The aardvark

Clouds of noxious gas, stink bombs and purple smokescreens may sound like schoolboy pranks, but the animal world is just as capable of executing arresting chemical warfare, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Yossi Yovel The Genius Bat Understanding our most mysterious mammal 336pp. Oneworld. £20. Philosophy begins with wonder, according to Plato and Aristotle. As for philosophy, so, and more so, for biolo

Amazing answers to your curious questions

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Echidnas are spiky and slow-moving mammals that have long or short snouts known as beaks. They’re also called spiny anteaters because they lack teeth and rely on their long, sticky tongues to catch in

Much of Angola’s wildlife was lost to civil war; now, thanks to years of dedicated conservation efforts, the country and its parks are on their way to becoming Africa’s newest safari star, writes Ian Packham