Wild Things: Life as We Know It
Running elephants, far-flying mosquitos, ancient crocodiles and more...
- By T.A. Frail, Megan Gambino, Erica R. Hendry, Jesse Rhodes and Sarah Zielinski
- Smithsonian magazine, May 2010
Newest Science & Nature Photo Essays
PHOTOS: The Mind-Blowing, Floating, Unmanned Scientific Laboratory
Wave Gliders are about to make scientific exploration a lot cheaper and safer
(3 pictures)
Where Are the Greenest Schools in the Country?
The definition of being eco-conscious is so much more than having solar panels on a roof
(10 pictures)
16 Photographs That Capture the Best and Worst of 1970s America
A new exhibit at the National Archives highlights an interesting decade—one that gave rise to the environmental movement and some awkward fashion
(16 pictures)
Photos: The Uneasy Conflict Between Artificial and Natural Light
Artist Kevin Cooley has traveled the world capturing landscapes where one light shines on the horizon
(7 pictures)
Most Popular Photo Essays
The 20 Best Small Towns in America of 2012
From the Berkshires to the Cascades, we've crunched the numbers and pulled a list some of the most interesting spots around the country
(21 pictures)
The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013
From the blues to the big top, we’ve picked the most intriguing small towns to enjoy arts and smarts
(21 pictures)
16 Photographs That Capture the Best and Worst of 1970s America
A new exhibit at the National Archives highlights an interesting decade—one that gave rise to the environmental movement and some awkward fashion
(16 pictures)
The Scariest Monsters of the Deep Sea
We took the spook-tacular celebration to the depths of the ocean, where some of the craziest—and scariest—looking creatures lurk in the dark.
(10 pictures)
Additional Sources
“Population genetic data suggest a role for mosquito-mediated dispersal of West Nile virus across the western United States,” Meera Venkatesan and Jason L. Rasgon, Molecular Ecology, March 8, 2010
“Nectar yeasts warm the flowers of a winter-blooming plant,” Carlos M. Herrera and María I. Pozo, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, February 10, 2010
“Biomechanics of locomotion in Asian elephants,” J. J. Genin et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, February 12, 2010
“A Circadian Clock Is Not Required in an Arctic Mammal,” Weiqun Lu et al., Current Biology, March 11, 2010
“A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania,” Christopher A. Brochu et al., PLoS One, February 24, 2010










Comments (4)
Fun Fact: Smithsonian scientists have found that West Nile cases in humans rise in the years where robin populations are low. Apparently mosquitos like to snack on robins before us. Here's a video about the Smithsonian Migratory Bird's research of West Nile in birds on the National Mall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhNirq2cGbQ
Posted by sarah on April 27,2010 | 04:43 PM
Great Photo!
Do you publish or make the EXIF data available for your photos?
Thanks
ChuckL
Posted by Chuck Littlewood on April 26,2010 | 08:05 PM
I like this picture. It shows life peaping out to see the world.
Posted by Abigail Showalter on April 25,2010 | 05:11 PM
The focus on this shot is marvelous the eye is so percise!
Posted by Abigail Showalter on April 25,2010 | 04:41 PM