Nature online - explore the natural world
What's new?
Species of the day
To celebrate the UN's International Year of Biodiversity Museum scientists are publishing a fact file on a different species every day during 2010.
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Today's species
Read more about Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab) View all species of the day
Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab) - 11/03/2010
The Chinese mitten crab has spread far beyond its native range and is considered one of the world’s worst invasive alien species. Find out more about this 'furry' crab, including why it poses such a threat to native ecosystems and how our scientists are helping to find a way of controlling alien populations.
Other new content
- Earthquakes - FAQs
- Climate change
- Explore biodiversity in the UK
- Take part in the Big Seaweed Search
- Read On the Origin of Species or examine a herbarium sheet online
Identification forums
Visit the Museum's identification forum where you can ask questions about all aspects of UK biodiversity. Museum experts will help to answer your questions and identify your specimens.
Whether you've found a strange-looking insect in your garden, or uncovered a fossil on the beach, this is the place to find out more about it.
Blogs and forums
Find out what goes on behind the scenes at the Museum by following our blogs.
You could be the first to know about upcoming events and exhibitions. Or you might find out some surprising facts about the life of a Museum curator, with thousands of specimens to look after and more to collect on fieldwork trips.
And if you have a question, why not join a forum?
Find out morePopular content
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Earthquakes
What causes earthquakes, how big can they get, and which parts of the world are most likely to experience them?
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Dino Directory
Which dinosaurs lived in Britain and the rest of the world? Check out our guide to over 260 dinosaurs organised by body shape, country, time or using the A-Z.
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Piltdown man
Can you study the Piltdown Man fossil and avoid being fooled by the hoax that fooled scientists in 1912 for forty years?
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UK spider bites
It may come as a surprise that a dozen or more spider species resident in the UK are capable of causing a significant bite. Read about cases submitted to the Museum for identification.
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Evolution
Understanding evolution. What is it, what is the evidence and how did evolutionary theory develop?
Nature news
The first images of live individuals of 4 new spiny eels have just been published. The spiny eels from Myanmar and India are species new to science and were identified by Natural History Museum ichthyologist (fish expert) Dr Ralf Britz last month.
Find out moreOur Global Reach map
Museum scientists carry out cutting-edge research across the globe. Whether they are hunting for meteorites in Antarctica or discovering the biodiversity of tropical rainforests in Costa Rica, their research uncovers crucial information about the natural world.
Our global reach interactive mapNature on film
More than 300 scientists work at the Natural History Museum carrying out vital research into the natural world. Take a look at some of their work in our videos.
Latest video
The latest video looks at the economic value of biodiversity, including some of the species that are threatened by climate change, like corals.
Find out the financial cost of failing to preserve these ecosystems.
Find out more
