Animal Facts
"Despite being decapitated he survived a remarkable 18 months…" 10 headless animals that can survive without their heads — at least for a while
Meet 10 persistent animals that don’t die right away when decapitated…
"In fact it’s highly likely that eyelash mites are having sex on your face right now." Discover 12 fascinating facts you never knew about animal sex
Discover sex's most surprising secrets with science writer Jules Howard.
When experts tagged diving whales, they discovered something astonishing about their song
For the first time, researchers have matched an entire whale song to an entire dive – and found the song changes in step with what the whale’s body is doing underwater
Some animals give each other names, like humans do. Now scientists know why…
From elephants and parrots to dolphins and marmosets, there are plenty of creatures who use naming systems
Do any animals have periods like humans?
Yes some animal species do menstruate and have periods, like humans, says Stuart Blackman
What's new?
Joel Sartore has photographed 18,000 species. His latest is one of the weirdest and rarest yet
After a decade of photographing animals around the world, Joel Sartore has captured his 18,000th species: the critically endangered red handfish.
Can baby birds ‘talk’ to one another inside their eggs?
Newly-hatched chicks make plenty of noises once they’ve hatched, but can they communicate within their eggs?
When scientists put a camera tag on a whale, they never expected to see this
When NOAA researchers used suction-cup tags to study cetaceans, they caught the incredible moment a whale breached.
"Their venom is a highly potent neurotoxin, 15 times more toxic than a rattlesnake’s..." 10 most dangerous, deadliest animals in the Grand Canyon…
Mountain lions, poisonous lizards and tarantula-eating wasps: introducing the Grand Canyon’s most deadly wildlife
"Its bristles are like thousands of tiny, hollow needles poking out of every inch of skin, ready to inject you with neurotoxin that burns like fire for several hours…"
A sting burns like fire and they can turn their throat inside out to gobble down a meal. This is the fireworm
Amphibians
It looks like a big earthworm – but this is no ordinary worm. It has teeth, tentacles, a pseudo penis – and can pop its own eyes out of its head
Don't be fooled this is not an ordinary worm …
"It's the only known example of necrophilia having an evolutionary advantage - to both the male and the unfortunate female…"
Why necrophilia is an evolutionary advantage for the Rhinella proboscidea
“Its poison causes yawning – buying them enough time to leap out of the snake’s gaping mouth.”
The African clawed frog may not boast the vibrant hues of tropical frogs, but it employs a useful anti-predation technique
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 swoops down on its prey and grasps it with claws as it tears off the head…" 7 animals brave enough to take on – and kill – the deadly king cobra
The longest-recorded king cobra was an impressive 5.85 metres long, raising the question, what sort of animal would dare to take one on?
The 12km long, bustling, coastal metropolis that's filled with thousands of homes and a vibrant, colourful community
Stretching across a dramatic 12-kilometre landscape, this vibrant and densely populated community operates with the efficiency of a major urban centre.
"This slashing can cause fatal wounds in humans…" 10 deadliest birds on the planet, including one with a highly lethal 12cm claw…
Are these the world's most dangerous birds?
Fish
It has a built-in suction cup, vampire-like fangs, can swallow its prey whole – and has one very disgusting dining habit
Rocksuckers can swallow limpets whole before later regurgitating the shell
"Torpedo-shaped bodies, pointed snout and a jutting lower jaw packed with fearsome, sharp teeth – it has been known to attack swimmers…"
All you ever needed to know about the barracuda
The monstrous, snake-like huge 8m long serpent fish that are known as “harbingers of doom”
Meet the mysterious oarfish, the deep swelling sea serpent that's known as harbingers of doom”.
Insects & Invertebrates
"They’re the size of a grain of rice… but hundreds can swarm you and deliver a surprisingly sharp bite and draw blood…"
Sand piranhas keep beaches clean by feasting on dead and decaying matter and returning their nutrients to the ecosystem
"They dodge death by hitting rewind. Even after a dead medusa has collapsed into a pile of mush, its cells can grow into polyps…"
Immortal jellyfish, and a few similar species, are said to be immortal. But how true is this claim? Dr Helen Scales explains.
They both spin silk, but what's the difference between spider silk and caterpillar silk?
What is silk? Is caterpillar silk the same as spider silk?
Richard Jones takes a look
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Watch incredible close-up footage of a giraffe doing the splits just to take a sip of water…
Evolution gave giraffes a 5-metre plumbing problem…
Is this the world's most aggressive animal? The size of a fox, this badass raids beehives, steals from lions, shrugs off snake venom and never backs down…
Renowned for fighting larger animals, the honey badger (also known as the ratel) is a notorious mammal found across much of Africa and Asia.
Wolves were the poster child for the ‘alpha male’ concept – until researchers realised they’d got it wrong
Alpha males do exist in the animal kingdom – but not in the species you might think
Marine Animals
Staggering drone footage shows 24m giants speeding through Indonesian waters
Wildlife watchers were lucky enough to be joined by three pygmy blue whales.
As a huge storm approached the US coast, California's great white sharks did this
For the first time, scientists have documented what white sharks do when storms are on the way.
“Probably ate it headfirst." Here's what scientists found inside this deep-sea fish’s bulging belly
Researchers at the Natural History Museum wanted to solve the intriguing mystery of what was inside this rare fish’s enormous stomach without cutting it open – here’s how they did it.
Reptiles
"Constriction prevents blood from reaching vital organs, including the heart, and that’s why you die…" 5 deadly snakes that can crush and eat people
Being killed and swallowed whole by a snake is the stuff of nightmares, but how likely is it? And what snakes are capable of it?
"It possesses potent venom - a deadly neurotoxin that causes death by respiratory paralysis…"
"The whole process, from bluff to capture, is faster than a human eye can perceive – game over in less than 30 milliseconds." Tentacled snake is stuff of nightmares
Nick Baker, the popular naturalist, author and TV presenter reveals a secret realm of overlooked wildlife
