4 Ordinary Animals with Superhero Abilities

Just like Clark Kent looks like a normal guy until he puts on the blue and red outfit comes, these seemingly-ordinary animals possess some extraordinary abilities. Find out which critter can sense electric impulses in the sea, which super-animal can jam a bat's sonar, and which creature has a better internal mapping system than your smartphone. 

1.) The Tiger's Whiskers

Far from ordinary, a tiger’s whiskers are more useful and mysterious than one might expect. They are filled with sensitive nerve endings, which help them detect distances and changes in their surroundings. When tigers hunt, they go for the kill shot: the carotid artery located in the neck. After the tiger’s canines have pierced the artery, the whiskers move forward, encircling the prey’s neck, and determine if the prey’s pulse is gone. (Check out our latest quiz to find out what you have in common with tigers and other big cats!)

 2.) The Pigeon's Compass

Quiz: Which Endangered Big Cat Are You?

These gorgeous big cats are some of the most endangered species on Earth. We see their pictures everywhere, so we may not always realize how threatened these species are. In fact, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild. You can learn a bit more about rare cats by taking our quiz. Which big cat are you most like? 

Do you prefer spots or stripes or neither?
A) Spots
B) Stripes
C) Neither

Do you prefer vigorous swimming, mildly treading water, or neither?
A) Enthusiastic swimmer
B) Splashing and having fun in the water
C) True cat — don’t like being in water AT ALL

What kind of weather do you prefer?
A) Freezing cold
B) Hot, humid summers and cool winters
C) Equatorial climate — typically hot with wet and dry seasons

How do you feel about traveling?
A) You like to roam about
B) It's difficult to catch you in one place
C) You don't travel much outside your comfort zone

What are your eating habits like?
A) Eat a lot over a long period
B) Don't eat too much
C) Eat a lot at one time 

See how you scored:

Fabulous Fathers: The Best Animal Dad Videos

With Father's Day just around the corner, it's time to shine light on some of the best fathers in the animal kingdom. From tigers to penguins, each animal takes care of their offspring in a different manner: some like to play fight, some hold dedicated watch over young, while others believe in tough love.

Check out our collection of wildlife videos below and find out which award we give to each animal dad.

Trendsetter Dad
This is the first male tiger (known to humans) that takes care of his young ones. That's why we applaud this striped beauty for breaking the norm and getting in touch with his sensitive side. 

Father's Day Gift Ideas for Every Budget

No matter how much cash you have to spend, our gift ideas will help you keep Father's Day (Sunday, June 16) green.

NEARLY FREE: If you're working with a tight budget, these ideas cost almost nothing. 

1) Get creative. Set aside a few hours, open up your tool box and channel your inner Martha Stewart to make your dad a repurposed key holder or a keyboard wallet. These gifts easy and fun to make — and they'll create a tangible memory for years to come. For other ideas check out Sierra's "Repurpose" column.

2) Head outdoors. Keep things simple and go hiking! If your dad is an outdoor enthusiast, there's nothing he'll love more than spending quality time with you while enjoying the nature. A website like trails.com can help you find a trail nearby and pick one at the appropriate difficulty level.  

MODERATE MIDDLE: If you are looking to spend between $25 and $200, our next list was designed with you in mind.  

Tips from the Pros: Top 4 Surfing Exercises

Stay in shape with training tips from the experts. Earlier this week, we covered paddling, climbing, and hiking. Today, we'll show you how to rule the waves.

Four Exercises for Surfers

Brian Keaulana knows a thing or two about big-time surfing on big-time stages. Son of legendary Hawaiian surfer "Buffalo" Keaulana, Brian is consistently one of the most sought-after figures in the surfing world. The Makaha coastline promoted him to lifeguard captain in 1993 after he braved the dangerous Oahuan "Moi Hole" to save a tourist. He's since become one of the top surf-rescue experts around. Professional tours? Film stunt work? Keaulana does it all. When he's not competing, the 52-year-old has a very brave toe in nearly all waters of the professional surfing industry.   

Keaulana recently shared a few of his favorite exercises with us. 

1. Underwater Breath-Holding

Woah, woah, hold on. We thought these were exercises related to surfing?

Keaulana argues that they are.

"A lot of what I do is cross-training," he says. "A lot of people think about the physicality of being strong. But you need mental strength, too, because the waves are so unpredictable. You need to be able to react to unexpected situations, like when you get thrown from your board. You can't panic. At the end of the day, surfing is the easiest thing to do — surviving is hard. If you can survive, surfing is a cakewalk."

Ask Mr. Green: How to Hypermile a Hybrid

Hey Mr. Green,

I just bought a hybrid car. Is there a way to adjust my driving style to make the most of this vehicle’s fuel-saving potential?  

—Ramona in Crownsville, Maryland

Let your Prius (or Volt or Fusion) be your nag: Watch the miles-per-gallon numbers on the dashboard and experiment to get ’em higher.

Otherwise, hybrid drivers can save gas by practicing the same sensible driving habits as everyone else. Here are the main tenets every driver should follow, as set forth by the EPA experts at fueleconomy.­gov:

1. Chill out: Avoid rapid acceleration and road rage, which can lower your fuel efficiency by up to 33%.

2. Slow down: Increasing your speed from 70 to 80 miles per hour can reduce fuel efficiency by 5 miles per gallon.

3. Maintain: Keep your engine tuned up and tires inflated to recommended levels.

4. Shed weight: Every extra 100 pounds knocks up to 2% off gas mileage.

5. Don’t idle: Idling in line at fast-food joints alone wastes 50 million gallons of gas each year.

The Obama administration has mandated a dramatic increase in fuel economy for new cars: 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. But bonehead driving and lousy maintenance could wipe away nearly half that gain.

Google “hypermiling” for more tips (not all of which seem legal). And to avoid being driven to dangerous distraction, try just a few at a time. —Bob Schildgen

Got an eco-question? Ask Mr. Green!

Tips From the Pros: Top 4 Hiking Exercises

Whether your sport of choice is paddling, climbing, hiking, or surfing, we'll help you improve your outdoor experience with training tips from the pros.

Four Exercises for Hikers 

Mark Westman knows what it takes to reach the summit. A Denali National Park ranger who has climbed throughout the Alaskan Range for 20 seasons, Westman conducts high-altitude patrols when a hiker — or nature — takes an unexpected turn. Searching for some exercises to rescue your hiking-related goals? This search-and-rescue expert has your answer.

1. Stairmaster / Stationary Bicycle

In addition to a proper warm-up, Westman says that a staple for every hiker and technical climber is a solid foundation of aerobic fitness. No mountain? No problem — you're doing a few of the next best moves to hiking itself when you hop on the StairMaster or a bike. An even easier way? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Plus, all of these exercises put less stress on your knees and joints than running. Go for an amount of time (Westman advises longer, moderately-intense durations) that mimics the distance of a true climb.

2. Backpack Training

Tips From the Pros: Top 4 Climbing Exercises

This week's tips from professional athletes and trainers will help you make this summer's workouts your best ever.

Four Exercises for Climbers

We asked trainer Dawn Miller of Berkeley Ironworks Climbing and Fitness to help us take our rock climbing skills to the next level.

A certified strength and conditioning coach with NSCA for over a decade, Miller has battled some of the toughest peaks in the United States. She joined Ironworks in 2000 and set a priority to conquer peaks like Yosemite's El Cap and Half Dome. She even met her husband through rock-climbing at Ironworks, which is recognized as part of the largest indoor climbing company in the world. Was it a match made to be? With Miller's top four exercises, climbers can take their rock romance to the next level.

1. Pull-Ups / Lat Pull-Downs

While these might seem like the most obvious exercises, they also prove that you can sometimes have too much of a good thing; Miller warns against doing pull-ups or lat pull-downs so frequently that you over-fatigue your back muscles.

"If you do a lot of climbing, I wouldn't do a lot of pull-ups," Miller says. You're doing movements so similar to pull-ups anyway. I think it's okay to do them periodically — just not too much."

Can't do a single pull-up? Miller suggests heading to the lat pull-down machine at your local gym so you can slowly increase your resistance until you can pull your own body weight. Focus on proper technique by bringing the bar all they way down to your chest. A full range of movement will add both strength and flexibility to your upper body.

2. Planks / Hanging Leg Raises

Tips from the Pros: Top 4 Paddling Exercises

Want to improve your performance in your favorite outdoor sports? This week, we're asking professional athletes to tell us their secrets.

Four Exercises for Paddlers

Today, Olympic whitewater slalom canoeist Casey Eichfeld shares four of his favorite training exercises.

The 23-year-old is currently recognized as the top whitewater single canoe paddler in the United States. A two-time Olympian, Eichfeld was the youngest solo competitor in the U.S Whitewater Slalom Nationals as an eight-year-old, and he was named by Paddler Magazine in 2000 as a "Paddler of the Next Century." He's hoping that third time's the (Golden) charm as he prepares for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

1. Pull-Ups

"I am particularly fond of the pull-up because it is a versatile exercise that doesn't necessarily require any equipment," Eichfeld writes via email. "If I can pull my body vertically through the air, then certainly I can pull it horizontally along the water."

No pull-up bar? An easy alternative is to drape a towel over a door to protect your hands and pull yourself up that way. The door's barrier will make it so you can't rock back and forth to swing yourself up, making it a killer for your biceps, your back, and your shoulders. Perform the movement in a controlled, steady motion. Eichfeld writes that you can challenge yourself by progressing to "L" pull-ups (simultaneously raising your legs parallel to the floor) as well as to weighted pull-ups.

2. Single-Leg Deadlifts

Surprisingly Green: By-Products in Pet Food

We need to feed another few billion mouths in the coming decades, and that's just humans. U.S. cats and dogs already account for at least 150 million more (slightly stinkier) maws, according to the U.S. Census.

So environmentally speaking, feeding animals by-products isn’t a bad way to go.

The article “Nutritional Sustainability of Pet Foods,” published in the journal Advances in Nutrition, explores the eco-aspects of providing for our companion animals.

The authors — including Kelly Swanson, associate professor of comparative animal nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with scientists from pet food supplier The Nutro Company — note, “Rather than competing with humans for food, pet foods based on by-products actually lighten the environmental burden of the human food system.”

The word “by-product” isn’t synonymous with pink slime. Broken kernels of rice, the authors also note, are among the hundreds of by-products used by the pet food industry. Their use lightens the carbon and water footprints of the food system at large.