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

You would think that animals that can put on an incredible show like the one captured in this amazing YouTube clip would be very well known, but the opposite is… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

Andean condors are big birds! So, when one decides they want your popsicle, the best thing you can do is let them have it. In this extraordinary clip, an Andean… Read More

By Sharon Parry 3 weeks ago

There is only one place where both American crocodiles and American alligators are found, and that is South Florida. But, as you can see in this startling YouTube clip, they… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 weeks ago

In this stunning YouTube clip, a frogfish bides its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at an unsuspecting cardinal fish. This gives us time to observe it and… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 weeks ago

Bats are the only mammals that can fly, which makes them pretty cool. When they aren’t flying around, you will find many of them hanging upside down in structures such… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 weeks ago

Spotting a cockroach scuttling across your kitchen floor is pretty disgusting, and most of us would instinctively try to stamp on it before it hides somewhere we cannot reach it.… Read More

By Sharon Parry 4 weeks ago

Rats are thin-tailed, medium-sized rodents, and you can find them all over the world. "True rats" belong to the genus Rattus, and around 60 species have been recognized so far, including the… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

The spectacular backdrop of this stunning YouTube clip does not detract from the epic battle for survival taking place between two powerful creatures. It shows a shark pursuing a stingray… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

The ability to use tools is not widespread in the animal world. It has previously been associated with mammals and birds. However, we are learning that some insects are also… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Pufferfish can be served for human consumption as a delicacy called fugu. It is especially popular in Japan, but you may also see it available in other countries, including Korea,… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

The term ‘praying mantis’ is used to refer to a group of insects that adopt a praying posture when their front legs are at rest. They are all long and… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

You will think your eyes are deceiving you when you watch this incredible footage of a lizard running across the surface of the water. This is not an AI-generated image—basilisk… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Rabbits, aka bunnies, are instantly recognizable little creatures that many of us have welcomed into our lives as pets. However, there is a lot more to this animal than the… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

There are around 400,000 species of beetles on Earth, and they are a food source for countless animals. They have had to develop strategies to protect themselves from would-be predators,… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) are the largest social wasp in the world and have been given the dramatic name of ‘murder hornet’ in the media due to their ability… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Rabies is a well-known disease that causes fear and concern because once the symptoms start, it is inevitably fatal. The incident shown in this shocking YouTube clip will do nothing… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

When a group of animals as large as buffalo decides to move, it is a good idea to get out of the way! This great footage was captured at Yellowstone… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Some of the most iconic African nature scenes are of lion prides relaxing in the sun. If there are little cubs involved, the cuteness levels of the clip are amplified.… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Welcome to the lesser bird of paradise show! With a backdrop of lush vegetation, this strikingly beautiful bird is putting on a display of his life. You can have a… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Imagine disliking winter so much that you appear to die when it begins, only to come back to life in the spring. That’s essentially what the incredible wood frog does… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

If you have never heard the unearthly noise of Canada lynxes in the forest, check out this extraordinary YouTube clip. It sounds like a pair of domestic cats having a… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

A study conducted by scientists from Swansea University in the UK, working with international collaborators, has explored the gut microbiomes of rodent species living in both urban and rainforest habitats… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Neither sea lions nor king penguins are the speediest (or most graceful) creatures when it comes to hurrying up a beach. So, who would win a race? In this extraordinary… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago

Some animal videos are cute and cuddly, but others remind us that nature can be brutal as well as beautiful. An excellent example is this YouTube clip capturing a vicious… Read More

By Sharon Parry 1 month ago