Environment

Deep in the New Mexico desert lies a hidden kingdom of 119 ancient caves – home to aerial hunters that catch prey at 60mph
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in the US state of New Mexico is home to a whole host of eye-catching animals – including thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats.

"Within minutes, the asteroid created a 1.5 km curtain of rock that collapsed into the North Sea, creating a tsunami taller than Big Ben"
Did a huge asteroid really strike the North Sea millions of years ago?

"It's claimed there's one deadly snake for every square metre..." World's 6 weirdest islands, from lethal snake island to the bizarre swimming pig isle
From venomous snake-infested rocks to islands full of swimming pigs, the world is home to some seriously strange places
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Microplastics found in testicles, kidneys, livers, placentas, and even a toddler's poo... how worried should we be?
Are microplastics actually in our brains, and how worried should we be about it?

"He described animals swallowing 94°C water and cooking from the inside out, boiled alive, before being able to escape." 10 deadliest rivers in the world
You don't want total a dip in these rivers

“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.

"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
"If the ‘gators don’t get you, the algae just might..." 10 most dangerous, deadliest lakes on the planet, including one that turns animals to stone
You wouldn't want to take a dip in any of these deadly lakes...
3,000 colossal pillars rise from a misty forest in China like an army of giants. Here's what lives among them
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is renowned for its gigantic sandstone pillars, which rise magnificently up through the clouds.
Toxic rivers, marble cathedrals and a giant mirror: 12 most otherworldly-looking places on Earth
Forget Mars – Earth's oddest landscapes are stranger, closer and don't require a spacesuit
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

It's now raining 'Forever Chemicals' – and it might never stop...
Chemicals used to heal the ozone layer may be fuelling a sharp rise in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a persistent “forever chemical” whose global levels have more than tripled in just 20 years.

This Turkish mountain has been ablaze with flames for thousands of years. Scientists think they know why
The burning flames of Mount Chimaera is a natural geological phenomenon that has occurred for thousands of years.

A remote tropical paradise is home to the world's most dangerous reptile that's armed with iron-tipped, razor-sharp teeth and a deadly venomous bite
Situated off the coast of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands lies Komodo National Park, one of the planet's most extraordinary wildlife sanctuaries.

Africa is tearing itself in two faster than previously thought say experts - leading to a totally new ocean forming
One of Africa’s most important fossil regions is breaking apart faster than previously thought, scientists have discovered.

Jungle vs rainforest: what exactly is the difference?
Think they’re interchangeable? Think again. While they might share some of the same tropical features, the difference between a jungle and a rainforest comes down to one crucial thing – light.

"One day it’s there. The next it’s gone. Then it’s back again." 11 weirdest, bizarrest lakes on the planet – including one that contains a fluid that's not water...
From the deepest to the oldest, the deadliest to the smallest here are the weirdest lakes in the world

A snake hitched a ride to a remote Pacific island. This is what happened next.
It looks like your average snake, but it has been wreaking havoc on this remote island for decades.

The strange, very peculiar lake that forms a mythical dragon's giant eye every spring
A seasonal natural phenomenon known as the 'Dragon Eye' transformers a crater lake near the summit of Mount Hachimantai in northern Japan into a giant eye.

‘Millions of trees and shrubs have been planted.’ Epic projects are underway to ‘regreen’ Earth’s deserts
Is there a way to regreen the world's deserts?

“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

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…

These colossal spires rise from the Siberian wilderness like skyscrapers. They're filled with dead animals
Reaching heights of up to 200m, these great pinnacles are the remains of an enormous ancient reef belt.
