Charlie Lyon
Charlie is a freelance contributor who is passionate about the countryside, wildlife and environmental matters
Recent articles by Charlie Lyon
After nuclear disaster, sunflowers were planted. And they could transform the landscape in a very interesting way
From golden fields to buzzing pollinators, the sunflower is more than just a pretty face – it’s a powerhouse of nature that could help clean nuclear pollution
Sharp fangs, black eyes, translucent skin: The world's top 10 scariest-looking animals look like they've been dragged back from the dead
These creatures will have you squirming.
11 ferocious big cat photos that reveal the savage strength of these ruthless, brutal apex predators
These incredible images are raw and powerful.
Watch heart-stopping footage of desperate flying foxes dodging deadly, monstrous crocodiles to collect water from a predator-infested river
This incredible BBC Earth footage shows the aerial agility of the mega bat and the ambush tactics of the freshwater crocodile
5 giants of the sky: Discover the birds with the biggest, most enormous wingspans – including one as long as a car
Meet the wandering albatross, whose wingspan is roughly the length of a Fiat 500, and four more feathered titans
Watch hungry gannets performing death-defying, perilous dives at breakneck speeds to catch food – where one small mistake can lead to death
This amazing filming shows the bravery and agility of female gannets
This prehistoric arachnid monster was the size of a house cat with a deadly sting in its tail...
You wouldn't want to come across one of these in the woods
10 weirdest toilet habits in the animal kingdom – including stacking poop, eating it for breakfast and peeing out your mouth
Wild, weird and seriously messy animal bathroom habits
Who thinks of these? 11 animals with the weirdest, bizarrest names, including chicken turtle, sarcastic fringehead and even a striped pyjama squid
32 staggering crocodile facts: Amazing truths about one of the deadliest – and oldest – predators on the planet, including their rather tender mating strategy...
Watch dramatic BBC footage shows desperate, ravenous leopard mother risking death for her cubs, high in the treetops
This incredible BBC Earth footage shows the power and agility of the African leopard
10 biggest reptiles on the planet, from giant turtles the size of cars to snakes as long as double decker buses
Explore fascinating facts about the jaw-dropping sizes of these reptilian giants
Post-kill polar bear among 20 epic images from Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
We reveal the incredible winning and runner up images in this nature photography competition
Purple is nature's rarest colour but purple animals do exist: Meet 9 beautiful, incredible purple animals that look like they've been painted
Are these the world's best, most outrageous, moustaches? 8 animals with a better facial fuzz than yours
Check out these brilliantly bristly animals that use their moustaches and beards for all manner of tasks, from foraging for food on dark ocean floors to spreading scent to attract mates
Do these male animals have the worst lives on the planet? 10 doomed males – screwed by evolution – destined to live brutal, short and unforgiving lives
These unlucky lads of the animal kingdom seriously got the short end of the stick
Why one cunning plant stinks of dying ants
Japanese botanists says it's the first example ever recorded of plants copying ants in the name of pollination
How stress makes koalas more at risk from a fatal STD
A new study has revealed that stress in koalas appears to drive up koala retrovirus levels, leaving them more vulnerable to chlamydia, which causes blindness, infertility and death
Canada's wildlife, from mammals to reptiles, in devastating decline and fighting for survival, say experts
A new report from World Wildlife Fund Canada paints a grim picture, detailing widespread population declines across bird, fish and mammals and more
It may look like a wolf, but don't be fooled. DNA of Darwin's Falkland Islands wolf reveals a far stranger truth
The Falkland Islands wolf didn’t seem to fear humans, Darwin recorded, but that’s because it was a domesticated South American fox species
A turquoise jay? Oh yes... ultra rare and weird bird spotted in Texas – and scientists blame climate change for its existence
Researchers believe that the natural hybrid offspring of a green jay and a blue jay, which are different species separated by millions of years of evolution, has been created by climate-driven shifts in the birds’ ranges
10 rarest shells on the planet, from a gigantic deep-sea snail the size of a shoe box to a bizarre comb-shaped shell with delicate prongs
We take a closer look at the world of ultra-rare shells – where the molluscs that create them live and why they're so hard to find
10 most beautiful snakes in the world – from sunshine-coloured vipers with beguiling eyelashes to monochrome marvels of the sea
Snakes get a bad rep, but these top 10 species prove they are some of the most enchanting animals in the world
Big cat vs small cat: what's the difference between these furry felines?
What's the difference between a big cat and a small cat? We look at what truly separates big cats from their smaller cousins