Animal Facts
“A smaller crab will be swallowed whole – a bigger one will be torn apart”
In footage captured for the BBC’s Blue Planet II, shore crabs face waters riddled with deadly predators
“They stick out like a sore thumb.” This clown-like bird has really weird feet – and here’s why
There’s a lot more to these quirky seabirds than their eye-catching limbs
The Ohio River is full of tiny monsters that “resemble a vicious Pac-Man”
The larvae of this freshwater mollusc hitch a ride – in a fish’s gills
A leopard that can kill animals 3 times its weight and an eagle the size of a door – meet 10 most dangerous, deadliest animals in the Himalayas
This vast mountain range is home to some extraordinary animal species – here are 10 of the most dangerous
Deep sea robot discovered something huge and truly incredible thousands of metres down in the Indian Ocean – something strange the length of Finland...
The 5.3-million-year-old ‘whale graveyard’ extends for more than one thousand kilometres and supports entire ocean communities
What's new?
Known as the world's grumpiest cat, it's a few cm shorter than a bowling pin and has such a sour face it could curdle milk
Facts about one of the smallest wild felines in the world – the Pallas cat – including where it is from and how it survives in cold environments
Should the Tasmanian tiger live again? Why bringing back the extinct thylacine COULD be a game-changer
What would happen if the thylacine returned as Tasmania's apex predator? Helen Pilcher takes a look
This bizarre marine creature breathes air, goes four years between meals and cocoons itself in its own mucus
What's the longest a fish can go without eating?
"The tunnel is just 5cm wide, so it has to reverse out, kicking the soil backwards with its feet..."
All you need to know about the common kingfisher
How maggots are able to help solve crimes
Did you know maggots can help solve crime - and even murders? Erica McAlister explains how
Amphibians
“This huge ‘cloud’ seemed to come out of nowhere. Suddenly frogs started to fall from the sky. I thought a plane carrying frogs had exploded..."
Which species are named after Sir David Attenborough? And how many of them are there?
Sir David Attenborough has over 50 species named after him, ranging from a prehistoric marine reptile to a native British flower only found in the Brecon Beacons of South Wales.
"With the flex of a muscle, it can produce an arsenal of sharp, curved claws that snap out of its toes like switchblades" 11 weirdest, bizarrest frogs on the planet
Discover the weird and wonderful oddballs from the world of 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
70 nesting adults per square metre of cliff face – this is probably the highest nesting density of any bird in the world
Early summer is a busy time of year for Britain's seabirds, as they crowd on coastal cliffs and islands to rear their young.
Who was 'Mike the Headless Chicken' – and just how long did he live without a head?
Ellen Husain recounts the story of 'Miracle Mike the Headless Chicken'
“They're equipped with 15cm claws, can run at speeds of 50kph, clear 2m when jumping and deliver a mean kick – just how worried should I be?”
Deep in the heart of a rainforest in Queensland, Stuart Portugal's childhood dream of encountering a cassowary in the wild could become a reality. But despite being one of the world’s tallest species of bird, catching a glimpse of this elusive creature is easier said than done.
Fish
"What had she been doing? Her tank mates were two other females, so who (or indeed where) was the daddy?"
When there is a lack of males, female bonnethead sharks can reproduce by themselves
"Divers have been rammed so hard that the air is knocked out of their lungs." A deadly predator with bone-crushing jaws and a temper to match
The air-breathing fish with a vicious head-butt
"Capable of striking fear into the heart of divers everywhere, it's as dangerous as it is beautiful..." 10 deadliest, most dangerous fish on the planet
Beyond the shark! We bring you a veritable who's who of the scariest fish species lurking in the deep (and not-so-deep) waters.
Insects & Invertebrates
What happens when a fly lands on your food? It’s not so much about the fly as where it's been... (poop!)
The time a fly spends stomping around your meal increases the associated health risks, so the natural instinct to swat it away immediately is right on the money.
"Mothers are known to eat their own newborn babies..." 11 gruesome, grisly cannibal animals that feast on their own kind – you won't believe number 3
It may seem gruesome, but many animals have been recorded feeding on their own species. Here are 11 cannibalistic animals, including some that might surprise you.
Biggest scorpion to ever live revealed from 415-million-year-old fossils. It was 1m long and had pincers larger than table knives
These UK fossils have puzzled palaeontologists for more than a century. Now they’ve been re-examined and identified as an ancient scorpion that was larger than a cat
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
"To see her standing there, focused entirely on finding her cub – who was in serious danger – was one of the most affecting things I've ever seen."
Tiger Island is an epic new
two-part series about to air on
BBC One. Presenter Dan O’Neill
takes us behind the scenes
“I spent five days in hospital after a bite from a monkey you could buy for a child”
A recent law in England aims to tighten standards for keeping primates as pets, but its impact remains uncertain
"It moves like a cat, climbs like a primate and is usually found high up in trees." 5 weirdest, bizarrest wild dogs on the planet
Meet 5 dogs that don't follow the rulebook
Marine Animals
Why are ocean creatures so darned big?
We take a look at the reasons why marine animals typically grow much larger than land animals
"Its lethal toxins rapidly interfere with nerve function, locking muscles & shutting down vital processes." Despite its beauty it's one deadly shell
Is this the world’s deadliest beach souvenir?
"Imagine if you had a leg amputated that then hopped off to lead a life of its own as a zombie?"
When it comes to animal talents this is one of the strangest...
Reptiles
Green anaconda vs yellow anaconda: What's the difference between these two gigantic, deadly snakes?
What exactly is the difference between a green and yellow anaconda?
"It's a colossal 3 metres long, weighs 27kg and uses over 100 small, hooked teeth to grab hold of their prey and kill it by constriction
Learn all about the boa constrictor in our expert guide, including where they live and how much they weigh
"It can run across water at speeds of 5 feet per second. That's pretty nippy..." 9 weirdest reptiles in the world, including a devil with two heads
Discover the world's weirdest and wackiest reptiles
