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?
It's as sleek as a torpedo, as long as a bus, and weighs the same as an elephant: Discover the ocean creature that slices through our waters at 35 km/h
Our guide to the minke whale, the UK's most frequently spotted whale
Pound for pound, this little fish has the most savage, brutal bite ever measured – way stronger than a great white
It might be small but it sure is mighty...
The little-known story of war elephants: How ancient civilisations turned gentle giants into deadly weapons
It's not only horses that were used in ancient warfare. Steve Harris recounts the history of war elephants
6 extraordinarily weird animal noses: from tentacles to tubular snouts, here are nature’s most ingenious nasal designs
From elephant trunks to tentacled moles, we explain evolution’s strangest noses
The 10 deadliest dogs on Earth: Discover the world's most ferocious and savage wild canine hunters
Meet the world's deadliest canines who are some of the world's most effective hunters
“We heard movement in the bushes and saw two large eyes. The smell of jaguar got stronger.” Wildlife photographer shares incredible encounter
Wildlife photographer Fernando Faciole on armadillos, tapirs and being stalked by a jaguar
Breathtaking gorilla photos reveal the strength and beauty of these enormous mammals
Stunning images of gorillas – from a yawning silverback to an adorable infant riding on its mother's back.
Deep-sea scientists filmed something astonishing and very rarely seen swimming over the seafloor in Chile
Extraordinary footage of a mother squid carrying her eggs
Watch nail-biting and emotional BBC footage of a pregnant hyena being attacked by a pack of wild dogs – will she survive?
In this first clip from upcoming BBC TV series Kingdom, David Attenborough narrates a tense encounter between a pregnant hyena and a pack of wild dogs
Birds
8 craziest, weirdest bird beaks on the planet: Meet the most bizarre beaks in the world – where evolution let its imagination soar
Uncover the secrets behind their extraordinary beaks and what they reveal about their lifestyles.
“They need to find a way of managing land without killing birds of prey” – inside the controversial world of grouse shooting
We go inside the debate on grouse shooting and the perceived benefits of burning heather
300,000 raptors take to the skies in “superhighways” where Europe meets Africa. Here’s what’s going on
Raptors and storks are prize species to spot as thousands of birds take to the skies above the Strait of Gibraltar
Why do little egrets have yellow feet?
BBC Wildlife contributor Mike Toms answers your wild question.
Do birds go grey in old age?
Science writer Stuart Blackman answers your wild question.
10 smallest, tiniest birds in the world – including one that weighs just 1.95g
Birds vary enormously in size and shape. The ostrich can grow up to 9ft tall. But what about at the other end of the spectrum? Here are the world’s 10 very smallest birds.
How to identify wildlife
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
How to identify mammal skulls - and work out the creature they once belonged to
Skulls can be found virtually anywhere, but skull identification can be difficult. Learn how to identify common mammal skulls in our expert guide.
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?
Plants
Is this very ordinary plant a secret, yet deadly, meat eater?
The thistle that has a taste for meat
It has bizarre tentacles, oozes yucky black goo and stinks of death – and could be near you right now
The octopus stinkhorn, also known as devil's fingers, is a type of fungus that grows from egg-like spores
A team of scientists spent 4 years studying savannah grasses that had been set on fire – and discovered something astonishing
Researchers from the University of Fort Hare wanted to discover the long-term effects frequent wildfires have on burnt grasses
This is the rarest colour in nature – an expert explains why
The natural world is full of colour – but some are more common than others. So what's the rarest hue?