Could tiny ‘backpacks’ strapped to the backs of hummingbirds help reveal the bird's secrets to scientists?
Do birds have knees? Why do they look so strange?
Do birds have knees? Why do they look like they are on backwards? Ben Garrod explains
Lemur guide: Your ultimate guide to Madagascar's unique primates - and why they could be facing extinction
Endemic to Madagascar, lemurs are a fascinating group of primates which are closely related to lorises and bush babies. They face a range of threats, and 98% are deemed to be endangered. Learn more about these lemurs in our expert guide by the Lemur Conservation Network.
How extreme cold, not heat, triggered the mass extinction 200 million years ago - paving the way for the rise of the dinosaurs...
A mass extinction that wiped out three quarters of all life on Earth just before the dinosaurs took over may have been caused by a global rapid cooling rather than a warming climate, scientists say
10 weirdest body parts: discover some of the strangest - and we mean strange - animal appendages out there
To enhance their chances of survival - and attracting the opposite sex - evolution has helped animals develop some very strange body parts
Meet nature’s deadliest sniper: This fish shoots down prey with lethally-accurate water jets from over 3 metres away
Researchers hid a load of camera traps in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. What they found was remarkable
It's the first time the tropical mountains in south-west Cambodia have been studied in this way – here's what the team discovered...
Scientists are training an army of gigantic rats in Africa to sniff out animal body parts. Here's why
The African giant pouched rats are being taught to detect elephant ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales.
Do insects have blood?
Insects don't have blood or haemoglobin like vertebrates do - so how does gas exchange occur, and what is the purpose of haemolymph?
They look as if they could just get up and scuttle away…" Glittering fossils preserved in gold reveal exciting new evolutionary clues
A new species of arthropod, distantly related to spiders and scorpions, has been discovered fossilised in fool’s gold in New York
Birds
Humboldt penguin guide: where they live, what they eat and how they got their name
Explore the lives of these fascinating creatures...
The UK's best dads and mums in the animal kingdom
The RSPB takes a look at some of the best animal parents in the UK who deserve a medal for their efforts.
Back from the dead: Scientists plot to resurrect the passenger pigeon - but should we really bring it back just because we can?
Can we - and should we - bring passenger pigeons back? Helen Pilcher investigates
32 extraordinary bird facts: Discover incredible truths from the avian world, including a bird that likes to get drunk
Impress your friends and family with your newfound bird knowledge.
What is the strongest bird in the world? Meet the avian champion weightlifters
We take a look at the world's strongest birds
Little penguin guide: how to identify, what they eat and are they really nocturnal
These pint-sized birds are full of personality...
How to identify wildlife
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Toad vs frog: How to tell the difference between a common frog and a common toad
Two of the UK's most familiar and widespread amphibian species are the common frog and the common toad, but do you know how to tell them apart?
How to identify animal droppings: Our guide to the wildlife poop you might find in your garden or out on a walk
Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. Our expert guide explains how to identify which poos belong to which species. Plus, animal droppings from species from around the world – and fungi and insects you might spot on droppings.
Swift or swallow: what's the difference between these two incredible long-distance migrants?
Know your swallows from your swifts? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
Heron vs egret: what's the difference between these two leggy, long-necked, elegant birds?
Know your herons from your egrets? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
How to identify wildlife paths and beds
Tall vegetation in midsummer makes it easy to spot the regular paths that wild animals take - and where they rested.
Plants
Forest plants are being driven westwards through Europe at 3.56 kilometres a year – by an ethereal force
A new study has revealed the surprising driving force behind the rapid migration of forest plants through Europe.
7 of the weirdest fungi in the world you (probably) haven't heard of, from the bleeding tooth to dead man's fingers
Fungi can be very strange. Here's our round-up of some of the weirdest fungi on the planet.
13 animals named after celebrities, from pop royalty to kings
One of the benefits of discovering a new species is the opportunity to name it, and many scientists have taken inspiration from popular culture. These are a few of our favourites.
Ghost hunt: astoundingly rare orchid emerges from shadows of British woodland for first time in 15 years
The rarest plant in Britain, the ghost orchid, has been found flowering for the first time since 2009.