Animal Facts
AI is being used to save pygmy seahorses and whale sharks in Papua New Guinea's Coral Triangle
Papua New Guinea’s Naomi Longa has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for leading an all-female team of conservationists to monitor and manage coral reefs in Kimbe Bay.
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.
Endangered monkeys are raiding farms in the Eastern Himalayas. "Building harmony" is the solution, says wildlife biologist
Bhutan’s Kuenzang Dorji has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for his solutions to protect golden langur monkeys in Bhutan.
Cameroon's manatees were suffocating beneath a blanket of deadly weed, before a troop of weevils was sent in to save them
Cameroon’s Aristide Kamla has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for his work to save African manatee habitat from an invasive species.
Canopy bridges are saving endangered wildlife in the Amazon rainforest. Here's how
Led by Fernanda Abra, conservationists are building low-cost canopy bridges in Brazil's rainforest to protect tree-dwelling mammals from road accidents.
What's new?
Why don't humans have fur?
Wondering why humans don't have fur? We take a look at the various theories
Can wild animals survive a broken bone?
A broken bone does not necessarily mean life over for a wild animal, says Ben Garrod
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
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
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
Amphibians
8 weirdest frogs, from ultrasonic screamers to the bizarrely hairy
Discover the weird and wonderful oddballs from the world of frogs
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
The olm: meet the 'human fish', a blind cave-dwelling predator that lives to 100
Journey deep beneath the ground in search of one of the world's weirdest creatures – the olm, a cave-inhabiting 'dragon' that is as elusive as it is peculiar.
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 strange-looking bird making a spectacular recovery amid the skyscrapers of Singapore
We uncover the unique harmony between urban life and wildlife conservation in one of Asia's bustling cities
How do flocks of birds fly so close together without colliding? The mystery explained
Fascinated by the closely co-ordinated manoeuvres of starling flocks and other birds? Phil Gates takes a look at how birds are able to synchronise so precisely - and avoid crashing
How long do birds live?
Just how long do birds live? Stuart Blackman takes a look at the lifespan of birds
Fish
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...
Meet the very weird Pacific barreleye fish, which is famed for its see-through skull
With its see-through head, the Pacific barreleye fish is one of the weirdest fish in the ocean. Learn all about it in this expert guide from Dave Brian Butvill
Venomous lionfish are invading the Mediterranean Sea. The rise of these deadly predators has scientists worried
The species’ rapid spread across the Mediterranean, including to habitats previously thought to be unsuitable, could have significant ecological impacts.
Insects & Invertebrates
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.
Discover the flatworm that can survive being sliced up by a knife
Nick Baker explores the bizarre life of a freshwater flatworm
Mammals
Fascinating facts about our warm blooded friends - the mammals.
Incredible survival story: Meet the three-legged lioness who defied death after getting caught in a poacher's snare 8 years ago
Seven years ago, a poacher’s snare robbed a lioness of her leg. Against the odds, she lives on in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Mike Dexter goes in search of her
A cougar-like predator is attacking lemurs in Madagascar. Both are in jeopardy and scientists don't know what to do
New evidence of the critically endangered diademed sifaka lemur being targeted by the vulnerable fossa is presenting conservationists with a tricky problem.
A zookeeper visited a former penal colony in Australia only to find it overrun with adorable wombats
A convict settlement in a past life, Maria Island is now a sanctuary for endangered species. Ross Gurden heads there in search of wombats
Marine Animals
Spellbinding footage captures critically endangered whale with her baby off the New England coast
There are around 360 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, so every calf is precious.
There's a flying squid? Yes some squid really can fly - Here's how and why
Can squid really fly? Yes, says David Brian Butvill, there are a few squid species that can get airborne... Here's how and why
Monstrous prehistoric salmon with teeth like warthog tusks once roamed the Pacific Ocean
Palaeontologists believe the teeth of the giant fish – which was almost three metres long – may have been used for fighting and digging nests.
Reptiles
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.
How the devilish water snake, Erpeton tentaculatum, frightens its prey right into its mouth - in less than 0.02 seconds
South-East Asia's tentacled snake Erpeton tentaculatum must be a frightening sight - for fish