Animal Facts
What's the difference between humans and apes? And when did humans first appear?
We may be part of the same overarching group as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, but there are lots of things that set us apart from these other great apes…
"Domestication proper came much later, in Egypt about 4,000 years ago." How we domesticated the cat
Our relationship with the African wildcat is ancient, but our attitudes to its domesticated descendants, the pet cat,have been in constant flux.
It has the legs of a supermodel, can run at 40mph and leap 3m high – yet is just 50cm tall. Meet one of the world's weirdest, yet most beautiful, cats
Meet the beautiful serval cat, a leggy wild cat that roams sub-Saharan Africa
“Do not crouch down or bend over because you may look a lot like a four-legged prey animal.” 10 most dangerous, deadliest states in USA
The US consists of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean - and it's home to some dangerous wildlife.
“They’re powerful enough to break human skin – and contain venom.” 7 longest (and deadliest) fangs on the planet
Inside the mouths of some of the most unsuspecting creatures lie the longest, sharpest and most jaw-dropping gnashers in the animal kingdom
What's new?
"They're more closely related to woolly mammoths than they are to African elephants…" Just how different are African, forest and Asian elephants?
These huge creatures are far more different than you might think
Why do seahorses look like miniature horses?
Just why do seahorses look like horses? Helen Scales explains why their equine-looking head makes them stealthy ambush predators
"Females frequently take not one, but two ‘husbands’ and have been documented copulating over 250 times with both in order to start a family"
Dunnocks breed with multiple male partners – all in the name of good motherhood – as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
“It’s an effective ambush. If not impaled, the wounded animal tries to flee but is promptly grabbed by its assailant and swiftly chomped, head first.”
In south-eastern Senegal live female chimps that use spears to prize slumbering bush babies from tree cavities, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
"She repeatedly kicked his head to prevent an attack." Kick-ass female zebra saves foal from infanticidal male
New research is uncovering the matriarchal secrets of zebras – including unprecedented behaviour, says Lucy Cooke
Amphibians
"As temperatures drop below freezing, it freezes solid, with 70% of the water in its body turning to ice. It stops breathing, its heart stops beating and its kidneys stop functioning"
This frog survives winter by spending it frozen solid - literally
“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.
“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.
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
Do male birds have penises? The surprisingly bizarre way birds have sex
Just how do birds mate and reproduce? Stuart Blackman explains the intricacies of bird sex and why males don't have penises
Its wings are wider than a double bed and it can reach speeds of 100kph – and it has a habit of stealing laundry
This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail.
During winter nearly 1,000 descend onto a tiny Serbian town centre – and at night it's party time
A huge parliament of long-eared owls has made an unlikely home in a Serbian town square
Fish
"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
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
Insects & Invertebrates
This amazing metallic blue tarantula is the most beautiful spider in the world
If ever proof were needed that spiders can be beautiful, then this is surely it. Meet the Gooty tarantula
It drills through shells with a cocktail of acid and enzymes – then liquefies its victim inside their own home
If you're visiting a sandy beach you may like to reflect on something that might be going on below your feet. Lurking behind the veil of wet sand, a killer is on the prowl. A driller-killer, no less. Let me introduce you to the moon snail
He uses his enormous neck to show off and wrestle rivals – she uses hers to weave an intricate cradle for her one, precious egg
This curious species of long-necked
beetle is unique to Madagascar
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Just how many species of human have there been?
We aren’t the only humans to have called Earth ‘home’; before us there were dozens of human species and like us they travelled far and wide…
Think you know your family? Well, think again. You might call yourself a Jones or a Patel, but at heart you're a great ape
Learn all about great apes in this expert guide from Nakedi Maputla from African Wildlife Foundation
Why can't polar bears live in Antarctica?
Yes polar bears could live in Antarctica, but the results would be disastrous...
Marine Animals
“This moment was wild.” Astonishing footage shows sharks exploding out of water so fast they land on beach
The incredible footage was captured on a beach in Indonesia where shark finning used to take place – since it stopped, the shark population has made a remarkable comeback.
Jurassic squid-like animal unearthed in Wyoming is “fattest” ever discovered
Cephalopods have been around for over 500 million years, and although the octopus and squid rule today, that wasn’t always the case…
“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.
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.
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
"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
