Explore stories from behind the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition

Discover the real sea creatures behind the lore.

From the goblin shark to a tiny wasp named after a creature in Harry Potter, discover the animals that take their names from folklore or fiction. 

It likely went extinct at around the same time as Neanderthals.

Because sometimes more is more.

In nature, species will sometimes form unexpectedly close bonds and work to their mutual benefit. 

Many animals are very difficult to spot in the wild. Get to know some of nature's most elusive creatures.

Growth is usually thought of as from small to large, but marine iguanas occasionally do the opposite.

Take a look at these photos and see whether millions of years of evolution will outwit you.

They have blue blood, three hearts and a doughnut-shaped brain. But these aren’t even the most unusual discoveries made about octopuses!

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

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

The air isn't just for insects, bats or birds - there are a few other animals that can take to the skies.

There's more to the snot-like secretions of the internet-famous hagfish than meets the eye.

From bioluminescent lures to infrared abilities, meet some of the animals that have found ways to master life in the dark. 

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the conservation work undertaken for the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition.

Find out which real-life fantastic creature you are in this quiz.

Meet some of the animals that bust out their best moves to attract a mate.

Specialised conservation work saves kākāpō from the brink of extinction. 

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

Discover the many interesting quirks of the elusive echidna.

Are giant spiders invading Britain's homes? Find out with expert Stuart Hine.

Meet some of the animals whose search for a mate may actually be physically painful.

Marine mammal expert Richard Sabin takes us through what scientists know – and don’t know – about narwhals, also known as unicorns of the sea.

Curator Jon Ablett tells the tale of how an elusive monster from the deep came to be one of our popular attractions.

Unusually for a modern mammal, we know little of it from a true natural history perspective.

The owl butterfly's love of fruit juice can land it in trouble. Expert Luke Brown explains why.

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

There are four species of snake found in Britain - but are they dangerous to people?

Whether liaising with cannibals or escaping giant spider webs, Cheesman took the challenges of perilous fieldwork - and patriarchal views - in her stride.

Keeping a nature journal is a great way to record any nature you see.

Humanity is eroding its own life-support system.

Explore seven common styles of spider web and discover the arachnids that make them.

Mammals expert Richard Sabin explains why giraffe numbers have plummeted in the past 15 years.

The Museum's giant squid specimen so inspired one visiting artist that she felt compelled to draw it. Life size. 

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

Watch Dr Ronald Jenner explore the venomous puzzle that the platypus poses.