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Sparring Foxes, Alaska

Photograph by Robert Dreeszen, National Geographic Your Shot.

 

Jameson’s Mamba, Cameroon

Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic

Jameson’s mambas, like the one here in Cameroon, have hollow fangs that deliver toxins that can lead to respiratory paralysis—and a person’s death within hours. But scientists are working to unlock the medical potential of venom, and soon the toxins from snakes like the mamba may combat heart disease or other ailments.

 

Hyena, India

Photograph by Yashodhan Bhatia, National Geographic Your Shot

Photographer Yashodhan Bhatia, a member of National Geographic’s Your Shot community, was visiting Velavadar National Park (also known as Blackbuck National Park) in Gujarat state when he came upon this hyena. “The trip was on the verge of absolute failure because of the scorching summer heat,” he writes. “Coincidentally, some luck prevailed the last evening.”

 

Salmon and Trout, Alaska

This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures

In summer, millions of fish disperse up Bristol Bay’s watershed to rivers and lakes that are breeding grounds for five species of salmon. A proposed gold mine would transform the region, possibly jeopardizing the fishery. Far upstream in unprotected Upper Talarik Creek, near the mine site, researchers found these young salmon and trout.

 

Cheetahs, Kalahari Desert

Photograph by Gus Mills

Cheetah siblings rest on a dune in the Kalahari Desert, which covers much of southern Africa, including parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. National Geographic Big Cats Explorer Gus Mills is examining Kalahari cheetahs using trackers, radios, and DNA analyses. This data helps park managers ensure the continued existence of the cheetahs and future monitoring.

 

Nesting Egrets, Myrtle Beach

Photograph by Oskar Neuhold, National Geographic Your shot.

Spring is nesting season for egrets along South Carolina’s waterways. The area’s wetlands also attract ospreys, white ibises, wood storks, and other birds.

 

 

Fallow Deer, England

Photograph by Mark Bridger, National Geographic Your Shot

In England, a fallow deer fawn stays close to a buck. Dama dama isn’t native to the U.K.; the species is thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Normans in the 11th century. Today it’s widespread in England and Wales.

 

Porcelain Crab

Photograph by Jean Wimmerlin, National Geographic Your Shot

A red-spotted porcelain crab clings to an anemone in this underwater photo from a member of our Your Shot community. The tiny crustaceans often tuck themselves away under stones, among sponges, amid mussels, and in other hiding spots.

 

source:::::National Geographic

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