
Scientists have built a tiny diving suit for ‘cyborg cockroaches’. And it could save human lives
The invention comes after a decade of research into cyborg insects – which could be used in search and rescue missions

A 6,190m giant rises from the Alaskan wilderness. It's the highest mountain in North America. Here what lives there
Spanning six million acres of rugged wilderness, Denali National Park is home to North America’s highest peak – and a cast of incredible, cold-loving creatures.

"As with humans, their greatest enemies are the same species. At the frontier they detect friend or foe by smell and interlopers are repulsed…"
Ants are often a much-overlooked group of insects, but they have fascinating behaviours and adaptations, as entomologist Richard Jones explains.

It has no brain or blood – but this five-armed creature is a formidable predator
The common starfish has two stomachs – and it forces one of them out of its mouth to consume prey.

"This means that those returning in the spring will be the ‘great-great-grandchildren’ of those that left the previous autumn…"
Mike Unwin explores just how far this remarkable butterfly species travels when migrating

"What no one knew at the time was that many of those committed couples were, to put it anthropomorphically, lesbians…"
When males are scarce, the female Laysan albatrosses of Hawaii will partner up to raise young, as zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke explains.

It’s bigger than your thumb, has immense jaws and is nicknamed the flying bulldog – Meet the largest bee on the planet
Discover the giant bee of Indonesia.

"They will use this claw to rip open the soft bellies of humans to devastating effect..." 6 deadliest, most dangerous jungles on the planet
In the world’s jungles, danger comes in many forms – deadly predators, fatal disease, hazardous terrain, extreme isolation, and conflict with hostile humans.

"It has a reputation for cunning, opportunism and haunting twilight calls..." Does this wild dog really deserve its bad reputation?
All you ever needed to know about the jackal

"This 5kg bandit-masked carnivore is North America's most numerous mammal and often regarded as the ultimate urban pest"
Learn all about the raccoon, from size and diet to how they became slick city dwellers, including one enterprising individual who scaled a 25-storey Minnesota high-rise

Birds

It's one of the world's most intelligent birds - whose curiosity - & taste for meat - led the New Zealand government to encourage their mass killing
With its intelligence and almost human sense of humour, the kea is a firm favourite in New Zealand, but its appetite and curiosity can lead it into trouble.

“I was photographing seabirds on a remote island off Norway. Then a huge predator appeared from nowhere”
Wildlife photographer Josef Stefan on no-show bustards, eagle drama and a lens cap fail

“It's deadlier than cyanide and causes paralysis and death. And, unfortunately, there's no known antidote..." 8 most poisonous BIRDS on the planet
They say that you are what you eat – and these unassuming birds eat toxins like it’s nothing.

Meet the mighty, majestic Andean condor, one of the world's most powerful and impressive birds and at 15kg the heaviest bird of prey
The mighty Andean condor – the heaviest bird of prey in the world and the raptor with the longest wingspan – needs little introduction, says Mike Dilger. Learn all about them in his expert guide - including where to see them

Fierce, majestic – and built to kill – The world's biggest and mightiest birds of prey
All you need to know about the magnificent birds of prey, including the biggest in the world

"It stands on its rock looking not so much like a streamlined submariner as an overfed blackbird"
Known in Welsh as a ‘bird of the torrent’, the dipper is the UK’s only aquatic songbird and always fascinating to watch.
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

Does grass scream when you mow it down?
Enjoying cutting your lawn? Next time your relish the smell of freshly cut grass remember it's a scream of distress from the plant you're mowing

"It causes rapid death in humans, with symptoms including lung collapse and brain haemorrhage"
Discover the awful symptoms of poisoning from hemlock water-dropwort, one of the most dangerous plants around

A tree that can walk? The 'walking tree' that's said to be able to move itself to a sunnier spot
There's a walking tree? Stuart Blackman investigates a tree that is said to be able to move

A giant 'horror movie' plant that can cause painful burns, eye damage and even blindness – with some effects persisting for months or years
You definitely don't want to go anywhere near this highly toxic plant. Here's what to look for and how to deal with it
