Animal Facts
Is it just parrots that can talk, or can other birds talk too?
It's not just parrots that can talk, says Stuart Blackman, other bird species can copy the human voice too
Do birds mate for life? Discover just how faithful they really are
Birds are often famed for being monogamous, but all might not be as it seems says Tim Birkhead, as he explores how faithful they really are
Cicadas are coming: scientists to bring singing bug back to Britain
Conservationists announce plan to reintroduce species once found across the New Forest but not seen in the UK since the 1990s.
Why are walruses so chubby? Just how fat are they? The secret behind their flabby obese look
Just why do walruses look so flabby - and lumbering on land? Stuart Blackman takes a look
Do animals owe their existence to a weird and freakish magnetic field collapse millions of years ago? Scientists think so...
Evidence suggests a weak magnetic field millions of years ago may have fuelled the emergence of animals
What's new?
Mini backpacks on giant hummingbirds? Wacky scientific experiment leads to two astonishing discoveries
An unusual scientific study has revealed the extraordinary journey giant hummingbirds take – and led to the discovery of an entirely new species hiding in plain sight.
Translocation of 2,000 rhinos in Africa gets underway in “one of the most audacious conservation efforts of modern times”
The 10-year project gets underway with the translocation of 40 southern white rhinos in South Africa.
10 flightless birds: Meet some curious - and often strange - land-based avian wonders
There are some birds that can't take to the sky, despite having wings. Discover 10 curious and wonderful birds that have lost the ability to fly
Blood squirting lizard one of world's weirdest: Discover the strange lizard who can self-inflate to twice its size and shoot toxic blood from its eyes
Also known as the horny toad, the North American horned lizard has an impressive arsenal of novel, powerful - and frankly weird - defences says Alex Morss
Majestic mountain ibex among winners in GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2024 members' competition
20 breathtaking images from this year's GDT Nature Photographer of the Year members' competition, including a stoic Alpine ibex, a wave-riding penguin and a bewitching winter woodland.
Amphibians
9 weirdest frogs, from ultrasonic screamers to the bizarrely hairy. There's even a frog that can fly...
Discover the weird and wonderful oddballs from the world of frogs
There's a bizarre frog in the Amazon rainforest that screams at predators to scare them away. Listen, if you dare…
Ecologists think the clay robber frog's ultrasonic call causes shock and pain to a potential predator, or maybe even attracts a bigger predator, so that the current threat runs away.
Hairy frog: Why does the weird Trichobatrachus robustus frog develop hair?
Did you know there's a hairy frog with sharp claws? Meet the hairy Trichobatrachus robustus
Animal ID
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.
How to identify baby birds
Identify common baby birds with this handy chart
Woodpeckers of the UK
Meet the four woodpecker species that can be found in the UK.
Birds
Meet the mighty Andean condor, one of the world's most impressive birds and 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
Hargila Army: how 10,000 women saved India's rarest stork
Led by Dr Purnima Devi Barman, the 'Hargila Army' or 'Stork Sisters' movement rescued the greater adjutant stork from the brink of extinction. Presented with the 2024 Whitley Gold Award, Barman now plans to double her force.
High in the cloud forests of Guatemala lives the elusive quetzal, a breathtaking bird that few will see
Guatemala's national bird is one of the hidden gems of Central America. Read the story of one woman's quest to track it down in the cloud forest
Fish
Critically endangered fish with red hands and 'sad toad face' returned to the wild in Tasmania
18 critically endangered red handfish have been released back into the wild after being taken into captivity to protect them from marine heatwaves.
Weirdest fish: 13 of the strangest fish in the world
Our seas are brimming with strange and wonderful creatures. Meet 13 of the weirdest fish in the world, which sport everything from super-long noses to golfball heads
How long can a fish live out of water? Meet the strange mangrove rivulus fish who can survive in logs when the water dries up
The amount of time a fish can survive out of water depends on the type of fish, and there is one species that is particularly adept...
Insects & Invertebrates
Why do we say 'bees knees' - and for that matter do bees even have knees?
Just where did the saying 'bees knees' come from? And why do we say it? Richard Jones investigates
Are insects more active in the day or night? Scientists may finally have the answer
After observing more than three million insects, scientists in Australia have "a definitive answer to the age-old question of whether there are more insects out at night or in the day”. So, which is it?
Caterpillars are insects but have more than six legs. Here’s why
Discover the evolutionary marvels that contribute to a caterpillar's unique locomotion and survival strategies.
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
DNA confirms there IS a big cat roaming the British countryside
Could this be conclusive evidence that proves there are big cats roaming the British countryside?
Meet the chubby Alpine marmot, Europe's adorable mountain dweller
Learn all about the charismatic Alpine marmot, from where they live to how they communicate danger
Malaysia to gift orangutans to countries that buy its palm oil
The 'orangutan diplomacy' scheme will see Malaysia's great apes offered in exchange for trade.
Marine Animals
Japan to start killing fin whales
Five years after the country resumed commercial whaling, it has announced it will hunt vulnerable fin whales.
Whales have their own alphabet, challenging the view that complex communication is unique to humans, finds new study
Researchers have used machine learning to decode sperm whale vocalisations and define a phonetic alphabet for the species.
“It’s one of those moments where you see the full circle of life on the reef." Baby orca stuns Aussie pilot
See a pilot’s-eye-view of a rare baby orca in Western Australia – it’s believed to be the first calf born in the area in three years.
Reptiles
How some lizards breathe underwater: discover the anole with a bubble-blowing superpower that enables it to breathe underwater and evade danger
Discover the riparian reptile that evades danger by blowing bubbles.
Discover the feared - and rare -Gila monster, a venomous reptile that can deliver an agonising bite
Jo Price explains all you need to know about the Gila monster, including how its venom has helped save lives
Largest snake to ever live discovered in an Indian mine
Scientists in India have discovered the remains of an ancient snake species which may have reached lengths of up to 15 metres, according to a new study.