Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
What's the difference between humans and apes? And when did humans first appear?
We may be part of the same overarching group as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, but there are lots of things that set us apart from these other great apes…
"Domestication proper came much later, in Egypt about 4,000 years ago." How we domesticated the cat
Our relationship with the African wildcat is ancient, but our attitudes to its domesticated descendants, the pet cat,have been in constant flux.
It has the legs of a supermodel, can run at 40mph and leap 3m high – yet is just 50cm tall. Meet one of the world's weirdest, yet most beautiful, cats
Meet the beautiful serval cat, a leggy wild cat that roams sub-Saharan Africa
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"They're more closely related to woolly mammoths than they are to African elephants…" Just how different are African, forest and Asian elephants?
These huge creatures are far more different than you might think
“It’s an effective ambush. If not impaled, the wounded animal tries to flee but is promptly grabbed by its assailant and swiftly chomped, head first.”
In south-eastern Senegal live female chimps that use spears to prize slumbering bush babies from tree cavities, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.
"She repeatedly kicked his head to prevent an attack." Kick-ass female zebra saves foal from infanticidal male
New research is uncovering the matriarchal secrets of zebras – including unprecedented behaviour, says Lucy Cooke
Just how many species of human have there been?
We aren’t the only humans to have called Earth ‘home’; before us there were dozens of human species and like us they travelled far and wide…
Think you know your family? Well, think again. You might call yourself a Jones or a Patel, but at heart you're a great ape
Learn all about great apes in this expert guide from Nakedi Maputla from African Wildlife Foundation
Why can't polar bears live in Antarctica?
Yes polar bears could live in Antarctica, but the results would be disastrous...
I woke up to a bear cub pulling at my sleeping bag – and then its mother and sister arrived...
Wildlife photographer Danny Green talks sinking ships and battles for sleeping bags
"He was grabbed by its powerful forelimbs. In the ensuing ‘embrace’ he suffered multiple puncture wounds from its razor-sharp foreclaws"
Can you be hugged to death by an anteater?
"It's a 10kg powerhouse of compact muscle and fur that resembles a pit bull on steroids, with a growl to match"
What is a Tasmanian devil? How big are they and what do they eat? Learn all about the cute but devilish Tasmanian devil in our expert guide
"They're fast swimmers and can use their trunks as a snorkel, however they mostly swim doggy paddle with their heads out of the water."
Tapirs are rather unusual-looking mammals, and they are absolutely amazing creatures.
"Awww! Look how cute! They made a little ball!" Scientists view rare example of wild animals making objects simply for a fun kickabout
Rare leopard cat photographed on remote Japanese island. Its "unusual" tail sparked a search for answers
The critically endangered Tsushima leopard cat had an abnormally short tail – a characteristic that had never been recorded in the species before – and researchers wanted to find out why.
It contains some of the world’s deadliest animals, from snakes to crocodiles – so why does Australia have so much dangerous wildlife?
Is the wildlife really more deadly 'down under'? Helen Pilcher takes a look at why Australia has so many dangerous animals
Fat Bear Week 2026: dates, voting – and why everyone is so obsessed with it
For one week each September, Alaskan bears battle it out to be crowned the girthiest grizzly – but why?
Meet the deadliest rat on the planet – it contains enough poison to kill an elephant
Predators beware! The world’s deadliest rat carries enough toxin to kill an elephant
"They hide in the nooks and crannies of our beds, then come out at night to slurp up our blood like a smoothie…" 8 animals that could be in your bed
We like to think that we choose who we share our bedrooms with, yet sometimes, mother nature has other ideas.
Why the RAF parachuted cats into Borneo’s mountains – the bizarre true story
Operation Cat Drop is the cautionary tale of when domestic felines were parachuted into villages to
control a growing pest problem in Borneo
“I repeatedly observed lions tracking hyenas.” GPS collars reveal secrets of fierce carnivore rivalry
A study in Southern Africa has revealed surprising data about how lions and spotted hyenas interact.
Its top speed is 50 miles per hour, it's constantly on the move and takes part in one of the greatest spectacles on the planet
Wildebeest are some of the most important and impressive animals on the African savanna. From mass migrations and group defence tactics to mysterious female horns, here’s what makes these large antelopes truly remarkable
Scientists spent 22,000 hours watching black bears hibernating in Virginia. Here's what they learnt
As temperatures rise due to climate change, bears may be more active during times where they were traditionally hibernating – and this change in behaviour could drive bears to seek out food in human-inhabited areas, according to a new study.
North American beaver vs Eurasian beaver: what's the difference between these two huge rodents?
Separated by thousands of miles, North American and Eurasian beavers have distinct differences – right down to the way they engineer their dams
