Features

The best places to hang out with bats and how to take them under your wing.

If you see a snake blink at you, it's not a snake.

Discover some standout British beetles, including a particularly vibrant ladybird and a rare rainbow-coloured leaf beetle.

Attract bees to your lawn with clover, grow a mini wildflower meadow, add areas of aromatic thyme and more ideas.

Frogs and toads are often spotted in UK gardens, but some are struggling. Find out how you can help.

Is it even possible in the first place?

Did you know that there are more species of fly in the UK than there are mammals on the planet? And they perform some pretty important jobs.

Get tips on urban birdwatching and discover what you could see - including birds of prey and parakeets.

Composer Hans Zimmer is speaking up for nature.

Millions of pieces of human-caused debris are orbiting Earth. But are they an issue, and what can we do about them?

Museum scientists have dissected a spectacled porpoise specimen to discover more about these little known animals.

Growing up in the Apollo era of the seventies, Prof Sara Russell fantasised about working on space missions.

Gibbous moons really don't get the attention they deserve.

Water voles in Glasgow have left the riverbank behind in search of new homes.

Although spinosaurs were named in 1915, little was known about these giants until a 31-centimetre-long claw was discovered in the UK in 1983.

Why have so few dinosaur fossils been found in Ireland? It's all to do with the island's geological history.

Discover the bioluminescent beetles putting on night-time light shows in Britain.

Did dinosaurs have a softer side when it came to caring for their eggs and young?

Our wasp expert explains how this invasive species could cause big problems for beekeepers in Britain.

When an unusual rock fell to Earth in 1795, it prompted the first large-scale investigation into the origin of meteorites.

Would a pigeon in London sound the same as a pigeon in Birmingham?

Meet the Swedish botanist who ventured around the world on Captain Cook's pivotal first voyage.

Movie star, established brawler and owner of a killer claw, Velociraptor has quite a reputation.

What's the next best thing to studying prehistoric dinosaurs in the flesh?

Dinosaur researcher Dr David Button reviews Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Is a mosquito trapped in amber really the way to bring dinosaurs back from the dead? 

No bigger than a smartphone, this remarkable rock has layers that tell the story of the working lives and hardships of miners in the 1800s.

What is a hydrothermal vent and did life on Earth begin at these underwater locations?

Meet the trailblazer who was one of the first women employed as a scientist by the Natural History Museum.

Female researchers are helping to answer some of the biggest questions about life on Earth. 

Earth may be the blue planet, but beneath the ocean waves lies a vast forest of green. 

Discover the science and art involved in making our Neanderthal and early modern human models.

Meet the pesky parasites with some surprising benefits.

TV presenter, author and academic Alice Roberts shares memories of the Museum and how it influenced her fascination with human evolution.

Unearth the one-million-year story of humans in Britain and their struggle to survive in a changing land.

Dr Silvia Bello tells us about the gruesome yet fascinating behaviour of people living in a Somerset cave 14,700 years ago.

What were the largest dinosaurs in Britain 200-145 million years ago? And why were they so big?

Sponges are unsung heroes for thousands living with chronic illnesses.

Find out how the Gila monster's venom has the ability to save lives.

Discover how in death, whales can sustain life for decades.

Professor Richard Twitchett explains what a more acidic ocean could mean for the future of marine life.

Armed with one of the most painful stings on the planet, tarantula hawks are a spider's worst nightmare.

A series of perfectly-preserved humpback whale foetuses reveal how whales grow before they're born.

The ocean offers a range of dining options. 

This dinosaur has a strange combination of body parts. Museum expert Prof Paul Barrett explains why.

Find out how Museum scientists used a new technique to preserve this enormous blue marlin forever.

The touchable, wavy folds of this rock tell a story as old as life on Earth.

Our oceans are changing fast. Find out how Museum collections are helping scientists to understand the future of marine life.

What happens to stranded whales? And how can they be useful for research?

A special collection of butterfly specimens at the Museum helps tell a tale of extraordinary adventure and scientific insight. 

Rare drone footage could prove vital for research into the meals of the largest animals on the planet.

See the skeleton of the Thames whale ten years after it caused a stir by swimming up London's river.

Why do whales sing? Scientists have only just begun to decipher the meaning of these underwater melodies.

Minerals may look tough, but getting these crystals from ground to display case needs a very steady hand.

Beaked whales can dive 2,000 metres below the ocean's surface. Why and how do they do it?

A bird curator discusses how and why taxidermy is still bringing nature to life.

These popular dinosaur reconstructions from the 1960s are no longer scientifically accurate. Can you spot the errors?

For more than 300 years, Britain's wildlife has captivated scientists and artists alike.

Resin deer lungs, a warthog and a pterosaur fossil are just a few of the curious specimens to be found in Hintze Hall.

Deforestation has slashed species diversity in ecosystems on land. But how can we stop further losses?

Cleaning Dippy the dinosaur takes more than a quick flick with a duster. Exhibition specialist Helen Walker talks us through it.

A new virtual reality experience uses the bones of a sea dragon to recreate life in Jurassic waters.

While we humans associate pink with romance, in the natural world it can be a warning or part of an elaborate disguise.

An exotic colour at the far end of our visible spectrum and often associated with royalty, purple is relatively rare in nature.

Tiny, delicate and beautiful, the Blaschka models capture the ethereal mystery of the deep sea.

Green is the quintessential colour of nature - of parks, gardens and forests, and a reminder of the life-giving power of plants.

Meet the creatures with the most crafty, strange and sophisticated eyes in the animal kingdom.

The colour of sunlight, gold and daffodils, yellow is often associated with warmth and optimism.  

Crimson and scarlet hues in nature often carry an important message.

Drowsy caterpillars are transforming into moths with a cunning skill - producing their own cyanide. 

Museum scientists are investigating Earth's earliest eyes with exceptional fossils.

Delve into the dark world of parasitic wasps and discover their grisly takeovers of living caterpillars. 

Masters of disguise, butterflies can look like animal faces, rolled-up leaves and even snakes. Explore their kaleidoscopic world.

Meet some of the brightest and boldest creatures in the animal kingdom, where colour is a matter of life and death.

Miniscule moths are using the power of wind to soar over oceans and continents.

Discover the microscopic dimensions of the smallest moths on the planet.

For most butterflies, finding a mate to share their short lives with is their most important mission.

One of the goliaths of the insect world, the atlas moth is a gentle giant – but behind every oversized moth is a very hungry caterpillar.

Discover how a giant interstellar cloud known as the solar nebula gave birth to our solar system and everything in it. 

Climate change is having a dramatic effect on the lives of British butterflies - researcher Steve Brooks explains what and why.

In 2015, the Museum switched on a CCTV camera with a difference - instead of filming people, this one records the night sky.

Filling your garden with insects will make your flowerbeds beautiful and support biodiversity. Ecologist Larissa Cooper explains how.

Anyone can capture the majesty of the galaxy with a simple camera. All you need is a dark, clear night and the willingness to have a go.

Join Dr Blanca Huertas as she travels to remote Colombia to study butterflies and moths.

Listen to the tale of the first adult Neanderthal skull unearthed and what we've uncovered about our close relative in the past 160 years.

Take a tour through seven million years of human evolution and explore the origin of Homo sapiens.

Peering into our solar system's origins with light brighter than ten billion suns - discover the work of a planetary scientist.

Museum scientist Rebecca Lyal shares her experiences studying whale and dolphin strandings along the British coast.

This skull was dug up from the Tower of London moat. The lion guarded the entrance 700 years ago as a symbol of strength.

This is the first mastodon fossil from Britain ever described. It belonged to William Smith, creator of Britain’s first geological map.

Unearth 15 facts about William Smith’s pioneering map, which was published in 1815.

Find out how Dr Ken Johnson is using 12-million-year-old fossil corals to hunt for clues about the future of our reefs.

Solving the puzzle of penguins’ waterproof coats could help researchers develop advanced fabrics in the future.

Spiders may seem scary, but most of them are just looking for love. Read some dating profiles of spiders searching for the perfect mate.

Some of our scientists go to extreme lengths for their research, diving into deep and dangerous underwater caves.

Coral reefs attract deadly predators. Find out how their inhabitants survive using everything from camouflage to chemical warfare.

Dinosaur researcher Professor Paul Barrett gives the lowdown on one of the most complete Stegosaurus ever found.

A short overview of why dinosaurs (except birds) became extinct.

Find out about dinosaurs and what set them apart from other prehistoric reptiles.

Explore the age of the dinosaurs, from the time they first appeared to the mass extinction 66 million years ago.

Find out why the first known specimen of Queen Alexandra's birdwing has bullet holes in its wings.

Exquisite watercolours from the Museum collections showcase the pioneering work of the talented Bauer brothers.

Join a group of scientists and artists as they reflect on colour and vision in nature and beyond, how our individual experiences differ, and the impact of technology.

What specimens have captivated visitors over the years as they enter the Museum?

Big cats prowl the centre of India's largest city. Photographer Nayan Khanolkar is documenting their extraordinary lives.

Gleaming in the air, the iridescent blue morpho protects itself from predators using the power of light.

The great orange tip fights for survival by borrowing the outfit of a much deadlier creature.

The greedy zebra butterfly's protein-rich diet of pollen is fuelling its remarkably long lifespan.

The gentle tree nymph has a reputation for being slow and sleepy - but an unexpected toxin lies within its wings.

It looks like bird droppings on a leaf, but don't be fooled: it's a caterpillar in disguise.

Dr Adrian Glover tells us how an underwater robot has opened a treasure trove of opportunities for scientific observation.

Check out the amazing survival strategies of four parasites from the Museum collections.