http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildlife/by/updated Explore a wealth of video, sounds, stories and breaking news to find out more about your favourite animals, how they live and where they live. This feed gives you access to the latest changes to the site - new video clips, news stories or programmes. en-gb http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/apscss/life/aps/images/wildlife.jpg http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildlife/by/updated Common cranes are the most widely distributed of all the cranes, breeding from Western Europe to Siberia. Monogamous pairs reinforce their bond with a series of calls and elaborate head jerks. Together the pair builds a ground nest within their wetland habitat from a mound of swampy vegetation. The job of incubating their two eggs is also shared, and during this time adults embark on the fascinating behaviour of ‘painting’ their upper bodies and wings with reddish mud, which is though to provide camouflage. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Crane http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Crane Mon, 20 May 2013 14:44:08 GMT Smilodon, was one of the few sabre-toothed cats that would have encountered humans. Whilst sabre-tooths in Africa and Europe became extinct before our species had evolved, Smilodon survived until the end of the ice age. Three species lived in the Americas over time. The ancestors of the Native Americans might have met two of these, Smilodon fatalis and Smilodon populator. The latter was a heavily built animal, weighing more than a Siberian tiger. Smilodon's ancestor was probably another sabre-tooth species, Megantereon, that lived in Africa, Eurasia and North America. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Smilodon http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Smilodon Mon, 20 May 2013 11:07:38 GMT A great deal has been found out about woolly mammoths from analysis of carcasses frozen in the Siberian permafrost and from depictions in ancient art. They were built like elephants, but with adaptations to prevent heat loss - tiny ears, short tails and a thick coat of dark brown hair. On the underbelly, the hair grew up to a metre long and was probably shed in the summer. Their trunks ended with two 'fingers' that helped pluck grass. Humps of hair and fat behind the head made the shoulders seem higher than the pelvis. However, the front and back legs were actually about the same length. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Woolly_mammoth http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Woolly_mammoth Mon, 20 May 2013 09:19:17 GMT Common toads secrete an irritant from their skin that prevents most predators from wanting to eat them. Unfortunately for the toads however, a few predators, such as grass snakes and hedgehogs, don't seem to be deterred. If they avoid getting gobbled by a snake or hedgehog, toads can live for up to 40 years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Toad http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Toad Fri, 17 May 2013 15:22:17 GMT Common bluebells are anything but ordinary, with a spring woodland carpeted in masses of bluebells a sight to behold. This spectacular botannical display is only found in northern Europe, with Britain containing more than half of the worlds population. Common bluebells are a protected species in the UK. The main threats to their survival is people picking the flowers and illegally digging up the bulbs. Hybrid bluebell species, because of crossing with the Spanish bluebell, are also a major problem.

Did you know?
Britain is home to more than half of the world's population of bluebells.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Bluebell http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Bluebell Thu, 16 May 2013 08:21:38 GMT Mallards are the archetypal and most recognisable ducks. They are found wherever there is water, from rivers and lakes to remote ponds and coastal marshes. It is their adaptablility to all kinds of environment that has brought mallards to towns and parks. The males sport a glossy green head and white neck ring, and what the females lack in colour they make up for in noise. The familiar 'quack' is the call of the female summoning her ducklings. Mallards are the ancestors of many breeds of domestic duck and readily interbreed with them.

Did you know?
The loud 'quack-quack' of a female duck can be heard for miles.

All you need to know about British birds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mallard http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mallard Wed, 15 May 2013 08:10:49 GMT Praying mantises are insects with a distinctly alien look about them. Their other-worldly appearance is characterised by a triangular head, large compound eyes and prominent spikey front legs. It is these folded fore-limbs that give rise to their common name, as they are held in a prayer-like position. One of the more bizarre and gruesome behaviours is that of sexual cannibalism where the female eats the male after, or even during, mating.

Most of the 2,400 species of mantis are ambush predators, waiting patiently for prey to stray within striking distance. They devour any unfortunate victims alive, often head first. Praying mantises can effectively blend into the background to use for both attack and defence, with some going as far as looking like leaves, grass or even stones. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mantis http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mantis Wed, 15 May 2013 04:17:02 GMT White-tailed sea eagles are found near large bodies of water and coastlines across Europe and parts of Asia. Standing at an impressive 1m high with a 2.5m wingspan, they are the largest eagles in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. Sea eagles hover over water, plucking fish from the surface with their strong talons and often eating them in flight. They became extinct in Britain during the early 1900s and were re-introduced to Scotland in 1975 where they've since started to breed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/White-tailed_Eagle http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/White-tailed_Eagle Mon, 13 May 2013 08:28:08 GMT When woolly rhinoceros horns were found in Russia during the 19th century, many believed that the strange-looking objects were the claws of giant birds. Frozen carcasses found since in Siberia completed the picture. The horns are worn down on the under surface which suggests they were swept back and forth sideways on the ground. This may have been to help clear snow off the grass, or as part of a ritual display, as in some modern rhinos. The woolly rhino's closest living relative is the Sumatran rhino. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Woolly_rhinoceros http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Woolly_rhinoceros Sat, 11 May 2013 04:26:19 GMT Otters are inquisitive, playful and intelligent, often appearing to take childlike enjoyment in sliding around on muddy banks or in snow. They are semi-aquatic mammals and live in holts around water edges. They are fast, agile swimmers. Bubbles of air trapped in their fur give them a silvery appearance underwater. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/European_Otter http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/European_Otter Fri, 10 May 2013 08:31:12 GMT