Animal Facts
Silent but deadly: Meet the animal that farts its prey to death by releasing an intoxicating cloud of gas
Can insects fart? Yes, says Ben Hoare – with occasionally deadly results
It has no scales, swims upright and grips with its tail – so why is the seahorse considered a fish?
Its upright posture, rigid body and bony armour make it look more like an insect than a fish – so what actually IS a seahorse? And what defines a true fish?
Jaw-dropping videos of a million wildebeest migrating across Africa – and the infamous Mara River crossing where hungry, deadly crocodiles await
Watch one of nature's greatest shows unfold
It moves like a cat, climbs like a primate and spends much of its time high up in trees — meet the world's weirdest dog
The bizarre fox that's loaded with quite un-fox-like adaptations for life high in the canopy.
Scientists sink cow 1,629m into South China Sea, then gigantic animal appears out of the gloom
The enormous deep-sea creature, which can grow up to seven metres in length, has never been filmed in this part of the world before.
What's new?
What’s the world’s largest cat? The answer may not surprise you but which species is it?
Th largest cat in the world weighs an impressive 300kg
10 prettiest sea animals in the world: Meet some of the most beautiful - and sparkliest - creatures in the ocean
Discover the most stunning and captivating sea creatures...
It may look adorable – with its fluffy coat, tail and feet – but don't be fooled as this ferocious predator can leap 15 meters and take down prey 3 times its size
Learn about one of the world's most elusive cats in our guide to the snow leopard, including where they live, diet and conservation.
Drone captures Greenland ice tearing open to reveal humungous animal beneath
The colossal marine creature can be seen breaking through the ice to take several breaths of air before returning to the deep.
Wild killer whales filmed offering food to humans – here's what scientists think it means
Researchers found 34 instances of killer whales approaching humans with a range of food items, including dead fish and birds, stunned stingrays and incapacitated sharks.
Amphibians
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...
Why do frogs scream?
Jules Howard discusses possible reasons frogs scream
Explorers went into Peru’s remote highlands and found peculiar big-eyed creatures hiding in the mist
The team of researchers spent several years in the Andean mountains, where they made some amazing discoveries.
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
It's as long as a football goal, has legs as thick as wrists and is able to rip monkeys from branches with deadly talons: Meet the world's most powerful bird
What are harpy eagles? Where do they live and just how big are they? Learn all about this iconic eagle in our expert guide
Strange bird from New Zealand set for rare breeding event as 'blood' tree fruits
2026 is a mast year for the rimu tree, meaning critically endangered Kākāpo are due to breed. Here's what conservationists – who say it could result in the largest haul of chicks in recent years – are doing to be ready in time.
Here's how deer meat could save Scotland's elusive capercaillie
In a new study, researchers say that 'diversionary feeding' reduces the chances of these iconic birds' eggs being eaten by predators.
Fish
It's bigger than a king-size bed and is as flat as pancake: Meet the deadly ambush predator lying in wait on the ocean floor
Our guide to the strange looking angelshark, once common in British waters.
Reef rockstars: Meet the fish that disguise themselves as rocks to ambush their prey – with deadly consequences
Nature is full of oddballs – including these peculiar-looking fish that have adapted to their environments
Cute and very shy yellow boxfish filmed pootling around a reef – and it has a friend
An underwater photographer was surprised to see the two timid creatures hanging out calmly together.
Insects & Invertebrates
It's a psychedelic fuzz of fur and spine – and a master of photonic communications like something from a sci fi movie
Nick Baker takes a look at one of the sea's strangest creatures, the sea mouse
The 7 weirdest, creepiest – and downright most devious - parasites in the world that will make your skin crawl (warning: not for the squeamish)
You might well not want to think too much about some of these...
Think flying ants are a nuisance? Think again – here's why Flying Ant Day is actually one of the UK's most remarkable natural spectacles (you might be surprised)
Flying ants are harmless to humans. In fact, their mass emergence in the middle of summer is really quite amazing. Here's why...
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Watch agonising BBC footage of an adorable baby ibex running for its life up perilous cliffs, with hungry foxes in pursuit
Ibex go to extraordinary lengths to escape red foxes
Is this the world's weirdest ocean animal? Known as unicorns of the sea they're the size of shipping containers and have a tooth two-thirds the size of their body
Discover how narwhals got their name, what is unique about their tusks, where they live and more in our expert guide
At a staggering 33 metres long (that's 33 football goals) it's not only the biggest animal in the world today, it is the biggest animal to have ever lived...
Our guide to the world's largest ever creature, the blue whale
Marine Animals
"Raw and brutal": whale watchers look on astonished as orcas kill humpback whale in South Africa
Wildlife watchers saw the circle of life at its most brutal during South Africa’s sardine run when a pod of orcas killed a young humpback whale and ate its tongue.
"Feels like magic": the mind-bending videos helping scientists understand why corals bleach
The development of a new microscope is allowing experts to see what’s going on inside corals like never before – and it might help them understand bleaching.
When this tiger shark bumped into a ray, something truly shocking happened
Scientists have observed electric rays delivering a shock to sharks to protect themselves.
Reptiles
Camera strapped to jaws of Nile crocodile – here's what it filmed
Despite their fearsome reputation, this amazing footage from inside a crocodile's mouth shows how gentle the large reptiles can be.
What's the smallest snake in the world? Clue - it's as thin as a strand of spaghetti
Stuart Blackman goes in search of the smallest snake in the world.
When cavers went into a hill in Cambodia, they found a 'night wanderer' lurking in the darkness
The small animal was one of several new species discovered during the expedition, suggesting the region could be a haven for other rare and endangered wildlife, say researchers.