A praying mantis devouring some aloe vera
March 16, 2026
The praying mantis is the only insect known to be able to rotate its head a full 180 degrees, giving it an unnervingly human-like ability to look over its "shoulder." Even more remarkable, mantises have a single ear located on the underside of their thorax, between their middle legs, which is tuned specifically to detect the ultrasonic calls of bats — letting them dive-bomb mid-flight to escape becoming a snack.
