Environment

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A North American Opossum characteristically "playing opossum" (i.e. feigning death).

Why Do Animals Play Dead?

A variety of animals "play dead", including mammals, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Remnant ashes of ivory confiscated from poachers and scorched by Kenyan authorities.

Ivory Burning: Does It Deter Elephant Poaching In Kenya?

Across the globe, and especially in Kenya, burning and other methods of destroying confiscated ivory are employed to frustrate poachers, and thus save elephants.

April 25, 2017 12:31

A Monarch butterfly feeds upon milkweed, one of its most important sources of sustenance.

Monarch Butterflies: A North American Treasure In Crisis

Deforestation and a loss milkweed, an important plant upon which to lay their eggs and feed, are each severely disrupting the Monarchs' life cycles.

April 25, 2017 12:31

An Irrawady dolphin swims upon its back.

Most Threatened Species Of Dolphin

All around the world dolphins, like many other aquatic mammals are threatened by anthropogenic activities. But just which ones are in the gravest of danger?

April 25, 2017 12:31

Receded waters of the Juruá River during the dry season.

The Juruá (Yuruá) River Of South America

The Juruá River (a.k.a. Rio Yuruá) is navigable for the majority of its 1,500-mile length in Brazil and Peru.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Ilha da Queimada Grande, as seen from above.

Brazil's Forbidden Snake Island

Ilha da Queimada Grande has been shut off from the public in order to protect both people and the Golden Lancehead pit vipers that live there.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Spanish moss, trees, and shrubs along the water banks in the Okefenokee wetlands.

The Okefenokee Blackwater Swamp

This peat-filled wetland covers more than 400,000 acres along the border between the U.S. states of Florida and Georgia.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Fertile farming region along the Orontes River Valley in Syria.

The Orontes: The Backwards River of the Levant

This river's waters run in the opposite direction of most others in the region around Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon.

April 25, 2017 12:31

The Rice Paddy Fields Of Asia: Cultural, Economic, And Culinary Importance

Paddies, or padis, are a means of growing rice under partially flooded conditions, mainly seen in South and East Asia.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Vast expanses of fertile farmlands stretch out in the Jezreel Valley below the Samarian Highlands.

Jezreel Valley: The Breadbasket of Israel

This fertile valley crossing into Lower Galilee and the Samarian Highlands of Israel is one of the most important agricultural regions in the Middle East.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Lake Itasca in the U.S. state of Minnesota serves as the primary headwaters for the Mississippi River.

What Are River Headwaters?

Headwaters are simply the initial source of the water in a river, opposite of either its emptying point or confluence with another water body.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Isthmus of Panama: Bridge Between The Pacific And Caribbean Worlds

Also known as the Istmo de Darien, the isthmus contains the nation of Panama and its people, one of the world's most important canals, and all manner of wildlife.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Large, stone-hewn, Iron Age jars in the Xiangkhoang Plateau.

The Xiangkhoang Plateau Of Laos

This plateau in the north of Laos is home to the "Plain of Jars", a collection of almost 100 Iron Age jar sites.

April 25, 2017 12:31

Majuli: Massive River Island Of The Brahmaputra

India's largest river island is covered with Hindu sacred place and supports a thriving agricultural sector, though constant erosion is taking its toll.

April 25, 2017 12:31