"There's no life there, period. At least not in the last 20-30,000 years or so...”
A frozen desert at the edge of Antarctica, the McMurdo Dry Valleys offer a rare glimpse into one of the harshest – and most Mars-like – environments on Earth.
Dugong vs manatee: What's the difference between these two 'floaty potatoes' – and are they really related to elephants...?
Although these two species look similar, there are some key differences that can help you tell them apart
What wildlife documentaries don’t show: 6 times filming turned terrifying, from nearly dying in Antarctica to being arrested for subversive activities
Filming a wildlife documentary is no small feat – and sometimes, nature is working against you
A 'vampire' deer, the grumpiest cat, a bearded vulture – meet Mongolia's strangest animals
Cazenove+loyd's private expeditions can help you see the world's most elusive creatures
"Its vicious-looking, self-sharpening teeth were designed to slice effortlessly through tough meat." 10 deadliest, most ruthless prehistoric cats ever
From tigers to tabbies, today’s cats come in many different shapes, sizes, and temperaments.
Their ancestors were just as diverse, if not more so, says Will Newton. Here are our top 10 prehistoric cats…
"Their nests are made up of thousands of climate-controlled rooms, resembling a structure not too dissimilar to an urban office block"
When it comes to industrious hard work, leafcutter ants are the best in the business...
"It always pays to give the toilet a quick scan before you use it as a bite can cause sweating, muscle twitching, nausea and death can be very rapid"
"1,000 people die every year from snake bites." 10 deadliest countries for wildlife – including the one where Gustave the 'man-eating' croc lurks
If any of these countries are on your bucket list, make sure you take extra care with your travel plans.
“The crushing pressure can be anywhere between 100 to 400 atmospheres, which would kill a human instantaneously.”
Between 1,000 and 4,000 metres deep, there isn’t any sunlight at all so creatures find new strategies to survive
It looks like a banana, has a painful mating dance and is the official slug of one of the largest US states
It may be called a banana slug, but you probably wouldn’t want this creature in your fruit bowl
Birds
"The only way a female avoids starvation is by being fed by males hoping to mate with her. Females might have up to five males in attendance..."
Often male birds are more colourful than their female counterparts, but the ecelctus parrot bucks the trend, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
Crow vs raven: what's the difference between these two very similar-looking black birds?
Don't know how to tell a crow from a raven? Stuart Blackman explains how to tell the difference between these two common corvids
What's the slowest bird on the planet? Clue – it's also a pretty slow walker and fairly dumpy...
Contenders, ready! Stuart Blackman ponders which bird would win the slow race of the skies
Oregon’s biggest city was drowning in crow poop. Then a new predator came to town
As thousands of crows darken the winter skies above Portland, Oregon, it makes sense to mind your step
“An entire colony of breeding penguins disappeared.” Bird flu is out of control – now it’s reached the Antarctic
The spread of avian flu to Southern Ocean islands is an alarming sign that the virus is out of control
A great predator has returned the towering cliffs of Yosemite National Park
New peregrine nest sites herald a record-breaking year for the world’s fastest bird.
How to identify wildlife
Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: Think you know how they differ? Think again as the differences between these two squirrels will surprise you
We take a look at how the red squirrel differs to its American grey cousin
Brown rat or water vole: How to tell the difference between these two lookalike-rodents
When all you've seen is a flash of brown fur, it can be hard to know whether it was a water vole or rat. Though the two species tend to live in different habitats, there are areas where they overlap, potentially leading to cases of mistaken identity. So how do you tell rats and water voles apart?
Mink or otter? What's the difference between these two slippery, semiaquatic lookalikes?
How do you tell the difference between otters and mink?
LRPs, PG Tips and Jizz: Cracking the secret language of birders
You’re sitting in a hide and overhear other birders talking. The conversation ranges from ‘LRPs’ and ‘roosting Leos’ and you scratch your chin as you try to decipher their code – welcome to the world of birding jargon.
It's the fastest animal in the world and its deadly claws can catch prey mid-air: Meet one of the world's most incredible birds of prey
Peregrines are the ultimate urban predator. Learn all about them, including how to spot them ‘stooping’ to catch prey
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Plants
It rains poison, blinds on contact – and its fruit could kill: Inside the ‘Tree of Death'
"The ghostly trunks of a vast forest, submerged for tens of thousands of years, rose out of the sediment. These mighty trees had lived for hundreds of years before their watery grave"
The mystery of 60,000-year-old trees that still smell like fresh incense
"It explodes with a loud bang, flinging toxic seeds at speeds of up to 150MPH." 8 weirdest, wackiest trees on the planet, including one that walks...
Meet some of the weirdest and oddest trees on the planet
"It looks like an extra-terrestrial being that fell to Earth and behaves like a subterranean vampire." 10 weirdest, wackiest plants on the planet...
Meet some of the weirdest and oddest plants on Earth.
