Ranjit Lal

Leaving home: How seeds find their way into the worldSubscriber Only

May 02,2025 17:10:49 PM

Many seeds are deliberately taken from one place to another and become crops. Occasionally, they become an invasive species

Why I’m always curious about natureSubscriber Only

April 25,2025 19:09:19 PM

Start questioning how flora and fauna have survived Earth for millions of years and it’s impossible to resist looking for answers

A swirl of smoke: The season of the rosy starlingSubscriber Only

April 19,2025 10:00:57 AM

The loud and fast bird is stopping by North India on the way to Eastern Europe during its annual winter migration

Why Charles Darwin was sick seeing a feather in a peacock’s tailSubscriber Only

April 09,2025 07:00:51 AM

While it head-butted his theory of natural selection, Darwin emerged with the theory of sexual selection as a way to emphasise that, perhaps, females kept their eyes on beauty in selecting their mates

There are happier ways to get out of bed: listen to the musicians of the airSubscriber Only

April 02,2025 10:00:33 AM

From the blue-whistling thrush to the mellifluous red-whiskered bulbul and the ear-piercing calls of the peacock, nature has its way of bringing in the day

From the tiniest to the largest, how the ladies call the shotsSubscriber Only

March 29,2025 10:32:24 AM

Be it the African mole rats, killer whales or the spotted hyenas, females rule; it's all about survival

Tiger, Tiger Out of Sight: Why the big cats are elusive in our national parksSubscriber Only

March 21,2025 21:41:42 PM

These days people expect to have tigers on the tap on wildlife safaris. But what does that mean for animals and their habitats

Why we need flies: For chocolates, mangoes and moreSubscriber Only

March 12,2025 10:00:00 AM

Flies are big-time pollinators which have never got the credit they deserve for this service

Why you need to be swifter than the birdsSubscriber Only

February 26,2025 07:00:59 AM

Birds are creatures of habit, and while they flit from branch to branch, you need to keep a keen eye to catch a glimpse of them

What’s causing hermit crabs to riot under waterSubscriber Only

February 19,2025 06:00:16 AM

In their attempts to seek out abandoned shells of sea snails to save themselves from predators, they are prone to a property-grabbing lifestyle and notorious for shifting residences – one shell at a time

Mother Nature’s mindboggling nano-engineering that helps reptiles and insects stick to surfacesSubscriber Only

February 05,2025 15:54:49 PM

The setae are bendy and ultra-flexible, allowing them to follow and stick to the contours of the surface they are on — no matter how infinitesimal they are.

Keep an eye out for these on your morning walk on the beachSubscriber Only

January 30,2025 18:04:29 PM

When crabs, snails, plants and birds come out to play

The croon of the magpie-robinSubscriber Only

January 24,2025 16:33:53 PM

He sings virtually non-stop from say, 5 am to sometimes as late as 9 am, by which time the sun is high and getting hot. And no, sensibly he does not indulge in the sort of leaping and prancing hijinks that many pop singers do

How birds, tigers and bear use feet as weapons of defenseSubscriber Only

January 14,2025 17:48:22 PM

From climbing trees to ripping prey, from scuttling up tree trunks to using feet as hands, evolutionary engineering is at work in Nature

How most animals can give any 4WD a run for its moneySubscriber Only

January 08,2025 17:54:35 PM

Our wheels may speed us over specialised roads but over natural, rugged terrain, animals will beat our vehicles hands down

Why do some migratory birds lose their way?Subscriber Only

January 04,2025 14:42:18 PM

A Little Gull spotted in the Chandu wetlands near the Sultanpur National Park, far off its course, drew birders from far and wide

Winter travel special: How a Corbett safari ended in an encounter with a wild elephant overdosed on testosteroneSubscriber Only

December 29,2024 06:00:37 AM

I must have been in the middle or towards the end of the ‘queue’ when I was suddenly confronted by all the pioneering leaders rushing pell-mell back urgently whispering ‘Pagal haathi! Pagal haathi!’

What makes the ratel or the honey badger — street fighters of the animal world — my favourite animal?Subscriber Only

December 21,2024 10:08:25 AM

While not shredding the dignity of inquisitive lions and leopards, ratels hunt for smaller animals with the same degree of ferocity and are vital in keeping animals like rodents and lizards under control

Why not replace car horns with bird sounds?Subscriber Only

December 13,2024 19:48:44 PM

If the guy behind you in the Humvee warbles like a skylark or bulbul, you’ll gladly give way to him or her with a smile and a wave, even if he is purple with rage

Fruit bats: the Boeings and Airbuses of the animal kingdomSubscriber Only

December 04,2024 16:44:01 PM

The only mammals that can maintain sustained flight, a fruit bat can give you the heebie-jeebies while flapping close past you

How dragonflies rely heavily on their vision for hunting and survivalSubscriber Only

November 30,2024 06:00:17 AM

About 80 per cent of a dragonfly’s brain is devoted to vision

Delhi today is Bhopal in slo-moSubscriber Only

November 24,2024 17:23:56 PM

We don’t crudely make people clutch their throats or vomit blood and die overnight like flies. We stretch it out — let them linger hacking and coughing and clutching their chests for the next 10 years. We let them go gradually, but surely.

There’s much to see and hear around usSubscriber Only

November 16,2024 17:55:19 PM

In the last few weeks, I’ve been back in Goa and here’s a list of what I’ve seen and heard, with, mind you, not making any special effort to do so

We now have fire, flood and fog as our seasonsSubscriber Only

November 09,2024 05:00:10 AM

Certainly the climate has changed and all within the span of a single lifetime

Do animals get the gigglesSubscriber Only

October 16,2024 10:00:39 AM

Scientists believe that laughter and pranking strengthens bonds between animal groups and measures hierarchy