Catherine Mossop
Production editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine
Catherine Mossop is a freelance writer and editor, and former Production Editor at BBC Wildlife. She lives in Bath and when not working with words, she enjoys spotting wildlife in local parks with her young daughter or pottering in the garden.
Recent articles by Catherine Mossop
It might look like a harmless twig, but it’s anything but… "Its venom affects blood clotting and can cause severe bleeding. There is no antivenom."
“It screams, chatters and whistles”. It might look like a dog but it definitely doesn't sound like a dog with its freaky, spine-tingling vocals…
Here's why the dhole is called the 'whistling dog', and everything else you need to know about the species
It has piercing blue-grey eyes, a 2m wingspan, a spectacular shaggy crest – and is powerful enough to take monkeys in its deadly talons
Forest degradation has been catastrophic to the notorious Philippine eagle
Perfectly camouflaged as it slips through the forest at twilight, this little-seen, mysterious, ambush predator climbs like a cat and swims like an otter
With its liquid movement and striking dappled coat, the ocelot must surely rank as one of the most alluring wild cats on the planet.
It sings like a whale, climbs like a cat and was once thought extinct… meet one of the world’s strangest dogs
Fox-faced and wonderfully flexible, the New Guinea singing dog or ‘singer’ is named after its extraordinary rising and falling howl, which has been likened to a yodel or even whale song
It looks like something from science fiction, has a 1m leg-span, can pinch with the force of a gorilla's bite and – terrifyingly – can climb trees…
It barks like a dog and howls like a human – and is a silent, deadly hunter
Meet the very aptly-named barking owl
It looks like something from another planet, eats with a beak and spits out every bite – and has teeth in its throat… nature doesn't get much stranger
Sunfish can grow more than three metres long and weigh almost 3,000 kilos
With deadly talons the size of a human hand and a prehistoric-looking beak, this is one of nature's most terrifying giants, able to reach speeds of 100mph
Meet the Steller’s sea eagle, the colossal bird built for ice, salmon and storms
"Its staring yellow eyes and enormous, downturned frog-like mouth give it an expression of permanent disapproval…"
It might look like an owl, but this is no owl…
It might be called a fox, look like a fox and act like a fox - but don't be fooled, this is no fox
"It has a reputation for cunning, opportunism and haunting twilight calls..." Does this wild dog really deserve its bad reputation?
All you ever needed to know about the jackal
"One individual can consume as many as 300,000 in a night..." It might be called a wolf but this is no wolf...
All you ever needed to know about the aardwolf
It looks like a wolf, acts like a wolf – but don't be fooled this is no wolf...
All you ever needed to know about the coyote
"They hide close to where you sleep and feed when the opportunity arises. Once it reaches skin, it uses piercing, sucking mouthparts to draw blood"
All you ever needed to know about the infamous bed bug
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
It might look like a rabbit and act like a rabbit, but this is no rabbit – OR even a hare, instead it's something far more peculiar...
All you ever needed to know about the bizarre viscacha
"They act as a temporary living drain, keeping the skin tissue alive..."
We take a look at why leeches are back in fashion...
The world's smallest penis will surprise you: "Evolution didn't forget to finish the job. Bigger is only better when bigger helps..."
Which animal has the smallest penis? We investigate...
"The real danger comes when they horrifyingly attach INSIDE your body..."
Leeches are famous for drinking blood – and being used in medicine. But can these slippery little vampires ever be deadly?
Heatwaves may be leaving a generation infertile – and ruining sex lives
New research suggests that extreme heat can damage the future fertility of solitary bees
"It has incredibly potent venom, causing catastrophic internal bleeding and horrifying consequences – with the body coming apart from within."
“Bleeding from the inside out”: the boomslang’s lethal venom makes it one of Africa’s most dangerous snakes
Not a wild dog, not a tame wolf: just what exactly is a wolfdog?
All you ever needed to know about the wolfdog
"Its venom disrupts the blood-clotting system, causing haemorrhage and kidney failure. Without prompt treatment bites can be fatal..."
Inconspicuous, quick to anger and armed with potent venom, the saw-scaled viper is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.
