About Consider Nature

Across the over 2 million species scientists have discovered on Earth so far, many have come to captivate human imaginations. Lions, tigers, bears, elephants— these animals are so well-known that just about every human on the planet could recognize one, and sensibly so, considering we have lived in close contact with many of them since the dawn of our species. While these animals are wonderful and deserving of our attention, they often crowd other, stranger animals out of the limelight, animals that are less charismatic as these species, but just as wonderful. Some of these overlooked species have bizarre appearances, niche habitats, or abilities that seem like superpowers. They live deep in caves or amble across the seafloor or burrow through the mud of rainforests. Some of them are so rare that humans see them only once every few decades or they can be found in only one very specific location. They can sense electromagnetic fields, see colors that humans cannot even comprehend, or thrive in the frigid temperatures atop mountains. 

Despite how cool they are, though, these bizarre animals often get ignored by people, and as such are highly vulnerable to endangerment from human activity. When a species only lives in one pond on Earth and that pond gets turned into a condominium, that species doesn't have much of a chance of surviving. Even in the world of conservation, so many animals end up at the end of the priority list because humans donate the most money to save animals that they think are traditionally cool: tigers, leopards, pandas, etc. So much money is given to conservation of so few species that many other animals end up akin to transplant patients, waiting desperately for help as their lives slowly slip away. 

Well, I’ve had enough of it. I want to help these weirdos of the world get their day in the sun. As such, I made this blog to tell the world about these fascinating creatures and raise awareness about the challenges that they face. Each entry of this blog, I will tell you about a bizarre, endangered creature that deserves its time in the limelight. I will focus on what adaptations make these animals unique, what threats these animals face, and, hopefully, what both governments and normal people can do to help. As a biologist, I hope to go more into detail than your average person about how these animals function, but I will do my best to make my writing accessible to those who know very little about how biology works. Everyone deserves to enjoy nature, even if they don’t have a biology degree. For further watching and reading, I will include a full source list at the end of each of my entries, as well as a list of videos, usually snippets from nature documentaries or specific YouTube channels like Animal Wonders and Animalogic. 

As a fair warning to the faint of heart, this blog is not intended for children. As such, it will contain strong language and other inappropriate themes (I try to only occasionally compare animals to penises, I promise). Sometimes, I will make fun of some of the animals that I am writing about for your entertainment, but know that I do this in the way that a cat-owner might make fun of how fat/stinky/ugly their beloved feline is. I love all of these animals and more than anything I want other people to love them too, even when they look kind of like the product of the fusion between a ball sack and a whoopie cushion (you’ll see). 

 

If what I just described sounds fun to you, then welcome to your new favorite blog! Feel free to sit back, relax, and prepare to CONSIDER NATURE.