Could there ever be a new species of human?
It’s happened before, many times, so surely it could happen again, right?
It's the size of Los Angeles and simply crawling with deadly alligators, black bears and highly venomous snakes
A shrewdness of apes, a bloat of hippos, a parliament of owls – the 30 weirdest, strangest collective nouns on the planet
Discover some of the more unusual collective nouns for different groups of animals, from ‘a bloat of hippopotamuses’ to ‘a confusion of wildebeest’.
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
6 animals that can kill a hippo – "Weighing a mighty 4500kg the hippo is a huge, dangerous animal that only the boldest predator would dare approach"
We take a look at the animals brave enough to take on the world's third-largest land mammal
How long do ants live? Some survive only days, while others can reach a staggering 7 years – yes really...
Some ants barely make it through the week—while others live long enough to outlast your pet. Here’s why their lifespans vary so wildly
"She was found severely wounded with an arrow piercing right through her hind leg"
An arrow had pierced a lion cub's leg, and without intervention, she likely wouldn’t be here today
"It looks like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. "8 weirdest, most peculiar (and most wonderful) primates on the planet
From the guttural scream of the howler monkey to the ever-growing rat-like teeth of the aye-aye, the primate world is full of weird and wonderful creatures
Hyena with zebra head in jaws among 14 powerful images from close-up photo challenge
See striking photos from Close-up Photographers of the Year’s ‘Death & Decay’ challenge
“Faced with a rugby scrum of suitors, females have little choice over who to mate with.” Here’s why these weird frogs suddenly turn blue
For a short spell in spring, these male amphibians are suddenly and vividly transformed
Birds
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
It's the size of a teaspoon, mates for life with their forever partner and lives in a tight-knit village of 50
Discover fascinating facts about the tree sparrow
How do birds sleep? Can they sleep when flying? And why don't they fall out of trees when asleep?
How do birds sleep? Can they sleep when flying? And how do they sleep in trees without falling out? A lot depends on the species.
"Its iridescent green head and wings, spiky crest, blood-red breast, and flamboyant twin tail plumes, is like a carnival dancer." In the forests of Guatemala lives an elusive creature few will ever 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
“I’m awoken by a rumble and look across the Danube to see smoke rising.” These predators are reclaiming their home in the middle of a warzone
Eagle owls were once heavily persecuted. But thanks to a new initiative, these magnificent birds are reclaiming a wetland home
Great crested grebe seen drowning and eating chiffchaffs in Spain
Birdwatcher and photographer Juan Montiel captured the unusual grebe behaviour on camera.
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 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.
It's famous as one of the world’s deadliest flowers – but it became a miracle treatment that changed medicine forever
How one plant revolutionised heart treatment after one curious doctor tested it on himself.
"There wasn't a curve in sight." Straight bananas found growing on remote Caribbean island
Is it the end of the bendy banana?
Stunning wildflower 'superbloom' sweeps through Death Valley. It's the best display in a decade
The hottest place on the planet has transformed into a sea of colour, as desert gold and notch-leaf phacelia flowers fill the valley floor.
