A Roman scholar proposed this nature theory more than 2,000 years ago. It took until 1999 to prove it
Mathematicians have long been fascinated by the geometry of natural forms. And the hexagon reigns supreme.
Dynamite whales, exploding toads, suicide ants, bomb rats: 10 most explosive animals on the planet (and yes they make a mess)
Explosions are messy at the best of times, but when the thing exploding is an animal, or part of an animal, it rarely ends well.
It looks like a spider and moves like a spider, but this is no spider – instead it's an evolutionary nightmare. Watch the deadly reptile killer in action
A flycatcher thinks it's found a spider for lunch – but all is not what it seems...
“It was an intense pain. Almost like burning. It took me a moment to understand what exactly was going on. A real ugly fish. Big eyes, big teeth.”
Meet the The fearsomely fanged, five-foot long freshwater shark.
It's huge – the size of a dustbin lid – has 21 arms lined with deadly barbed spines capable of causing severe pain - but that's not its most alarming feature...
A sting from this huge starfish could cause pus, bleeding and anaphylaxis. But that’s not the only reason to be VERY worried
Was a taxi driver from Washington, USA, the biggest ape who ever lived?
Stuart Blackman takes a look at the contenders, past and present, for biggest ape in the world - including the real King Kong
It might look like an insect, but this is no insect - it's flower hell-bent on deceiving males
Have you noticed some flowers look like insects? It's all to do with sexual deception says Phil Gates
“It’s by far the largest I’ve ever seen in my 25 years as a marine biologist..." New 4-metre giant, 400-year-old, creature discovered
A coral over twice the height of an adult – and possibly 400 years old – has been found in the depths of Fiordland
Meet the mighty, majestic Andean condor, one of the world's most powerful and impressive birds and at 15kg the heaviest bird of prey
The mighty Andean condor – the heaviest bird of prey in the world and the raptor with the longest wingspan – needs little introduction, says Mike Dilger. Learn all about them in his expert guide - including where to see them
Camera traps hidden in Amazon rainforest. They just captured an elusive animal doing something unprecedented
For decades, the short-eared dog has been regarded as one of the rainforest's greatest mysteries.
Birds
Fierce, majestic – and built to kill – The world's biggest and mightiest birds of prey
All you need to know about the magnificent birds of prey, including the biggest in the world
"It stands on its rock looking not so much like a streamlined submariner as an overfed blackbird"
Known in Welsh as a ‘bird of the torrent’, the dipper is the UK’s only aquatic songbird and always fascinating to watch.
Do birds pee as well as poo?
When it comes to excretions, birds do a two-for-one deal
8 astonishing close-up photos of the world’s most beautiful pheasant
Resplendent in red, gold and blue, the male of this spectacular species sports a crest like a barrister’s wig – even if it leaves him with massive blind spots
What is a chicken wishbone – and why on Earth do people fight over it?
Just how useful is a wishbone to a chicken? Find out with our expert guide
These tiny birds are doubling in size on remote Scottish islands – and are on their way to “becoming a new species”
Isolated on remote Scottish islands, tiny wrens have recently been discovered to be a fascinating case of island gigantism.
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
They ate this potato relative in a salad – then lost their minds for 11 days
Potatoes are a kitchen staple – but one of their botanical cousins has a much darker reputation.
"The cones are as big as a rugby ball and weigh up to 40 pounds, more than heavy enough to kill…”
You don’t want to get too close to this tree – it’s not toxic, but it’s still deadly.
“An agonising way to die: it causes whole body convulsions, and the victim is painfully and horribly aware…”
Also called the Asian vomit button tree, the strychnine tree contains one of nature’s deadliest poisons, famously featured in many mystery novels.
The ocean's hidden, deadly killer: Why thriving seas can suddenly die and turn into mass underwater graveyards
Suffocated ecosystems, seizures and death: how deadly algae can wreak havoc on beaches around the world – and what can be done to prevent it
