The Orange-horned Tarantula Hawk is one of this island’s most fascinating insects. These wasps are a deep metallic blue, with bright orange antennae. They are some of the island’s key pollinators, since the adults eat nectar from flowers. But the young ones eat tarantulas! And their mothers have a very smart way to make sure their babies always have fresh meat. The adult females are superb hunters. They hunt down tarantulas — but they don’t kill them. Instead, they paralyze them with their venom. Then they bury them in a burrow, and lay eggs on them. When their children hatch, they devour the paralyzed tarantula alive, bit by bit!

Find more fascinating nature stories in Incredibilia!

The Caribbean Reef Squid has some cool powers! It is usually green or brown, with beautiful shimmering speckles. But it can make ultra-fast changes in the colors and patterns of its skin. These changes help it hide and confuse its prey. It also uses them to express emotions, and communicate with other squid. It can even flash totally different signals to squid on its right and on its left at the same time! It can squirt ink. This helps it escape from predators. It may warn other squid of danger, too. It also has great built-in jet propulsion. It fills up a cavity in its body with water. Then it shoots the water out through a special siphon. This lets it jet itself in any direction by changing the aim of its siphon. It usually uses its jetting underwater, to get away from predators. But it can also use it to propel itself out of the water and “fly” through the air! Researchers have seen this squid using its jet propulsion to fly as far as 10 meters in the air. That’s over 50 times the length of its body. If people had the same ability, we’d be able to fly over 80 meters at a time!

This anecdote was adapted from and inspired by Jenn Yerkes’ weekly St. Martin nature series “Le saviez-vous ?” published in Le Pélican.

The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is usually active at night. You may have spotted it around St. Martin’s ponds. But did you know this bird has a built-in “grooming comb” in its toe? Yes! Like many herons, its middle toe is grooved with a row of teeny “teeth” along one side. Researchers think herons use this “comb” to groom their feathers, scratch any itches, and maybe even help remove parasites. Can you imagine having a secret comb in your toe? On St. Martin, this bird is called Night Gaulin and Crabier. The special names used here for birds and other wildlife are part of this island’s unique culture. Find more fascinating nature stories in Incredibilia!