“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

Some foods have significantly more Calories than others but what does the difference actually look like. Each of the photographs below represents 200 Calories of the particular type of food; the images are sorted from low to high calorie density. When you consider that an entire plate of broccoli contains the same number of Calories as a small spoonful of peanut butter, you might think twice the next time you decide what to eat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average adult needs to consume about 2000 – 2500 Calories to maintain their weight. In other words, you have a fixed amount of Calories to "spend" each day; based on the following pictures, which would you eat?

You might feel as if you are being watched when you look at these incredible pictures – revealing the close-up world of a spider's eyes. The intimidating creatures, which look like they should live in a horror film, star menacingly at the camera as every fleck of colour and hair are revealed. But despite their appearance the arachnids are actually jumping spiders, which measure a tiny six millimetres in length. The harmless arachnids, which are capable of jumping up to six times their own height, can be found in grassy meadows and on the walls of houses on sunny days. (Photo by SWNS/ABACA Press)

At first glance, you may think you’re just gazing upon serene sunsets, breathtaking landscapes and peaceful coves of distant lands. It’s not until you realise the settings are made entirely from food that you can feast your eyes over the magnificence of Carl Warner’s “foodscapes”. Photo: “Salami Tuscany”. (Photo by Carl Warner)

In case you missed the game, this is what happened explained in a short clip. Germany crush hosts Brazil 7-1 to reach the World Cup Final.

Greetings, sickly monkeys! Planet Nibiru is near already. Confess, parasites! Love you! Yours truly, Avax

Snorkellers approach an adult manatee at Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Florida. You might imagine that coming face to face with one of these enormous underwater mammals would cause some concern. However, the likelihood is that the rotund creature just wants you to scratch its belly while it floats around happily, as world-renowned underwater photographer Alex Mustard discovered. (Photo by Alexander Mustard/Barcroft Media)