Nature
From the tiniest single-celled organisms to the giants that roam the Earth, the animal kingdom is one that fascinates us all. Every day we learn more about the creatures we share the planet with, all 1.5 million-plus of them, and that's just the ones we have discovered so far. Whether we keep them as pets, eat them for food or study them for science, our relationship with animals is complex, but is part of the very nature of what makes us human.
Can any animals play musical instruments?
Chimpanzees say to expect their debut album 'soon'
We need to stop shaming masturbating birds, say scientists
Polly wants a… little privacy? A new study has found that acts of self-pleasure among parrots and other birds are perfectly natural, thank you very much
One of the world's rarest (and strangest) sharks has been filmed alive for the first time
Known for its massive retractable jaw, the spooky footage shows the goblin shark lurking deep in the Pacific Ocean
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'A huge step forward': This strange Antarctic creature could spark a cancer breakthrough, say scientists
Sea squirts in the Antarctic could offer us a novel way to kill melanoma cells – that is, skin cancer – without harming healthy cells
Why you're probably stroking your cat completely wrong (and how to do it right)
Fun fact: your cat probably hates the way you're currently petting them.
Mice and rats are now evolving resistance to poison, experts warn
Researchers have found that DNA mutations could be responsible for increasingly stubborn and hard-to-control rodent populations
This nightmare fish hides beneath the sand... and stepping on it can cause agony for beachgoers
The whitemargin stargazer hides and waits for its prey – the feet of unsuspecting beachgoers
Which animal is most likely to escape from the zoo?
Apart from Feathers McGraw in Wallace and Gromit, of course
Earth’s early life was terrible at sex, say scientists
Sexual reproduction only began to improve when early animals began facing more stress and competition
The world’s weirdest cat keeps turning up where nobody expects
Meet the black serval, a long-legged wild cat native to Africa
Can we actually reverse ageing
Wrinkle creams only promise to turn back the clock – a pea-sized jellyfish actually does it
Why does my cat love sitting on my laptop?
How your cat's annoying keyboard-lounging habit is part of its ploy to possess your house.
The (terrifying) reason these giant insects may not be gone forever
Dragonflies the size of hawks once stalked Earth’s skies. Scientists thought they knew why they’d gone away – but a decades old theory may have just been disproven
Do tigers ever befriend their prey?
Do tigers ever befriend their prey? An unlikely bromance with a goat might hold the answers
Do any animals hoard treasure?
Meet the bearded vulture, known to use man-made objects in its nests which last generations and now act as 'natural museums'
A 'Jesus Christ lizard' has been filmed running on water – and the footage is incredible
Meet the 'Jesus Christ lizard' that can run on water (science hasn't yet discovered if it can turn that water into wine, as of yet)
How many birds fly into buildings?
How many birds fly into buildings? You may be surprised to learn it's a very high number each year, higher than previous estimates
There's a hidden 'third eye' buried in your skull – and scientists think they've finally worked out why
Far from a spiritual metaphor, a new theory is shedding light on the bizarre evolutionary quirks that gave us a hidden third eye
What animal has the weirdest pee?
From dolphins that pee in arcs to reptiles that pee in solids, nature's bladders are full of surprises
Why humans simply aren’t built for strict monogamy
This is what science actually says about humans’ capacity for commitment
'A huge milestone': Heartwarming footage shows Sumatran orangutan using bridge to cross road for first time
Conservationists waited two years for this moment
This is our clearest look yet at one of the deep ocean’s rarest animals
Meet the bigfin squid, a quid with 'elbows', enormous rippling fins and tentacles like long, rippling strands of spaghetti
From 83 to 15,000 years old: The longest living animals on Earth
From mole rats to Greenland sharks, here are the creatures with unusually large lifespans.
Is my dog brainwashing me for treats?
You can’t say no to those puppy dog eyes, go on, give your furry best friend another treat. Oh wait, are you being brainwashed?
