Animals news

• Young country diary: A winter surprise – wood ants busy on their nest | Meg

  24-01-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Devon: We saw massive mounds of soil and pine needles where ants were hibernating – but not all of themWe pulled into the frosty car park just as the sun was rising. It was early in the morning and I was still a little bit sleepy, but the sharp winter air woke me up. The tall oak trees that surrounded the car park looked like they were crying icy tears. Everything was silent. We set off into the cold, solemn woods with our dog charging ahead.That’s when I saw it! Further on down the
  
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• Young country diary: A snowy census of all the local animals | Rosie

  24-01-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Worcestershire: Once we knew what were were looking for, we saw signs of badgers and muntjac deer and lots more (but definitely no coyotes)Everything was quiet under a blanket of snow. It was bitterly cold and the brambles that had been weighed down by blackberries in the summer were now covered in frost.I was walking in the snowy field with my mum and two brothers when I saw lots of large and small animal prints dotted around. My mum downloaded an app to discover which animals had made them. It
  
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• From scorpions to peacocks: the species thriving in London’s hidden microclimates

  24-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its homeLondon is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an ama
  
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