"It has five limbs covered in hundreds of hydraulic, rubbery feet and no head – or even a defined front, back, left or right" – what on Earth are echinoderms?
Stuart Blackman explains all you need to know about echinoderms and how they evolved
"While all insects could be called creepy-crawlies, not all creepy-crawlies are insects." What are insects? And just how many insects are there in the world?
What are insects? And how many species of insects are there? Stuart Blackman explains
"One bite contains enough venom to kill at least 100 adult humans" 13 deadliest, most venomous, snakes on the planet
Snake bites constitute a major cause of animal-related deaths, with the WHO describing it as a “a neglected public health issue”. Here is our list of the deadliest snakes with bites that can kill...
The wildlife traveller's calendar: Plan your year around these wildlife spectacles
Seek wildlife holiday inspiration with this month-by-month travel calendar
“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
“It’s so dry that NASA has used parts of it to test Mars rovers.” 6 extreme places on Earth where you can still find life
Unusual lifeforms can still be found in the most unexpected (and extreme) environments, from the driest deserts to boiling deep-sea vents
Could a human have a blood transfusion from a chimpanzee?
If animals have different blood types, then can they be used in blood transfusions?
It’s a slimy, prehistoric, grisly parasite with the mouth of an alien. And two fearless photographers are obsessed with finding it
The sea lamprey is not a creature with mass appeal, yet there is something about this ancient and mysterious eel-like fish and its extraordinary life-cycle that fascinates photographers Sébastien Barrio and Aurore Barrio.
"They were inseparable, much like human couples in the throes of passion, sharing every moment together." 7 most romantic, loved-up, animals on the planet
Whether they're offering gifts, courting for weeks or dying during sex, these are the romantic animal species doing courtship right
For 50 years, there have been rumours of these fish climbing waterfalls. Scientists just filmed them doing it for the first time
Remarkable footage shows hundreds of shellear fish scrambling up Luvilombo Falls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Birds
Great crested grebe seen drowning and eating chiffchaffs in Spain
Birdwatcher and photographer Juan Montiel captured the unusual grebe behaviour on camera.
It's as big as a Ford Fiesta, as heavy as a polar bear and can contain more than 200 ‘apartments'
Their nests are not only as large as a car, but often built in the weirdest of places...
"They can stand up to 9 feet tall and weigh over a whopping 24 stone." 11 bonkers, rule-breaking birds that can't fly
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
“The ejaculation helmet was born.” Researchers built a “hat of condoms” in bid to save world’s heaviest parrot
A YouTube video of Sirocco the kākāpō attempting to mate with a human's head has been viewed millions of times – but he's since become a global icon representing New Zealand's endangered species
“At the height of the breeding season, the males perform this routine in sessions lasting three or four hours.”
The courtship displays of this game bird bring a flurry of flamboyance to its monotonous prairie home
Ginormous king penguin colony filmed on remote Atlantic island. The sound of it is ear-splitting
Listen to the remarkable sound of thousands of penguins calling to each other in South Georgia.
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
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Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Plants
"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.
Do plants sleep?
When the sun goes down, some flowers appear to tuck themselves in for the night.
But this curious habit is actually driven by a fascinating piece of plant science.
“These beacons of light in the mud do so much more than promise us brighter days ahead.”
The first signs of spring aren’t just beautiful – they’re essential to awakening wildlife, too
