"It has a sharp beak designed for slicing and hunts in packs that can number thousands. Some even say that if you fell overboard it would tear you to pieces"
These demonic deep-sea creatures hunt in packs of thousands and are equipped with the perfect weapon to severe their prey’s spinal cord.
The 3-metre shark that erupts from the ocean, spinning furiously like a tornado...
These fish-eating predators catch as many prey as possible by spinning while swimming in a burst of speed, sometimes even clearing the water’s surface
A thousand toads mysteriously exploded in 2005 – and the explanation was way stranger than anyone expected
Mega volcanoes, asteroid impacts and 'the great dying' – 5 deadly mass extinctions that changed life on Earth forever
What is a mass extinction – and how many of them have there been? Will Newton takes a look the 'big five' extinction events
This tropical creature lives almost 3 times longer than expected and appears to barely age. Here’s why scientists are so excited
Insects don’t tend to live very long lives, but one tropical butterfly has found a way to stay young.
"Its toxins affect the nerves and heart and it has enough poison to kill 10 grown men"
All you ever needed to know about poison dart frogs, from why they're poisonous to where they live and what they eat
They're one of the weirdest type of animals on the planet, famous for their pouches, but what on Earth are marsupials and why do they have pouches?
Learn all about marsupials in our expert guide, including why they have pouches
Wolves, dragons and devil whales: The strange animal world of Anglo-Saxon England
We examine the clues in Anglo-Saxon literature and language to determine how they regarded different animals.
Could a human outrun a hippo? And what about in water - can a human outswim a hippo?
"They rip into the throats or bellies of their prey and hold the carcass down while stripping off chunks of flesh" 10 deadliest claws on the planet
Have you ever wondered which animal has the deadliest claws? Well, wonder no more...
Birds
“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
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
"It stands on its rock looking not so much like a streamlined submariner as an overfed blackbird"
Known in Welsh as a ‘bird of the torrent’, the dipper is the UK’s only aquatic songbird and always fascinating to watch.
Do birds pee as well as poo?
When it comes to excretions, birds do a two-for-one deal
8 astonishing close-up photos of the world’s most beautiful pheasant
Resplendent in red, gold and blue, the male of this spectacular species sports a crest like a barrister’s wig – even if it leaves him with massive blind spots
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
It might be pretty and used in jewellery, but it contains one of nature's deadliest toxins that causes vomiting, convulsions, liver failure and death
"These lethal 20cm thorns cause severe puncture wounds & painful infections." The tree that's still armed against monsters last seen 12,000 years ago
The honey locust gets its name from the sweet pulp within its fruit – but apart from that, there’s nothing sweet about this thorny tree.
It might look like an insect, but this is no insect - it's flower hell-bent on deceiving males
Have you noticed some flowers look like insects? It's all to do with sexual deception says Phil Gates
They ate this potato relative in a salad – then lost their minds for 11 days
Potatoes are a kitchen staple – but one of their botanical cousins has a much darker reputation.
