Why do cats stick their tongues out?

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

David Farrier Nature’s Genius Evolution’s lessons for a changing planet 288pp. Canongate. £20. In David Farrier’s latest book, he warns us that humanity is endangering every facet of life on Earth thr

Found on the inside of the front legs, the name dew claw is thought to refer to a tendency to brush dew away from the grass. An old superstition holds that a dog who still has dew claws will be immune

Unlike us, dogs don’t use maps or navigation technology, but scientists are discovering that dogs might have other amazing skills that can help them know where they are in time and space. One of these

West Florence High School in South Carolina spent nearly a month between 25 August and 19 September plagued by a mysterious fæcal stench that disrupted classes, caused problems with the air conditioni

In this new series, I’ll explore just how clever plants are, the complex ways in which they respond to the environment around them, the adaptations they make and the survival strategies they employ. I