The Fish That Puts Itself in a Mud Coffin and Waits
An African lungfish burrows into drying mud, spins a mucus cocoon, drops its metabolism and naps through droughts for years - and yes, it is as dramatic as it sounds.Read More 
Platypus: The Gentleman With A Poisonous Spur
A posh, egg-laying mammal that politely carries a seasonally venomous spur on its hind leg purely to settle mating disputes like a duel with terribly bad manners.Read More 
Why Mongooses Sneer At Venom
Some mongooses and a few stubborn mustelids survive deadly snake bites because tiny tweaks to their nerve receptors blunt venom - nature's short, brutal shrug.Read More 
The Salamanders That Steal Their Neighbours' DNA
A troop of all-female salamanders reproduces by borrowing sperm from local males, sometimes swallowing the fellow's genome like a particularly awkward lodger - and biologists have been both furious and fascinated.Read More 
The Wasp That Loves Paperwork
A posh little wasp drags paralysed prey to its burrow, performs a ritual inspection, and will obediently repeat the whole daft checklist if you nudge its sandwich a few inches.Read More 
The Archerfish That Shoots Bugs Off Leaves (And It's Brilliant)
A small fish spits tiny, perfectly aimed water jets to knock insects into the drink and does it with theatrical contempt.Read More 
The Beetle That Runs a Tiny Bomb Factory
A modest ground beetle mixes chemicals in a microscopic antechamber, then fires boiling, noxious micro-explosions at anything foolish enough to touch it.Read More 
The Naked Mole-Rat Monarchy (One Queen, Many Peasants)
One breeding queen rules a subterranean republic of sterile workers - brutal, efficient and oddly civilised.Read More 
Koalas Have Proper Human Fingers, Mate
Koala paw prints are so like ours they could bungle a crime scene and yes, that's bonkers when you think about it.Read More 
Why An Armadillo Will Never Be A Unique Snowflake
The nine-banded armadillo routinely births four genetically identical young - nature's baffling photocopier - and it is both useful and mildly rude.Read More 