Considering it’s the most powerful force on our planet, nature usually keeps things pretty low-key. It’s usually quiet and unassuming — the kind of thing that’s just steadily going on in the background.
But don’t sleep on nature, because it’ll surprise you. Sometimes, things in nature get a little bit weird.
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Nice stash.
Anyone with a beard will tell you that cold weather can turn a hairy beard into an icy beard. Evidently the same is true of harbor seals. This one was photographed in temperatures of -14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Two tails?
This coyote has an expression of crazed satiation on its face, a look familiar to any dog owner who’s given their pup a treat. In this case, the coyote’s treat was a hapless squirrel.
You scared me!
The expression on this startled marmot’s face is so cute that it’s easy to forget that said marmot is about to be eaten alive by that hungry fox.
Little buddy.
Lots of tiny fish exist in the world’s oceans. The cool thing about this itty bitty baby swordfish is that its final size will be well over a thousand pounds.
Fashion bee.
Yellow and black bands are what give bees their distintive “don’t mess with me” appearance. Not all bees are so vividly colored, though — just check out this northern blue banded bee.
Bringing nature with him.
This big, slow turtle was spotted crossing the road, so onlookers made sure it got there safely. The turtle appears to be carrying an entire ecosystem on the back of its shell.
A lot of eggs.
These aren’t literal eggs, but they are known as ice eggs. This happens when wind and waves roll over ice on a beach for an extended time.
There’s a first time for everything.
This photo of a humpback whale breaching in the St. Lawrence River of Montreal wouldn’t be noteworthy apart from the fact that this is the first time one of these massive whales has ever been spotted this far down the St. Lawrence.
Why so glum, chum?
Most animals have somewhat neutral expressions on their face. This black rain frog, on the other hand, seems to live its entire life with an adorable little frown on its face.
Life finds a way.
An old pair of hiking boots in a garage provided the perfect shelter for a wren to build her nest. Some time later, and the nest was full of baby wrens.
Clash.
These two elk are going at it hard, and I don’t know how photographer Zach Rockvam captured it so well. If they’re not careful, their antlers could get stuck like that.
Birdseed garden.
This bird feeder is fulfilling its main job, but it’s also doing something on the side. All of the seeds that have fallen to the bottom are starting to sprout into shoots.
Nature, you’re just too much.
This majestic shot shows Helmcken Falls in British Columbia, Canada. It’s wild how the waterfall is flowing into a big crater of snow and ice.
Does that moth have huge legs?
This is a luna moth, one of the larger moths to be found in North America. What’s especially distinctive about luna moths is their big tails and hind wings.
Survivor.
This tree, despite all odds, has found a way to cling to life on the edge of a cliff. All it takes is a little bit of creativity with its roots.
Fly massacre.
If you leave a sugary drink outside overnight, don’t ever take a swig from it. This glass of wine has turned into a graveyard of nectar-seeking flies.
Is that a glitch?
Clouds can look like all sorts of different abstract shapes, but have you ever seen one that looks exactly (not abstractly, exactly) like a ball? This almost doesn’t seem real.
I want to believe.
Apparently these are opium poppies, but I’m not convinced. It looks a lot like somebody unwittingly grew some kind of plant that sprouts alien eyes in their back garden.
Count the suns.
This photo was snapped in Antarctica, about half a mile from the South Pole. You’re looking at a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as sundogs, where the sun’s light appears to be coming from multiple sources.
Stylin’.
This uraba lugens, better known as the mad hatterpillar, continually grows new exoskeletons to fit its growing head. The old heads are then worn as hats. Neat.
