Welcome to Earth Life

I'm Gordon Ramel, and for the past two and a half decades I've been writing about the extraordinary creatures that share this planet with us. Earth Life is the result — an encyclopaedia of life on Earth, built one species, one anatomy diagram, one weird behavioural oddity at a time. From the spider in your bath to the deepest fish in the trench, if it has cells and a story, it probably has a page here.

What started as a side project to share my fascination with insects has grown to cover birds, fish, mammals, invertebrates, lichens, even prokaryotes. The articles are written for the curious — readable enough for a Sunday afternoon, accurate enough for a biology student looking up the difference between a raven and a crow.

What you'll find here

Browse by group using the menu above, search if you know what you're looking for, or just scroll. Most articles run 1,500 to 3,000 words and include illustrations, photographs, and the occasional embarrassing personal story about meeting a particular animal in the wild. New articles go up most weeks — the latest ones are listed below.

birds
Gila Woodpeckers
Table of Contents Toggle Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) Distribution / Range Subspecies and Ranges Description Similar species: Breeding / Nesting Diet / Feeding Calls / Vocalisations Alternate (Global) Names Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) Member of the Picidae Family: Woodpeckers…
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The 8 Best Quality Chicken Brooders
The 5 Best Cheap Chicken Brooders
Breeding Pheasants
Housing Pheasants
Feeding Muscovy & Wild Ducks
Wild Bird Houses
Coronation Sussex Chicken
Muscovy vs Pekin Duck (& Other Ducks)

Bird Anatomy
Bird Frontal Shield
A bird’s forehead, also known as the frontal region, contains a fascinating array of specialized adaptations suited to their way of life. This integral anatomical region between the eyes and upper mandible performs a variety of essential functions for vision,…
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Bird Forehead Or Frontal Shield
Australian Waterbirds

Wing Anatomy
If you've spent any time reading the older bird literature you've met the wing-topography vocabulary in passing: primaries, secondaries, tertials, the…
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Eye-stripe
Occiput
Sinciput
Rufous-bellied Eagles
White-fronted Plovers
Tufted Flycatchers
White-shouldered Fire-eyes
Yellow-bellied Flycatchers

How to Tell If Your Bird Is Hungry
This question turns up in our reader email more often than people would guess, because the signs that a pet bird is hungry are subtler than the signs a…
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Can Birds Eat Xylitol? The Short, Loud Answer
Can Birds Eat Popcorn?
Can Birds Eat Avocado? The Honest Answer
The 8 Best Quality Chicken Brooders
The 5 Best Cheap Chicken Brooders
The Moustached Parakeet
What Birds Can Be Kept With Budgies
Domesticated Ducks

Waterfowl
American Wigeon
The American Wigeon, also known as the Baldpate and commonly called American Widgeon (Anas Americana), is one of North America’s most widely recognised and common dabbling ducks. The males of this species are best known for their distinctive cream-colored heads and…
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African Rails
Common Teals
Upland Geese
Toulouse Geese
Orinoco Geese
Thick-billed Murres
Glossy Ibises
Yellow-billed Teals

How Bowerbirds Attract a Mate (and Whether They’re “for Life”)
The bowerbirds (family Ptilonorhynchidae, twenty-odd species across Australia and New Guinea) are the textbook example in popular natural history of birds…
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Can Flamingos Drink Boiling Water?
Do Peacocks Eat Snakes?
Audubon’s Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Cerulean Warbler

Muscovy Ducks
Feeding Muscovy & Wild Ducks
Overview and Introduction The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) and various species of wild ducks are fascinating waterfowl commonly found in freshwater habitats around the world. These birds are well-known for their unique feeding behaviors and omnivorous diets, which include a…
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Muscovy vs Pekin Duck (& Other Ducks)
Muscovy Duck Behavior
Muscovy Duck Facts
Keeping Muscovy Ducks With Chickens: What You Should Know
Domesticated Muscovy Ducks
How to Care for Baby Muscovy Ducks?
Why Do Muscovy Ducks Have Red Faces? Can You Stop Them From Getting The Red Warts?
Clipping Muscovy Ducks Wings

Breeding
What Is Asexual Reproduction?
Asexual reproduction is a process in biology that is quite interesting because it permits living beings to give birth without having sex partners. It is common among many unicellular organisms, plants and even some animals. Unlike sexual reproduction where two…
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The Best Egg Incubators
The 8 Best Quality Chicken Brooders
The 5 Best Cheap Chicken Brooders
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Nest Box
Common Goldeneye Nest Box
Elaborate & Complex Bird Nests
Bird Nest Identification

Reptiles

Alligators
Crocodiles
Lizards
Snakes
Turtles
Tortoises

Reptiles
Gordon RamelSeptember 16, 2021
292
Alligators
The Alligators (Crocodilia Order) Having spent the past year in Florida, I have seen alligators of all sizes with a mixture of fascination and respect. I am amazed at their size and, of course, the fearsome looking teeth. I have seen the crocodilians (as the…
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April 7, 2010
What Eats An Alligator Or Crocodile?

Alligators
Gordon RamelApril 7, 2010
7,606
What Eats An Alligator Or Crocodile?
10 Alligator Predators: What Eats An Alligator Or Crocodile? The complete guide to all predators that eat an alligator or crocodile Along with cockroaches, alligators and crocodiles are among the few animals that have not changed much over the years. Scientists believe that their bodies…
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Lizards
Gordon RamelApril 6, 2010
1,054
What Eats Lizards?
Overview and Introduction Lizards are a diverse group of reptiles belonging to the order Squamata, encompassing over 6,000 species worldwide. These fascinating creatures vary greatly in size, shape, and habitat but share common traits that have allowed them to thrive in varied environments from deserts…
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birds
Gordon RamelJuly 11, 2023
0 10,058
Do Peacocks Eat Snakes and How Do They Kill Them?
Yes, peacocks eat snakes when the opportunity presents itself. In fact, in India the word used to call a peacock is ‘mayura,’ which translates as “the killer of snakes.” Many wealthy people and farmers alike keep peacocks on their property to specifically keep cobras away,…
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April 25, 2022
Most Dangerous Snakes in the World
April 6, 2010
What Eats Snakes?

Reptiles
Gordon RamelApril 6, 2010
175
What Eats Turtles?
Overview and Introduction Turtles are ancient reptiles that have roamed the Earth for more than 200 million years. Recognisable by their hard protective shells and slow, deliberate movements, they inhabit a wide range of environments, including freshwater rivers, lakes, coastal areas, and the open ocean.…
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Spiders

Spiders
DukeOctober 23, 2023
0 318
Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders of the genus Portia are a fascinating group of spiders found throughout many tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. There are over 20 described species in this genus, all displaying incredible hunting behaviours and strategies. Portia spiders…
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Insects
Gordon RamelDecember 4, 2022
1,021
Do Crickets Eat Spiders?
Do Crickets Eat Spiders Or Do Spiders Eat Them? Yes, crickets do eat spiders; of course, that would depend on the species and the size of the spider. In general, spiders are a delicacy for most insects, so crickets are…
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chelicerata
Gordon RamelJuly 13, 2022
0 559
History of Arachnology
History of Arachnology: How Spiders Became More Than Just Insects The history of arachnology and how it evolved over the centuries is a fascinating read in itself. Learn the path that spiders took from being just another insect to a…
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chelicerata
Gordon RamelMay 31, 2020
0 194
12 Common House Spiders: Just Who’s Hanging Out In Your Bath?
The Great House Spider Safari There are just over six hundred different sorts of spider in the British Isles. But of these, only a handful are commonly found in houses. For more information, see our guide on invertebrates. But before…
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chelicerata
Gordon RamelMay 31, 2020
0 228
Spider Poems, Stories & Etymology – A Look Through History
Any look at spider poems and stories wouldn’t be complete without first understanding the word ‘spider’ itself, where it comes from and what it means. For more information, see our guide on invertebrates. So with that said, let’s do just…
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chelicerata
Gordon RamelMay 31, 2020
1 455
Spider Ecology: Taking A Look At Molting, Mimicry & More
Spider Ecology Spider ecology is a very diverse topic, which includes Spider Reproduction and Spider Diet – both of which have their own pages. Other aspects of spider ecology include growth, dispersal, survival and their effects on the environment they live in. I…
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Insects

October 31, 2022
51,603
The 20 Weird Insects

It’s no secret that weird insects give us the creeps. Of course, who wouldn’t be afraid of the giant, flying beetles or venomous spiders? While these insects may be intimidating, there is another side to the insect world. It is…
November 24, 2022
30,191
The 12 Ugliest And Creepiest Bugs In The World

The 12 Ugliest And Creepiest Bugs In The World With Pictures Insects can be found on every continent on Earth, even Antarctica. They can be found lurking under leaf litter or within cave systems, at the bottom of lakes, or…
April 17, 2020
27,530
Embioptera: The Silk Spinning World Of The Webspinners

The Embioptera (Webspinners) are a small group of soft bodied, relatively small, gregarious insects. They can be found in most tropical and warm temperate climates. There are about 300 species world wide. For more information, see our guide on invertebrates.…
April 12, 2020
12,054
The Insect Orders: Including true insects and other Hexopoda

The diversity of insects is one of the most remarkable features of the natural world, with millions of species occupying nearly every habitat on Earth. To understand this vast group, scientists classify insects into distinct orders based on shared characteristics…
September 9, 2025
8,509
Net-winged Beetles

Net-winged Beetles are a fascinating group of insects that inhabit the beetle Family Lycidae. They are a diverse group with over 4,00 species. The greatest diversity is found in the tropical regions, where niche ecosystems are diverse. The environments vary from dense undergrowth jungles to…
October 8, 2020
7,295
10 Of The Best Entomology Books

10 Of The Best Entomology Books (That I’ve Actually Read) Whether you’re looking for the densest of entomology text books or simply a basic entomology book to get started, rest assured you’re in the right place. For more information, see…

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Welcome to Earth Life

What you'll find here

Recent Articles

Birds

Spiders