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The combustion chamber of the bombardier beetle ejects scalding liquid by having a heart-shaped, long, narrow ejection tube.

Decorations contrast with natural backgrounds to warn birds against flying into spider webs.

Feet of the tokay gecko use atomic forces to stick to surfaces, but stay clean by flinging contaminants off toes.

The scales of shark skin may influence attachment of fouling microorganisms via shape and surface topography.

Darkling beetle wing covers and body postures help condense water from humid air.

Mussel byssal threads attach to wet rocks using adhesive proteins that first prime their surfaces and then chemically bind to them.

Nanostructures on the cuticle of the firefly's abdomen help transmit bioluminescent light efficiently because they perfectly match the wavelength of light being emitted.

The waterbear survives extreme environmental conditions by entering a reversibly suspended metabolic state known as cryptobiosis.

These fruit-eating bats home in on a meal by aiming sound waves to the side of their intended target, then adjusting their path to reduce the difference in timing between the waves bouncing back.

The beak of the golden-fronted woodpecker protects the brain from trauma by having a shape and material composition that diverts vibrational forces away from the cranial cavity.

The mosquito's proboscis is a natural biomicroelectromechanical system that painlessly pierces human skin.

The shape of the kingfisher beak allows it to dive into the water without splashing.

The skin of cuttlefish changes color rapidly by expanding or contracting elastic pigment sacs.

The structure of above-ground macrotermite mounds facilitates gas exchange in the below-ground nest using internal air currents driven by solar heat.

Foragers of leafcutter ant colonies respond to the speed and efficiency of other ants by varying leaf loads in size and weight.

Wings of morpho butterflies create color by causing light waves to diffract and interfere.

Dolphins send out broadband whistles and bursts of clicks to prevent messages from being distorted underwater.

Long scales on the underhair of otters and fur seals trap air to retain heat and prevent water penetration.

The wing of Pallas's long-tongued bat generates lift by flipping the outer edge upside down and quickly back up for the upstroke.