"Parts of it have so little oxygen, they are considered ‘ecologically dead.’" 10 most polluted, toxic rivers on the planet
Rivers are vital for life. They provide fresh water for drinking and food production. They are homes for wildlife, reduce the risk of flooding and help to mitigate the effects of climate change. Yet, they are under threat.
"Many animals have amazing courtship dances and this species take it a literal step further by dancing on water… 5 incredible animals that can walk on water
Meet the animals that are able to scuttle, dance or skate across water
There's something strange that's twice the size of Vatican City – and like nothing else on the planet – living in a Scottish loch
Serpulid worms are found all around the world but reefs are rare. The largest of them all is in the shallow waters of a Scottish Loch
"It looked like the beak of a Duck engrafted on the head of a quadruped." The venomous, electric, glow-in-the-dark strange creature that sweats milk.…
The animal in question also has a fleshy bill, webbed feet and sharp claws.
Nature's oddest mammals: the egg-laying mammals that blur the line with reptiles
All you need to know about monotremes, weird egg-laying mammals
Mysterious new monkey species with orange lips discovered in the Congo rainforest
Known locally as likweli, the newly described African monkey has black fur and produces loud, roar-like calls.
“Their abdomens are swollen with liquid fat.” The irresistible feast drawing grizzly bears to Montana's mountaintops
Every year, grizzlies head to the upper slopes of Glacier National Park to gorge on fat-filled moths. A new study has mapped these foraging sites to offer park managers a tool for protecting them.
Humans and starfish have something surprising in common. Here’s what we can learn from them
Humans and sea stars have something in common – here’s why it matters to scientists studying organ development
“It’s alien in every sense of the word.” In sulphuric caves too deadly for humans, living snot-like slime drips from the ceilings
In a clip from the BBC’s Wonders of the Solar System, Brian Cox visits an ‘alien’ within a cave that’s a death trap for humans
"Symptoms rapidly worsen, including nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, and can lead to death." 9 most dangerous, deadliest tick diseases for humans
Like human hitchhikers, ticks need to find the best place to get a lift. But if you pick up a tick, it could drink your blood and pass on a very unpleasant disease.
Birds
"What no one knew at the time was that many of those committed couples were, to put it anthropomorphically, lesbians…"
When males are scarce, the female Laysan albatrosses of Hawaii will partner up to raise young, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
It's one of the world's most intelligent birds - whose curiosity - & taste for meat - led the New Zealand government to encourage their mass killing
With its intelligence and almost human sense of humour, the kea is a firm favourite in New Zealand, but its appetite and curiosity can lead it into trouble.
“I was photographing seabirds on a remote island off Norway. Then a huge predator appeared from nowhere”
Wildlife photographer Josef Stefan on no-show bustards, eagle drama and a lens cap fail
“It's deadlier than cyanide and causes paralysis and death. And, unfortunately, there's no known antidote..." 8 most poisonous BIRDS on the planet
They say that you are what you eat – and these unassuming birds eat toxins like it’s nothing.
Meet the mighty, majestic Andean condor, one of the world's most powerful and impressive birds and at 15kg the heaviest bird of prey
The mighty Andean condor – the heaviest bird of prey in the world and the raptor with the longest wingspan – needs little introduction, says Mike Dilger. Learn all about them in his expert guide - including where to see them
Fierce, majestic – and built to kill – The world's biggest and mightiest birds of prey
All you need to know about the magnificent birds of prey, including the biggest in the world
How to identify wildlife
Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: Think you know how they differ? Think again as the differences between these two squirrels will surprise you
We take a look at how the red squirrel differs to its American grey cousin
Brown rat or water vole: How to tell the difference between these two lookalike-rodents
When all you've seen is a flash of brown fur, it can be hard to know whether it was a water vole or rat. Though the two species tend to live in different habitats, there are areas where they overlap, potentially leading to cases of mistaken identity. So how do you tell rats and water voles apart?
Mink or otter? What's the difference between these two slippery, semiaquatic lookalikes?
How do you tell the difference between otters and mink?
LRPs, PG Tips and Jizz: Cracking the secret language of birders
You’re sitting in a hide and overhear other birders talking. The conversation ranges from ‘LRPs’ and ‘roosting Leos’ and you scratch your chin as you try to decipher their code – welcome to the world of birding jargon.
It's the fastest animal in the world and its deadly claws can catch prey mid-air: Meet one of the world's most incredible birds of prey
Peregrines are the ultimate urban predator. Learn all about them, including how to spot them ‘stooping’ to catch prey
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Plants
Does grass scream when you mow it down?
Enjoying cutting your lawn? Next time your relish the smell of freshly cut grass remember it's a scream of distress from the plant you're mowing
"It causes rapid death in humans, with symptoms including lung collapse and brain haemorrhage"
Discover the awful symptoms of poisoning from hemlock water-dropwort, one of the most dangerous plants around
A tree that can walk? The 'walking tree' that's said to be able to move itself to a sunnier spot
There's a walking tree? Stuart Blackman investigates a tree that is said to be able to move
A giant 'horror movie' plant that can cause painful burns, eye damage and even blindness – with some effects persisting for months or years
You definitely don't want to go anywhere near this highly toxic plant. Here's what to look for and how to deal with it
