What are osteoderms? Discover nature’s hidden armour
Osteoderms are seen in reptiles and a few mammals but what exactly are they - and how do they form?
Great white shark: your expert guide to the ocean's ultimate apex predator that can detect blood from 3 miles away
All you need to know about great white sharks, including why they are not as deadly as often feared
Vampire finch: how this blood-thirsty bird rules the roost on a remote outpost of the Galápagos Islands
The tiny bird lives on Wolf and Darwin Islands, the most far-flung of the Galápagos Islands.
There’s a bizarre animal in Oregon that looks and smells like a sock – and scientists are feeding it sardines. Here's why
The black-and-white animal is almost never seen – and very little is known about it.
Scientists just collected 11 petri dishes of dolphin breath – and found something very worrying
The exhaled air – collected from wild bottlenose dolphins in Florida and Louisiana – contained harmful microplastics, say the researchers.
What's the difference between slugs and snails - and why does the shell matter?
Is a slug just a snail without a shell?
Do fish drink water?
Do fish drink? or do they absorb water? Stuart Blackman takes a look
Animals beginning with 'N', including the incredibly cute napu
Discover the wonderful creatures in the animal kingdom, one 'N' at a time.
Ancient elephant skull found buried with 87 stone tools in Indian mountains. Scientists just worked out what it all means
The prehistoric remains were discovered in the Kashmir Valley, an ancient lake basin in the foothills of the Himalayas.
What is the world's heaviest flying bird? Meet the heavyweights that somehow get airborne
Did you know the heaviest flying bird weighs between 11–19kg?
Birds
Macaroni penguin guide: how to identify, where they live and why are they endangered
From their breeding colonies to their feeding habits, learn everything you need to know about these adorable creatures.
Why aren't there penguins in the Arctic?
Ever wondered why the Arctic doesn't have penguins? Ellen Husain explains
Fierce, majestic and deadly: your ultimate guide to the world's biggest birds of prey
All you need to know about the magnificent birds of prey, including the biggest in the world
Why are most female raptors larger than males?
We take a look at why female raptors are bigger than the males
How to identify animal droppings: Our guide to the wildlife poop you might find in your garden or out on a walk
Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. Our expert guide explains how to identify which poos belong to which species. Plus, animal droppings from species from around the world – and fungi and insects you might spot on droppings.
Humans to blame for 600 bird extinctions – causing untold damage to ecosystems...
Study predicts the catastrophic effect bird extinctions will have on the world’s ecosystems without effective global conservation strategies
How to identify wildlife
Toad vs frog: How to tell the difference between a common frog and a common toad
Two of the UK's most familiar and widespread amphibian species are the common frog and the common toad, but do you know how to tell them apart?
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Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive a pair of Regatta Binoculars
Swift or swallow: what's the difference between these two incredible long-distance migrants?
Know your swallows from your swifts? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
Heron vs egret: what's the difference between these two leggy, long-necked, elegant birds?
Know your herons from your egrets? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
How to identify wildlife paths and beds
Tall vegetation in midsummer makes it easy to spot the regular paths that wild animals take - and where they rested.
How to identify mammal bones on the seashore
Mammal expert Steve Harris discusses which mammal bones you might find washed ashore, and how to identify them.
Plants
Forest plants are being driven westwards through Europe at 3.56 kilometres a year – by an ethereal force
A new study has revealed the surprising driving force behind the rapid migration of forest plants through Europe.
7 of the weirdest fungi in the world you (probably) haven't heard of, from the bleeding tooth to dead man's fingers
Fungi can be very strange. Here's our round-up of some of the weirdest fungi on the planet.
13 animals named after celebrities, from pop royalty to kings
One of the benefits of discovering a new species is the opportunity to name it, and many scientists have taken inspiration from popular culture. These are a few of our favourites.
Ghost hunt: astoundingly rare orchid emerges from shadows of British woodland for first time in 15 years
The rarest plant in Britain, the ghost orchid, has been found flowering for the first time since 2009.