Animal Facts
"It's the most exotic beverage on the planet and made from beans that have been extracted from animal poop..."
Civet coffee is a delicacy, where coffee beans pass through the gut of a South-East Asian mammal before being turned into a tasty brew. No we are not joking... Stuart Blackman explains all
“These have never been described in sharks.” Experts aimed to study how sharks communicate danger – so turned to a bizarre, flat fish
The study marks the first documented evidence of a "disturbance cue" being used by cartilaginous fish
It's the size of a rat, incredibly cute, yet extremely weird – and can sail through the air on its very own parachute
All you ever needed to know about the sugar glider
Vampires, vaquitas, vervet monkeys – 8 remarkable animals beginning with 'v' including a blood-sucking spider and the world's rarest animal
From the vampire bat to viperfish, here are 8 animals beginning with the letter 'v'
Do any birds have teeth?
Why don't birds have teeth? And did they ever have teeth? Stuart Blackman explains
What's new?
Firefly vs glow-worm: what exactly is the difference between these two dazzling creatures?
Wondering what the difference is between glow-worms and fireflies? Here's the answer
7 animals that can kill a rhino: They may be fearsome, heavily armoured, and weigh more than 2 tonnes but they aren’t invincible
There aren't many animals brave enough to take on a rhino…
Weathering the storm: footage shows one of the hardiest animals on Earth enduring brutally cold temperatures
Musk oxen have long thick coats with a secret layer that helps them stay toasty even when the thermostat drops below freezing
This peculiar rodent is the size of a domestic cat and weirdly covered in bands of deep, rich reds and blues
This giant squirrel is known more for its colour scheme, than its impressive size. Discover the rainbow squirrel
It's almost the same size as Switzerland, home to a 6.5 foot giant, a tiny, very deadly, octopus and is slowly turning the wrong colour...
While the Yellow Sea is a remarkable place for wildlife, the area has become one of the most degraded marine areas on the planet
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
What's the world's biggest parrot? There are two contenders: one has a massive 1m wingspan and the other weighs a whopping 3kg
Meet two giant birds fighting for the title of world's biggest parrot.
Bat vs bird: what's the difference between these two winged animals?
What are the actual anatomical differences between bats and birds?
Why are young birds sometimes bigger than their parents?
Just why do some young birds bigger than their parents? Mike Toms explains
Fish
"Its dorsal fin is lined with venomous spines that deliver instant, intense pain. Any animal on the receiving end – including us – is likely to recoil in agony..."
A freshwater fish with venom that delivers excruciating pain that ‘runs like fire’
These magnificent, agile ocean creatures can leap, spin and soar through sea and air: The ocean's 7 most impressive and spectacular acrobats
Spinning, leaping and dancing through the water and air – the ocean is home to some of the most agile and athletic creatures on the planet.
“It attacks with a short movement, sucking up the prey with an expansion of its tubular snout.” Meet 8 weirdest, bizarrest animals in Hawai'i
From a squid that projects moonlight to hide from predators to a snake that reproduces by cloning itself, Hawai'i's wildlife is stranger than you'd expect
Insects & Invertebrates
“It can live forever & devour prey many times its size, which stand no chance of escape; the more the victim struggles, the more tangled they become”
Nick Baker takes a look at the fascinating hydra
"It delivers the most painful sting in the world, leaving victims in pain for 24 hours." World's 6 deadliest ants, including one that's killed people
Some create millions-strong swarms, while others deliver lethal stings or clamp down on their victims with their jaws
“It survives microwaving and temperatures up to 150ºC and as low as -273ºC.” These 7 biologically bizarre animals are so weird they could be aliens
From a jellyfish that cheats death to a tiny indestructible animal that can survive the vacuum of space, Earth is home to some creatures so biologically bizarre they seem like they shouldn't belong here
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
How can I stop my cat hunting – and killing – wildlife?
Here are different ways to limit the kill rate of your cat. A recent figure from the Mammal Society estimates that cats in the UK catch up to 27 millions birds each year, and 275 million prey items overall per year.
Venomous hunter chillingly stores paralysed victims ALIVE – with no chance of escape – underground for killing and eating later
The northern short-tailed shrew might look cute, but it has a lethal bite. Here's how it paralyses and preserves its prey for a late night feast.
Can a person outrun an elephant?
Put it this way - you don't want to be a position where you find out...
Marine Animals
”It was nature in its rawest and most powerful form.” Witnessing a pod of orcas was amazing enough – but then this happened...
Orcas hunt dolphins in Scotland and wildlife watchers saw the whole thing unfold
"Symptoms include fever, vomiting, cramps and shortness of breath." 10 deadliest and most dangerous animals in the Mediterranean Sea
Great whites, purple stinging jellyfish and several invisible threats – how dangerous are the animals in the Mediterranean Sea?
These endangered whales have lived in a small sea for 70,000 years. One of them just broke the pattern
Humpback whales in the Arabian Sea were thought to be ‘homebodies’ but one individual just flipped the script
Reptiles
It's 1.5m long, eats prickly pears and can live for up to 60 years
The Galápagos land iguana is one impressive-looking lizard. Here's how it's saving habitats and helping entire ecosystems recover across the Pacific archipelago.
Does Ireland have any snakes?
We take a look at why Ireland is, and has always been, snake-free
These baby iguanas must run for their lives – or they’ll be constricted to death by snakes. Will they make it?
Iguana hatchlings are faced with a fierce race straight after hatching in this now-iconic clip from the BBC's Planet Earth II
