Animal Facts
World's 11 deadliest sea creatures: Meet the most dangerous animals in the ocean
Sharks aren’t the only danger in the ocean. Here are our top 10 most deadly sea creatures, from those that sting to those that bite
Meet the birds visiting the UK for autumn and winter
Migrating birds are arriving in the British Isles this autumn – find out which species and how to see them
Scientists sink lights to bottom of Chicago River. What they find is incredible
Researchers say what they discovered highlights the remarkable recovery of this once heavily polluted waterway on the shores of Lake Michigan in Illinois.
It might be slow but don't be fooled as this is one of the world's deadliest snipers, causing paralysis, necrosis, coma, respiratory failure and death in humans – lovely...
Deadly yet potentially lifesaving, the venom of cone snails is powerful enough to kill hundreds of people — but could also hold the key to new treatments for diabetes and other diseases.
Huge North Sea oil rig 130 miles from land unlocks new (and epic) secrets of pollination
Researchers found hundreds of tiny marmalade hoverflies on the remote rig, and most of them were carrying pollen – here's why that's important.
What's new?
Odd animal seen 'flying' over seafloor in Caribbean. But that's not the strangest thing it does
Flying gurnards tap the sand as they skim along the bottom of the ocean. Researchers say the unusual behaviour has a vital purpose.
World's 10 most beautiful killers: where stunning looks and lethal power collide...
From tigers to cassowaries, these stunning creatures prove that in nature, beauty and deadly often come hand in hand.
Night mission in India leads scientists to one of the rarest songs on Earth
Birdwatchers have rediscovered the big-eyed, long-legged Jerdon’s courser in south-east India, putting it back on the list of critically endangered birds.
Australia approves world-first vaccine to save koalas from deadly chlamydia
The newly developed, single-dose vaccine could be a key tool in protecting the tree-dwelling marsupials from the chlamydia epidemic, say researchers.
“There’d be little point in poisoning a predator if you ended up just as dead”: How do deadly animals avoid poisoning themselves?
Amphibians
The bizarre paradoxical frog shrinks as it grows up – and could help treat diabetes in humans
This amphibian’s colossal tadpole breaks one of nature's biggest rules and shrinks down into adulthood
“They parasitise their sexually reproducing cousins’ sperm for their own purposes”: Meet the self-replicating sisterhood
These unisexual gene thieves have survived for millions of years by cloning (and sometimes stealing) DNA
It sounds like a chicken, tastes like a chicken and raises its young like a chicken – but it isn't one
Despite its name, the mountain chicken isn't actually a chicken...
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 mammal skulls - and work out the creature they once belonged to
Skulls can be found virtually anywhere, but skull identification can be difficult. Learn how to identify common mammal skulls in our expert guide.
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.
Birds
I went to a remote village in the shadow of the Himalayas to find the world’s tallest flying bird
The tallest flying bird in the world owes its survival to a special relationship with small farmers in the most populated part of India
Watch this adorable baby owl make a dramatic leap for survival
When it’s time to leave the nest, these baby owls take their first steps with sweet – if not wholly successful – results
10 deadliest birds on the planet: From slashing humans with razor sharp talons to kicking prey to death, discover the world's savagest, most brutal avian killers
Are these the world's most dangerous birds?
Fish
Megafish the size of grizzly bears. But now scientists say these giants of the Mekong River are shrinking – and they know why
Once weighing hundreds of kilograms, these enormous riverfish are decreasing in size, highlighting the need for enhanced protection.
'Ghost sharks' are lurking off the coast of Washington – and they have teeth growing out of their foreheads
Researchers have discovered that the bizarre-looking spotted ratfish has a row of real teeth between its eyes.
Are sharks losing their deadliest weapon?
Ocean acidification could leave the ocean’s top predators with crumbling teeth
Insects & Invertebrates
There's a mysterious animal in the tropical forests of Panama that waves at predators – in a very scary way
The creature's strange leg-waving display has baffled scientists for years. Now they know why it does it...
It’s as loud as an aeroplane but smaller than your thumb – so just how is this winged creature SO noisy?
Despite their small size, cicadas sure are noisy. So how do they produce such big sounds?
What is the fastest flying insect? Meet the speed machines that can fly at 145km/h
How fast are the fastest flying insects? We take a look
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Thousands of tourists gather on a Texan bridge to watch millions of bats ‘dance’ at dusk each year – here’s why
Austin, Texas has North America’s largest urban bat colony – and it’s home to a bat dance like no other
It contains the world’s deadliest snake and one of the only venomous mammals – so why does Australia have so much deadly wildlife?
Is the wildlife really more deadly 'down under'? Helen Pilcher takes a look at why Australia has so many dangerous animals
Cheeky macaques vs Japanese farm dogs – watch this Shiba Inu showdown
One of the world’s oldest dog breeds has been trained to protect fruit from thieving monkeys in Japanese farms
Marine Animals
Enormous piles of rotting seaweed mount up on Florida beaches – and they're snaring sea turtle hatchlings
Record amounts of sargassum seaweed washing up on the coast of Florida are making it harder for vulnerable sea turtle hatchlings to reach the ocean, new research finds.
Octopuses could help us build robots that rescue people from collapsed buildings. Here's how
New research reveals octopuses use all their arms for different tasks – a discovery that could inform the design of life-saving robots.
Which animal has the longest intestine in the world? Surprisingly, scientists don’t actually know for sure – but they have a pretty good guess...
Ever wondered which animal has the longest intestine? Well, so do scientists...
Reptiles
It is one of the most deadliest and feared snakes in the Americas, able to kill a person with one bite. Fortunately you can hear it coming...
Keep an ear out for their infamous rattle if you are spending time in the American wilderness!
India's deadliest snakes to become even more dangerous, new study suggests
A new study warns shifting snake ranges driven by climate change could put millions more people at risk of deadly bites.
Researchers deploy 120 robots in Everglades National Park. Their mission is to help catch 20ft snakes
The fluffy robots – designed to mimic marsh rabbits – are part of a new approach to try and remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Florida wetlands.
