Песец, остров Врангеля
Молодые песцы осенью начинают осваивать территорию и все реже возвращаются к норе, где родились и провели первые три месяца жизни. (Фото Сергея Горшкова)
Emperor Penguin, Antarctica. Photograph by Paul Nicklen, National Geographic. Preparing to launch from the sea to the sea ice, an emperor penguin reaches maximum speed.
Jaguar, Ecuador. Photograph by Steve Winter, National Geographic
A jaguar on the hunt trips a camera trap at a spot frequented by piglike peccaries, a favorite prey. To the Waorani, one of the native groups in this area, jaguars are ancestral spirits that visit shamans in dreams to tell them where game is plentiful in the forest.
Rhino Viper, Cameroon. Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic
The element of surprise gives this rhino viper in Cameroon an edge over prey. Quick-kill venom finishes the job. Vipers provide valuable toxins, including those used in drugs for hypertension and heart disease and to control bleeding during surgery.
Diamondback, Big Bend National Park. Photograph by Fred LaBounty, My Shot
I carry snake tongs when I travel to Big Bend National Park to move snakes from the warm roadways in the mornings so they won't be run over. I came across this diamondback near Panther Junction. He went on the defensive as soon as I exited my truck. I didn't want to pass up the photo op and photographed him with a Canon EOS 5D111 and a Canon 100-400 5.6L lens. I then moved him into the underbrush about 30 feet from the roadway.
Wolf, Denali National Park. Photograph by Brian Montalbo, Your Shot
I photographed this wolf hunting snowshoe hares in Denali National Park. He stopped only for a second and I captured two shots. This is one of them.
Penguin, South Georgia Island. Photograph by Max Seigal, Your Shot
It was 5 a.m. and we had just landed on the shore of South Georgia to catch the sunrise. It was cloudy and overcast, which presented the perfect opportunity for me to shoot some long exposures. At first I experimented with standing out in the water and photographing the crashing waves contrasted with the penguins on shore, but the waves were moving my tripod too much to get a stable shot. I realized I would need to be on shore, where I could get a steady shot, but I still wanted to include the water in my photo. I looked over and saw this lone penguin just at the water's edge. I quickly aimed and took this long-exposure shot, and moments after the shutter clicked the penguin looked up and walked off. Even though the sky didn't glow orange that morning due to overcast conditions, I still walked away very pleased with shooting in wonderful conditions that allowed me to capture this image. —Max Seigal
Red Fox, Canada. Photograph by Todd Mintz, My Shot
Heading to the Canadian Arctic on the shores of the Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, I had one day in Churchill before we would catch a small plane to the remote cabins on the tundra to photograph polar bears. A friend and I borrowed a local truck and toured around the Churchill area looking at the historic sites and watching for polar bears. As we drove past the massive grain terminal I spotted this hybrid red fox hunting among the piping. He paused, very comfortable with our presence, and posed for me—as interested in us as we were in it. —Todd Mintz
Giant Anteater, Brazil. Photograph by Gerardo Ceballos, Your Shot
I took this shot of a giant anteater in the Fazeda Barranco Alto, a 30,000-acre cattle ranch and wildlife preserve in the Pantanal of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso du Sul. I had been looking for animals all day long, driving and walking through grasslands and forest patches that surround the endless lakes dotting the landscape of this region. During the day I had seen other giant anteaters, a giant otter, white-lipped peccaries, and many other interesting mammals. As the sun was setting, I saw a dark shadow on the shore of one of the lakes. I took my camera and walked slowly toward that moving shadow. With great surprise I found out that it was a giant anteater. I took the photo with a flash against the fading daylight. It was a memorable moment that was caught in my photo. —Gerardo Ceballos
Madagascar Day Gecko, Maui. Photograph by Lauren Hogan, Your Shot
The combination of my passion for the natural world and my love of macro photography resulted in this shot of a baby Madagascar day gecko hiding in a succulent plant on my back deck in Spreckelsville, Maui. In the morning before work, I love to take my coffee with me to my deck gardens and watch the geckos start to appear and warm themselves in little warm spots of sun. One windless morning, movement and a flash of color caught my eye. This baby gecko apparently felt very safe in its hiding place, as it allowed me to get very close. I dropped to the deck, camera in hand, and slowly crawled forward until I was inches away. —Lauren Hogan
Whitetail Deer, Arkansas. Photograph by Jeff Rose, Your Shot
I happened upon this beautiful whitetail doe while hiking along the Centerpoint Trail near Ponca, Arkansas. She was standing along the rocky path, poised in the sunlight that was bursting through the trees above. I readied my camera and tripod as quickly and quietly as possible and was lucky enough to capture the magic moment before she continued down the trail, eventually crossing into the forest. It's interesting to note that in the 1920s the deer population in Arkansas had diminished to only around 200, but thanks to conservation efforts by the state the population is now estimated to be about a million, making a meeting like this more possible. —Jeff Rose
Muskoxen, Wrangel Island. Photograph by Sergey Gorshkov
Two bull muskoxen size each other up. In September, with mating season under way, bulls engage in frequent head-butting confrontations to establish dominance.
Шпицберген, Норвегия
Экосистема Шпицбергена включает в себя небо, море и побережье. Малые гагарки гнездятся на уступах скал и ныряют за веслоногими раками. Разложившиеся останки птиц и их помет служат удобрением для зарослей мхов, в которых устраивают засаду песцы. (Фото Пол Никлен)
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.
Elephant and Calf, India. Photograph by Sandesh Kadur
Wild elephants live in India's fertile Kaziranga floodplain, where marshland, tall grass, and forests provide shelter and food. Kaziranga National Park takes in 50 miles of the Brahmaputra River and harbors some 1,300 elephants.
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.
Леопарды, Ботсвана (Сергей Горшков)
Леопарды – одиночки, они ищут друг друга только для того, чтобы завести потомство. В течение недели они спариваются и охотятся вместе, а потом неожиданно расстаются на годы
Альтиплано, Боливия (George Steinmetz)
Одомашненные ламы разбрелись по пастбищу на краю солончака Уюни. Еще до эпохи инков местные жители охотились на этих животных ради мяса и шерсти. Использовали лам и для перевозки грузов.
Giraffe, Tanzania. Photograph by Peter Stanley, National Geographic Your Shot
I was sitting on the grass photographing a powerful sunset when I looked back to see this curious giraffe slowly approaching. The distant storm was glowing with the last light of the day, and as I lifted my camera, the giraffe froze for one photo before turning toward the hills of Mikumi, Tanzania.
Kangaroos, Australia. Photograph by Adhi Anggadjaja, National Geographic Your Shot
During closing time at the Phillip Island Wildlife Park in July 2012, the roos were together resting and grazing as the winter sun was setting.
Росомаха, Камчатка
Даже сквозь толстый слой снега росомаха может учуять добычу. Зрение у этой хищницы плохое, а вот слух и обоняние — превосходные. (Фото Сергея Горшкова)
Praying Mantis. Photograph by Cyril Verron, National Geographic Your Shot
Another picture from my work on the praying mantis
Zebra, Kenya. Photograph by Johan Siggesson, National Geographic Your Shot
From a mayhem of hooves, stripes, and whinnying, suddenly an eye popped up between the manes. Originally set out to take a more abstract image of the zebra herd, I just managed to capture the eye before the moment was gone. For me it serves as a reminder that someone, or something, is always watching.