“Rearing up, each reveals its two-pronged penis.” Meet the creature that fences with an unusual body part
The animal kingdom is full of bizarre mating rituals – and one of the oddest must surely be the Persian carpet flatworm
It can be seen from space, is the size of Morocco and home to animals found nowhere else on Earth
5.5 million bees found beneath New York State cemetery. It's one of the largest populations ever recorded
Millions of mining bees are living in the soil of Ithaca's East Lawn Cemetery, new study finds
A 'vampire' deer, the grumpiest cat, a bearded vulture – meet Mongolia's strangest animals
Cazenove+loyd's private expeditions can help you see the world's most elusive creatures
Fungi may survive extreme conditions of Mars and space, say scientists
New study suggests microbes could survive the long trip to Mars
Just how many species are there? Millions if you count animals, plants and fungi... Here's an estimated guess...
Just how many different species are there? To date nobody has a precise answer - but it doesn't stop scientists trying to work it out...
Which animal has the biggest testicles? Clue... "They're an impressive 14% of its body mass. Imagine if a human's were 14% of its body mass…"
Karim Vahed takes a look at which species has the biggest testicles
Huge manta ray spotted with chunk of body missing. Divers think they know what caused it
Manta rays can sometimes heal from injuries such as shark bites but more serious wounds can be fatal.
How many ways can evolution happen?
Evolution isn’t a single, straightforward process – it works in several distinct ways. From species splitting apart over time to unrelated animals developing similar traits, these patterns reveal how life adapts and changes.
"Giving birth through their narrow clitoris, a female has a birth canal of only about one inch across, making it both painful and risky." 10 craziest animal births ever...
From mouth-brooding fish to tadpoles bursting through their mother’s back, the animal kingdom has some bizarre birth stories
Birds
"The only way a female avoids starvation is by being fed by males hoping to mate with her. Females might have up to five males in attendance..."
Often male birds are more colourful than their female counterparts, but the ecelctus parrot bucks the trend, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
Crow vs raven: what's the difference between these two very similar-looking black birds?
Don't know how to tell a crow from a raven? Stuart Blackman explains how to tell the difference between these two common corvids
What's the slowest bird on the planet? Clue – it's also a pretty slow walker and fairly dumpy...
Contenders, ready! Stuart Blackman ponders which bird would win the slow race of the skies
Oregon’s biggest city was drowning in crow poop. Then a new predator came to town
As thousands of crows darken the winter skies above Portland, Oregon, it makes sense to mind your step
“An entire colony of breeding penguins disappeared.” Bird flu is out of control – now it’s reached the Antarctic
The spread of avian flu to Southern Ocean islands is an alarming sign that the virus is out of control
A great predator has returned the towering cliffs of Yosemite National Park
New peregrine nest sites herald a record-breaking year for the world’s fastest bird.
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 rains poison, blinds on contact – and its fruit could kill: Inside the ‘Tree of Death'
"The ghostly trunks of a vast forest, submerged for tens of thousands of years, rose out of the sediment. These mighty trees had lived for hundreds of years before their watery grave"
The mystery of 60,000-year-old trees that still smell like fresh incense
"It explodes with a loud bang, flinging toxic seeds at speeds of up to 150MPH." 8 weirdest, wackiest trees on the planet, including one that walks...
Meet some of the weirdest and oddest trees on the planet
"It looks like an extra-terrestrial being that fell to Earth and behaves like a subterranean vampire." 10 weirdest, wackiest plants on the planet...
Meet some of the weirdest and oddest plants on Earth.
