Animal Facts
Do fish actually drink water?
Do fish drink? or do they absorb water? Stuart Blackman takes a look
"Its sinister, guttural croak reaches an impressive 140dB, far exceeding the 70dB achieved by even the most ear-splitting of human shouts."
How and why do howler monkeys scream so loud? Ben Garrod investigates
It's as tall as Brad Pitt, weighs 169kg, is up to 10 times stronger than a human and is the master of knuckle-walking
Our guide to one of our closest relatives – the gorilla, including the difference between the two species, why they're endangered and conservation work.
Is there really no such thing as fish?
It's a saying you might be familiar with, particularly if you listen to the popular podcast by the QI Elves, but how true is it? Is there really no such thing as a fish?
It's home to bone-eating birds, 1.9m-long leopards, and the world's only white-clawed bears
Despite its small size, Armenia in the Southern Caucasus has a rich mix of habitats, home to an array of charismatic animals.
What's new?
Do birds have knees?
Do birds have knees? Why do they look like they are on backwards? Ben Garrod explains
Can fish actually 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
"It seems to be a lively business…" Just how do sharks mate?
Just how do sharks mate? Stuart Blackman explains
Are any animals actually bulletproof?
There are some animals, says Ellen Husain, that seem to be able to deflect bullets...
Why do only small mammals hibernate? Why can't we?
Why don't larger animals hibernate? Steve Harris explains
Amphibians
Scientists discover new frog in the Amazon’s flooded forests
A new frog species has been discovered in the seasonally flooded forests of the western Amazon.
It never grows up, is always smiling and can regrow its heart, brain and legs – meet nature’s real-life Peter Pan, almost extinct in the wild
Increasingly popular as pets thanks to their appearance in the Minecraft computer game, axolotls are Critically Endangered amphibians endemic to Mexico.
"As temperatures drop below freezing, it freezes solid, with 70% of the water in its body turning to ice. It stops breathing, its heart stops beating and its kidneys stop functioning"
This frog survives winter by spending it frozen solid - literally
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
A forgotten landscape is coming back to life – and it feels like stepping back in time
Kate Bradbury tunes into the sounds of nature at the Knepp Rewilding Project
“I could watch them forever.” This adorable clip will give your soul a boost
Puffins spend the entire winter out at sea – but visitors to their breeding colonies can watch their adorable antics during spring and summer.
Scientists have just discovered some of the world’s loudest birds – by accident
The researchers were trying to solve the mystery of why some birds are louder than others
Fish
It doesn't have any feet yet it can climb up a 120 metre high waterfall rock face – watch amazing video to see how they do it
Did you know fish can climb? Meet the amazing waterfall-climbing goby
We all know fish can swim but can they actually walk?
Some fish can 'walk' across the seabed says Laurie Jackson. Here's some of them...
"Its front teeth are sharp enough to bite through wood and bone – and bites to swimmers can result in painful wounds and even severed fingers and toes"
The silver-cheeked toadfish is making its mark in the Mediterranean, but not in a good way
Insects & Invertebrates
66 million years ago, the dinosaurs died – but ants thrived. Scientists just figured out why
An analysis of ant genomes has revealed how ants achieved species richness.
Butterflies are extremely hard to catch – and scientists just uncovered their secret weapon
Butterfly wings are not just strikingly beautiful – as it turns out, they’re also extremely useful for escaping death.
These are the most dangerous caterpillars in the world – one even contains enough venom to kill a human
Caterpillars might look like harmless, fuzzy little creatures, but some pack a surprisingly dangerous punch
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
They have enormous goggly eyes, sticky-out swivelling ears, long grippy fingers – and look like Yoda
All you ever need to know about the tarsier
Striking image of beavers in a Polish city wins 2026 Rewilding Europe award
The award is a special category in the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organised by the German Society for Nature Photography
Big cat spotted on camera trap in a Guatemalan forest. Here’s why experts are so excited
The sighting of a jaguar using a wildlife corridor may suggest that Central American populations are less fragmented than initially thought
Marine Animals
Scuba diver films group of giant 'swimming heads' in Bali
Ocean sunfish, or mola mola, have no tail fin. Instead, they steer with a thick rudder-like fringe called a clavus, which gives them their unusual appearance.
Lost pilot whales were spotted in the Thames. This is what happened next
Marine mammal experts responded to the unusual sighting and tried to encourage the pod back to the safety of deeper seas.
Deep-sea scientists discover 57 new species in a canyon nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon
This deep-sea expedition explored one of the most biologically dynamic regions in the South Atlantic.
Reptiles
Stomach, liver and intestines of 245 million year old marine reptile unearthed in Chinese mountains
This exceptionally well-preserved fossil offered researchers a goldmine of information about the animal’s digestive system.
Blind snake that looks like a massive earthworm discovered on roadside in China
Researchers found the new species of snake in a forested area near the China-Nepal border.
Watch jaw-dropping footage of a creature miraculously sprinting on water to get away from predator
By running at great speeds across water, the basilisk lizard avoids becoming prey – this BBC footage shows exactly how it does it.
