Prince of DarknessSpotlight 08.24.2022Helmet jellyfish have taken over a Norwegian fjord, demonstrating the species’ tenacity and offering clues about environmental factors that can upend an ecosystem.
Tiny DancersSpotlight 08.18.2022Even without true wings, a subspecies of Siberian flying squirrel endemic to Japan executes astonishing aerial acrobatics.
Shot in the DarkSpotlight 07.14.2022Africa’s black leopards are shrouded in mystery, but groundbreaking photography is bringing them to light.
Downward SpiralArticle 06.04.2022The nautilus’s lineage made it through all five of Earth’s previous mass extinctions. But can it survive the Anthropocene?
Love TrainSpotlight 06.03.2022The Kangaroo Island echidna may seem bizarre, but the spiky mammal’s quirks have helped it survive cataclysmic change.
Beautiful UglySpotlight 04.22.2022While the Asian sheepshead wrasse’s allure may be debatable, the fish’s color-changing, sex-changing abilities are hard to disregard.
Breakfast with a “Garbage Bin”Spotlight 12.02.2021Socotra’s gregarious Egyptian vultures are a bright spot in an otherwise sobering global story.
Water Makes a Hive ThriveSpotlight 11.04.2021Just like us, honeybees can die if they get too hot. To cool off, they’ve devised their own kind of air conditioning, ferrying water home and then fanning it with their wings.
Eye SpySpotlight 10.28.2021While this highly adapted fish peers out on its prey- and predator-rich surroundings, shapeshifting, pigmented cells enable it to all but disappear into its environment.
Hanging with DadSpotlight 10.22.2021A male African jacana has his feathers full while navigating Botswana’s rich but treacherous wetlands.
Are You My Mother?Spotlight 03.29.2021Before a timber rattlesnake mom leaves her babies to fend for themselves, she passes on an important piece of information: her scent.
Convenient ConveyanceSpotlight 12.24.2020For a jellyfish, there are few hitchhikers more harmful than this juvenile brown paper nautilus, and for the nautilus, few rides could be more handy.
Northern Lights from the DeepSpotlight 10.28.2020What could easily be an atmospheric apparition is in fact a formidable predator, and a critical member of its strange, open-ocean ecosystem
The Scent of WaterSpotlight 12.10.2019Most mammals can’t smell underwater, but Eurasian otters may have a way of sniffing out prey even while swimming.
Snake FakeSpotlight 10.15.2019For a plump caterpillar with no defensive body parts, masquerading as a deadly viper is an effective adaptation for survival in the Peruvian Amazon.
Strength in NumbersSpotlight 09.26.2019A spirited game of tug-of-war is more than just a sweet moment among siblings—it’s a sign of an African wild dog pack with enough members to keep its pups both safe and well-fed.
Bobcat ManorPhoto Essay 08.14.2019Despite increasing hunting pressure, bobcats have proven themselves to be remarkably resilient in the face of human encroachment—and aren’t above raising their young in rural backyards.
Lens of Time: Jaw JumpersVideo 07.30.2019Sometimes the best solution to a sticky situation is a quick escape, and few escapes are faster than a trap-jaw ant’s.
Sucker DeceptionSpotlight 07.30.2019Mesmerizing bioluminescence is a rare trait—and a clever lure—for this deep-sea drifter.
Assume the PositionSpotlight 05.29.2019A master of disguise, this rainforest dweller doesn’t just wear the perfect outfit, it also performs the flawless impression of a tree branch.
