Yolanda Liu

A digital painting of a zoomed up mutable rainfrog resting on a leaf. It is green with brown spots and has distinguished spikey texture on its skin. "Shapeshifters" is titled at the top.

Shapeshifters of the Animal Kingdom

Shapeshifting creatures are amazing, and they’re not just in our favourite books or movies— they’re all around us. Many animals have the ability to change size and shape, allowing them to do things from scaring off predators to unlocking new abilities. Some of them, like the pufferfish, are famous for their ability, but there are other lesser-known shapeshifters that are just as awesome. Here’s a look at some of the lesser-known members of this shapeshifting team—and the ways they perform this fantastic feat.

A cartoon drawing of a greater bird-of-paradise winking at the viewer. The bird is yellow and brown with patches of green and black. In its beak, the bird holds a rose by the stem. "How to Flirt (Successfully): A Pick-up Guide" is captioned at the top.

How To Flirt (Successfully): A Pick-Up Guide by Nature’s Birds-of-Paradise

What’s your go-to move when you’re trying to flirt with someone? Are you the type that likes to make them laugh? Maybe you prefer the calm and collected approach, or maybe you go the direct route — no matter which you prefer, these all have one thing in common: the desire to impress. You might think that this is something that is unique to humans; however, there is one species that shares our desire to impress and takes it to the extremes: birds-of-paradise.