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.
Saving Mexico’s Lost WorldArticle 02.18.2020Microbes have lived in Cuatro Ciénegas for 500 million years. They’ve survived countless cataclysms and extinctions. But can they survive us?
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.
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.
Mighty MomSpotlight 03.17.2019One of the most attentive of all insect parents, this tiny treehopper fiercely defends her offspring until they’re fully grown, using her thorn-shaped headdress as both shield and intimidation tool.
Mobile HomeSpotlight 12.18.2018This caterpillar combines next-level camouflage and shelter-building to disappear into one of the most vibrant and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
The Better to Bite You WithSpotlight 10.23.2018Finding—and defending—prime fruit-picking perches is no easy task in the rainforest, but toucans have a few tricks up their beaks.
It’s a Wasp-Eat-Caterpillar WorldSpotlight 09.11.2018Shockingly, being eaten alive by dozens of hungry wasp larvae may have its advantages.
Lens of Time: The Art of Staying StableVideo 08.27.2018A tiny copper cannonball is no match for this hawkmoth’s hovering prowess.
Mystic MinipizzaSpotlight 04.24.2018This might be your only chance to meet the best-named fish in the sea.
The Pond of YouthSpotlight 01.09.2018A simple lifeform, prevalent in freshwater pools the world over, could reveal the secret to ever-lasting life.
Betting on ConservationOpinion 12.05.2017As extinction rates climb, we have a responsibility—to our own species and to others—to work toward reversing the trend.
Swimming with Shark PupsSpotlight 07.11.2017A young shark wriggles its way into the world, and one lucky—and dedicated—photographer is there to capture the moment.
A Moth’s-Eye ViewSpotlight 06.27.2017Even the commonest of creatures can reveal stunning beauty (and impressive ingenuity) upon closer inspection.
Tear HunterSpotlight 04.11.2017In one of nature’s more surprising interactions, a butterfly hunts crocodilian tears in search of life-sustaining salts.
Venomous WeaponryPhoto Essay 03.21.2017Nature’s arsenal contains thousands of venomous creatures and a diverse array of armaments that are as brilliant, varied, and surprising as the creatures that wield them.
Lens of Time: Building a Butterfly WingVideo 02.15.2017Scientists open a window—literally—into a process that normally remains hidden deep inside a butterfly’s chrysalis.
Darwin’s FoxSpotlight 02.07.2017His finches may be more famous, but this small fox also helped Darwin develop his revolutionary theory of evolution.
Ahead of the CurveSpotlight 01.10.2017A dolphin frolics unperturbed in the bow wave of one of the open ocean’s clumsier and less-efficient seafarers.
Lens of Time: Velvet Worms—Secret of the SlimeVideo 12.13.2016Physics and biology meet to create one of the world’s strangest weapons: the slime cannon.
