Animal Facts
"It's a 10kg powerhouse of compact muscle and fur that resembles a pit bull on steroids, with a growl to match"
What is a Tasmanian devil? How big are they and what do they eat? Learn all about the cute but devilish Tasmanian devil in our expert guide
“One of the longest-running cold cases of palaeontology.” Scientists may finally know what created these strange markings
This pattern has been puzzling scientists for centuries – now, new research uncovers part of the mystery.
“It creates tiny holes all over the skin, allowing deadly bacteria to invade the internal organs, causing septicaemia and death.”
Chytridiomycosis, also known as chytrid, is a deadly amphibian disease that has caused the decline of over 500 species around the world.
Drone films "apex predator at full strength” taking down turtle in Australia
The rare sighting is a reminder that sharks aren’t cute – but they’re not monsters either.
Millions-strong cicada swarms may be doomed, say US biologists
The mass emergence of periodical cicadas is one of North America’s most spectacular natural events – but new research suggests changes to habitat and deforestation may spell the end for these remarkable insects.
What's new?
Far below the Arctic Ocean's frozen surface, this ghostly, eel-like fish swarms around boiling vents
New research highlights a rarely seen species of eelpout that thrives in strange chemosynthetic ecosystems.
"In the shadow of the Himalayas swims a fish that seems to have developed a taste for human flesh…" 10 most aggressive freshwater fish
These fish will bite back - so careful where you paddle...
It has a gaping, cavernous mouth crammed with sharp teeth – and one of the wildest mating strategies in the animal kingdom
These deep-sea fish are known for their iconic lure which tempts prey close to their ferocious mouths so they can trap them in a cage of terrifying teeth
"They're fast swimmers and can use their trunks as a snorkel, however they mostly swim doggy paddle with their heads out of the water."
Tapirs are rather unusual-looking mammals, and they are absolutely amazing creatures.
"Priceless joy.” North African ostriches return to wild in Niger after 20-year absence
This first reintroduction marks a milestone in efforts to slowly establish a viable wild population in the West African country.
Amphibians
“It will die unless its father can find a better place for it.” Tiny poison dart frogs race against time to save their offspring
Navigating a huge rainforest isn’t easy – especially if you’re as tiny as these frogs.
It ‘rains’ horizontally, is home to the largest cat in the Americas and provides life to two oceans
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a unique and extraordinary cloud forest in Costa Rica
The length of a 2 litre soda bottle, it's called the human fish and locals believed it was the offspring of 'cave dragons'
Journey deep beneath the ground in search of one of the world's weirdest creatures – the olm, a cave-inhabiting 'dragon' that is as elusive as it is peculiar.
Animal ID
Mountain chicken, guinea pig, honey bear, bearcat – 10 animals with completely the wrong names, misleading monikers and curious cases of mistaken identity
Common names for animals are often easier to remember than their Latin names, but they can often lead to confusion. Here are 10 animals with some very misleading names.
A snake the weight of a grizzly bear and a giant centipede that hangs from cave ceilings – meet 11 of the Amazon's deadliest animals
From a huge carnivorous centipede to a tiny poisonous frog, here are some of the of the deadliest creatures in the Amazon.
It's sleek, black, incredibly beautiful and very fast – and is known as the 'cheetah of the deep sea' despite weighing over a tonne
Learn all about the unmistakable pilot whale, from their diet and size to life in the pod and why, sadly, they're prone to beaching
Birds
It clatters like a machine gun, has a deadly prehistoric-looking beak, can live for 25 years and can grow up to a whopping 1.5m tall with a wingspan of 2.6m
This bird can can stand still as a statue for hours, will stare you out and cruelly kill its sibling using its huge, razor-sharp bill
These people listened 123 different birdsongs then ranked their attractiveness. Here's what came top (and bottom)
Songs that were complex, high-pitched and relatively quiet ranked highest, while shrill, loud songs fared the worst.
When complete darkness fell on Antarctica, researchers used satellites to spy on one of its most secretive animals
Tracking the movements of emperor penguins is vital for conservation efforts, say scientists
Fish
It has superpowers, the fastest punch in the animal kingdom and and is very reluctant to leave its fortress burrow beneath the ocean floor
Mantis shrimp spend most of their lives in their burrows, only leaving home to hunt and mate
This 2-metre monster latched onto a diver's face with its needle-sharp teeth and left him needing more than 20 stitches and plastic surgery…
This terrifying eel is worth avoiding because of it's ability to latch on and spin like a crocodile
It looks like seaweed, moves like seaweed – but don’t be fooled: this is a fish where the males get pregnant
It also swallows its prey whole and has an unusual mating ritual.
Insects & Invertebrates
Its fate is “sealed by a clinical decapitation” – watch this praying mantis meet a cruel end
A colony of ants is no joke, even to bigger predators such as this unfortunate praying mantis.
Insects lack the vital organ needed to breathe so how on earth do they survive?
Here's exactly how insects breathe without lungs
"Its venom feels like it’s been inflicted by a gun shot." It might look harmless but don't be fooled as it delivers the world's most painful sting, leaving you in agony for 24 hours or more
It may only be 2.5cm but it sure packs a punch. Here's all you need to know about bullet ants
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
"Awww! Look how cute! They made a little ball!" Scientists view rare example of wild animals making objects simply for a fun kickabout
Rare leopard cat photographed on remote Japanese island. Its "unusual" tail sparked a search for answers
The critically endangered Tsushima leopard cat had an abnormally short tail – a characteristic that had never been recorded in the species before – and researchers wanted to find out why.
It contains some of the world’s deadliest animals, from snakes to crocodiles – so why does Australia have so much dangerous wildlife?
Is the wildlife really more deadly 'down under'? Helen Pilcher takes a look at why Australia has so many dangerous animals
Marine Animals
“Males bite the female’s aorta to deliver TTX. This sudden paralysis renders her immobile, enabling the male to mate successfully without being eaten.”
For blue-lined octopus, mating is a dangerous game. That’s why males inject females with venom before sex, according to a new study.
Crocodile in submerged forest among 12 astonishing images from Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026
From the seabed to the surface, these extraordinary images are a glimpse into the fascinating world of our oceans.
Can any animal kill a blue whale? At 33 metres long and heavier than a Boeing 737, it is the largest creature ever to have lived but is it vulnerable?
It would be a brave animal that took on the world's biggest creature
Reptiles
This snake's "outrageous" tail looks exactly like a spider. Scientists just looked inside it and found something odd
Researchers examined the bone structure of the spider-tailed horn viper that lures dinner with an extraordinary flick of its tail.
"On the first occasion, it only failed to drag the female researcher into the water because her trousers tore at the knee"
Despite its fame and horror film notoriety, very little is known about the anaconda. One man who has got to grips – quite literally – with this giant serpent is Jésus A Rivas... Here he explains what you need to know about this fearsome predator
"They hide in the nooks and crannies of our beds, then come out at night to slurp up our blood like a smoothie…" 8 animals that could be in your bed
We like to think that we choose who we share our bedrooms with, yet sometimes, mother nature has other ideas.
