As long as a Honda Civic, this animal's torpedo-shaped body and powerful tail propel it to a blistering 70 kmh – or even more...
Did you know the fastest shark in the world can reach speeds of 70km per hour? Pretty impressive...
"It's the most sensitive (and weirdest) organ in the animal world and a formidable hunting tool. The animal sweeps it back and forth like a metal detector..."
The freakish, tentacled snout of the star-nosed mole Condylura cristata may look funny, but it’s nothing to laugh at. It could be the most skilled sniffer under the sun – even when underwater.
Australia’s earless dragon is so rare it was thought extinct, until two ecologists got an unexpected surprise...
A Critically Endangered reptile known only to occur in the grasslands around Melbourne has been spotted for the first time in more than 50 years
Scientists studied the laughter of apes – and discovered something incredibly human-like
Sound doesn’t leave a fossil record, making it difficult to trace the origins of song, speech and language – but researchers have found a way.
Watch gobsmacking footage of thousands of dolphins leaping alongside and encircling a boat...
Lots of smaller pods of dolphins all joined together to create a super pod of epic proportions
“The Natural History GCSE is happening!” TV wildlife adventurer on the new UK qualification
The Natural History GCSE will focus on wildlife, the impact of humans on the natural world and biodiversity, plus fieldwork research
It can be observed up to 300 days a year, lasts up to 10 hours and strikes 28 times a minute – and helped Venezuela gain independence
Lake Maracaibo has managed to catch lightning in a bottle – in a way.
The biggest claw on Earth is an enormous 20cm long and shaped like a scythe. What it's used for may surprise you
Bears and tigers have huge claws – but this animal's are far longer.
It looks like rotting foliage, screams when scared and has no eyelids
Meet the satanic leaf-tailed gecko – a master of disguise that blends seamlessly into leaf litter, has devilish horns and a tail that looks disturbingly decomposed.
"Hippos and crocodiles have been known to capsize boats and kill the occupants..." 10 most dangerous, deadliest swamps on the planet
They may look calm, even beautiful –but some of the world’s swamps are among the most dangerous places in the world, from snake-infested wetlands to disease-ridden marshes
Birds
What is a chicken wishbone – and why on Earth do people fight over it?
Just how useful is a wishbone to a chicken? Find out with our expert guide
These tiny birds are doubling in size on remote Scottish islands – and are on their way to “becoming a new species”
Isolated on remote Scottish islands, tiny wrens have recently been discovered to be a fascinating case of island gigantism.
Do any birds have teeth?
Why don't birds have teeth? And did they ever have teeth? Stuart Blackman explains
What's the world's biggest parrot? There are two contenders: one has a massive 1m wingspan and the other weighs a whopping 3kg
Meet two giant birds fighting for the title of world's biggest parrot.
Bat vs bird: what's the difference between these two winged animals?
What are the actual anatomical differences between bats and birds?
Why are young birds sometimes bigger than their parents?
Just why do some young birds bigger than their parents? Mike Toms explains
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 spans nearly 5 acres, grows on competitors and has a habit of strangling its host
Seeds of the banyan tree are small and unlikely to survive on the ground – but it’s found a way to thrive anyway.
One of England’s oldest trees – which loomed over the Sherwood Forest for over 1,000 years – has died. Here’s why
The tree is perhaps best known for its link to Robin Hood’s story – as legend has it, him and his Merry Men used it as shelter for years.
Experts discover ‘The Heaven Sword’ after a decade searching Taiwan’s forests – and it’s taller than a 20-story building
Researchers started out on a quest to find the island's largest tree and were amazed at what they found
This extraordinary forest below the waves is the only one of its kind – and it’s home to one of the fastest-growing organisms on Earth
Stretching along South Africa’s rugged coastline lies one of the planet’s most extraordinary yet little-known ecosystems: the Great African Sea Forest
