Animal Facts
This photographer just returned from a jungle expedition in Cambodia – what he captured was astonishing
Jeremy Holden's remarkable images – part of a Fauna and Flora biodiversity survey – highlight the ecological significance of the Cardamom Mountains in Southeast Asia.
A rare, formidable-looking creature is clinging to life in California's High Sierra
The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is one of the most endangered animals in the US – now a new study reveals the charismatic species is battling a new and dramatic danger.
White shark expedition stumbles across something unexpected and important in the Mediterranean Sea
It was one of the fastest and most elusive creatures in the ocean.
It clatters like a machine gun and has a face like a shoe – meet the prehistoric-looking giant that stalks the swamps of Africa
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
DNA confirms new 'large predator' living in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth
The animal was discovered in its dark hunting grounds at the base of the Atacama Trench off the coast of northern Chile.
What's new?
Something huge was just filmed at the bottom of a deep, dark trench in the Pacific Ocean
Researchers tethered a fish head to a camera then sunk it into the second deepest trench on Earth to see what they could find...
Deep-sea vessel discovers primitive creature "barely changed since the age of the dinosaurs” after 15-year quest
The strange marine animal – spotted at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean – is rarely photographed, let alone caught on video.
Biologists went into 19 abandoned quarries in Germany – and they found something vital
The seemingly barren sites were home to an astonishing 114 species of bee, including 35 listed as endangered.
How do we know that elephants never forget?
We've all heard the old adage that elephants never forget, but is it really true? And how do we know?
She's more than 70 years old, is an internet superstar and she just laid an egg
Wisdom the albatross – believed to be the world's oldest bird – is back at her island home in Hawaii laying another egg.
Amphibians
80 prehistoric tombs filled with bizarre animal skulls found in Wyoming
The chambers were built as refuges, but the animals that created them ended up getting trapped inside then fossilised for 230 million years, a new study finds.
A long-lost sound has returned to the great mountains of Yosemite National Park
And it could have positive implications for wildlife around the world, say scientists.
“It underwent what we call miniaturisation”: bizarre new toad with missing body parts discovered in Brazilian rainforest
The newly described species of flea toad, found in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo state, is the second smallest vertebrate in the world.
Animal ID
10 animals with the wrong names: Discover 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.
How to identify animal droppings: Our guide to the wildlife poop you might find in your garden or out on a walk
Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. Our expert guide explains how to identify which poos belong to which species. Plus, animal droppings from species from around the world – and fungi and insects you might spot on droppings.
How to identify wildlife paths and beds
Tall vegetation in midsummer makes it easy to spot the regular paths that wild animals take - and where they rested.
Birds
More than 100 of these secretive birds were tagged and followed around the planet. Here's why
The satellite tags transmit real-time location data, which has led to some surprising – and important – discoveries.
A complex sound is drifting through the forests of Hawaii – for the first time in years
Five ‘alalā, or Hawaiian crows, have been released onto the island of Maui, part of a greater effort to return the native birds to their forest homes.
5 giants of the sky – including one enormous bird that's as long as a car
Meet the wandering albatross, whose wingspan is roughly the length of a Fiat 500, and four more feathered titans
Fish
Why evolution experts are so consumed by this deep-sea fish
The animal lives in almost perpetual darkness, up for 4km beneath the surface of the sea.
What's the fastest fish?
Wondering how fast fish can swim? Stuart Blackman seeks out the record breakers
Can fish drown?
Can fish drown? What about other species that spend their lives underwater? We explain the science of breathing underwater and what can go wrong
Insects & Invertebrates
An ancient and exquisite thing has been discovered in a lake in New Zealand
The extremely rare fossils were found attached to the underside of a leaf – in the very position they would have lived and died – near Dunedin on the South Island.
There's a cunning animal on the misty riverbanks of Ohio that hunts like a Roman gladiator
The creature in question creates a deadly trap to insnare its prey, a new study has found.
10 gross-looking animals that live on or inside you
The human body is home to a spectacular array of organisms – some of which can be pretty horrible looking
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Chimp video shows one of the most complex tool-use behaviours by wild animals ever documented
The footage suggests chimpanzees are able to perform complicated sequences of behaviour similar to those that made humans successful, say scientists in a new study.
It's harpoon-proof, 'sings' jazz music, and lives up to 200 years – meet this record-breaking giant of the animal world
The animal can also smash through solid ice and has no teeth – and has left scientists baffled over the years
Movember's wild side: 8 animals with a better moustache than yours
Check out these brilliantly bristly animals that use their moustaches and beards for all manner of tasks, from foraging for food on dark ocean floors to spreading scent to attract mates
Marine Animals
Why do captive orcas have drooping dorsal fins?
Orca in captivity live very different lives from those in the wild, and this can affect their physical features
When scientists lowered a baited camera 1,054 metres into the Caribbean Sea, a shadow appeared out of the darkness
The researchers say it's the first time this deep-sea species has been recorded in the central Caribbean Sea.
Europe's native oyster ecosystems have collapsed. Here's what that means for the ocean
The oyster reefs once covered an area larger than Greater London, but now they're only found alone or in small clusters, say experts.
Reptiles
An immense creature is moving through the vast swamps of the Everglades National Park
A new study suggests that the animal could be an even more adept hunter than experts in Florida first thought...
How many times could a lizard regrow its tail?
Some lizards boast the amazing skill of detaching and regrowing their tails to escape predators. John Baker explores whether they can do this multiple times
Discover the world of the beautiful, yet much-feared, sea snake: do these venomous serpents deserve their deadly reputation?
All you ever needed to know about the much-feared sea snake