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This lethal, hairy assassin has a 7cm leg span and is capable of snatching small fish from the water
The raft spider is one of Britain’s biggest arachnids.

“They simply moved in.” Thousands of tiny falcons are taking over this ancient Italian city
Thousands of lesser kestrels have been living in and around the ancient Italian city of Matera for centuries

It’s the fastest animal on Earth and ruthlessly kills prey in mid-air – and it’s taking over London’s skyscrapers
The fastest animal on Earth is proliferating
among the skyscrapers of central London
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“They produce 7 tonnes of guano – nightly”: Romans in biohazard suits are facing a relentless rain of oily poop. Here’s what’s going on
Millions of starlings descend upon Rome every year, creating spectacular murmurations – and a mess

“These parrot apartment blocks can be the size of a small car” – and they’re causing chaos in a city near you
The monk parakeet has been a colourful, not to mention noisy, addition to the cityscapes of Madrid

“A smaller crab will be swallowed whole – a bigger one will be torn apart”
In footage captured for the BBC’s Blue Planet II, shore crabs face waters riddled with deadly predators

“They stick out like a sore thumb.” This clown-like bird has really weird feet – and here’s why
There’s a lot more to these quirky seabirds than their eye-catching limbs

The Ohio River is full of tiny monsters that “resemble a vicious Pac-Man”
The larvae of this freshwater mollusc hitch a ride – in a fish’s gills

A leopard that can kill animals 3 times its weight and an eagle the size of a door – meet 10 most dangerous, deadliest animals in the Himalayas
This vast mountain range is home to some extraordinary animal species – here are 10 of the most dangerous

Deep sea robot discovered something huge and truly incredible thousands of metres down in the Indian Ocean – something strange the length of Finland...
The 5.3-million-year-old ‘whale graveyard’ extends for more than one thousand kilometres and supports entire ocean communities

Known as the world's grumpiest cat, it's a few cm shorter than a bowling pin and has such a sour face it could curdle milk
Facts about one of the smallest wild felines in the world – the Pallas cat – including where it is from and how it survives in cold environments

Should the Tasmanian tiger live again? Why bringing back the extinct thylacine COULD be a game-changer
What would happen if the thylacine returned as Tasmania's apex predator? Helen Pilcher takes a look

This bizarre marine creature breathes air, goes four years between meals and cocoons itself in its own mucus
What's the longest a fish can go without eating?

Everything you need to know about kingfishers
All you need to know about the common kingfisher

“After four short hours hiking its ancient forest, we’d decided to move to the Scottish Highlands”
Kate Bradbury on rewildling efforts in the Caledonian forest

How maggots are able to help solve crimes
Did you know maggots can help solve crime - and even murders? Erica McAlister explains how

What happens when a fly lands on your food? It’s not so much about the fly as where it's been... (poop!)
The time a fly spends stomping around your meal increases the associated health risks, so the natural instinct to swat it away immediately is right on the money.

“I’ve never met a good-tempered walrus, they’re always grumpy!” Wildlife filmmaker Doug Allan on filming in the Arctic and working with Attenborough
In an interview originally published in October 2019, BBC filmmaker Doug Allan reflects on an extraordinary encounter with a narwhal and his funniest shoot

"The world has used me ill … these men of learning have sucked my brains..."
Despite her incredible discoveries she never received the full recognition she deserved.

Imagine if dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct. Here's what scientists think may have happened next
66 million years ago, a city-sized asteroid hurtled toward Earth – then sailed straight past…

"Mothers are known to eat their own newborn babies..." 11 gruesome, grisly cannibal animals that feast on their own kind – you won't believe number 3
It may seem gruesome, but many animals have been recorded feeding on their own species. Here are 11 cannibalistic animals, including some that might surprise you.

“These tiny worms only sleep for perhaps 12 hours across their lifespan, in naps spaced out across their larval development”
Research has shown that all animals – even those without a nervous system – require some sort of rest. Which of them require the least amount of sleep to function?

10 deadliest, most ruthless, savage primates on the planet – "Their hunting expeditions involve intelligence, cooperation and utterly brutal violence."
From stealthy forest hunters to fiercely territorial fighters, some primates possess a surprisingly deadly edge – combining strength, aggression and unpredictability

Fungi vs plants: what’s the difference?
Fungi were grouped with plants by early taxonomists. While the two kingdoms share some superficial similarities, modern analysis has shown them to be incredibly different.
