The largest web-spinning spider in the world has been identified, and she’s a terror. The Nephila komaci was discovered in South Africa and displays some rather fascinating characteristics. Its webs, which can reach up to one meter wide, are impressive. But the most striking feature of the spider is its extreme sexual size dismorphism; in plain English, that means the female of the species is dramatically larger than the male.

The average female Nephila komaci is approximately 40 mm long. The male of the species is about one-fifth the size of the female, and is often devoured after inseminating the female. In this pictures, the males are so tiny that it’s hard to believe they are the same species at all. The extreme size difference between the genders isn’t due to small males; rather, it’s due to female gigantism. The females have evolved into their larger size because being big helps them survive longer. Males, on the other hand, get to pass on their genes more effectively if they can climb onto the female to inseminate her, making their smaller size much more desirable from an evolutionary standpoint.

(images via: io9)

Although the species was just formally announced in October 2009, the first known specimen was collected in 1978. It was found in a museum collection some 22 years later, but since no other specimen could be found it was assumed that the spider was either a hybrid, or that the species it belonged to was now extinct. When two females and a male were collected from Tembe Elephant Park in 2009, it became clear that the spider was indeed a new, existing species.

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(Images via: Animal Pictures Archive, It’s Nature, Photo Bucket, It’s Nature, PBS)

With the endless run of horror movies, spook houses, candy, pumpkin seeds and other perks, Halloween is about as good as it gets in terms of a holiday that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Now just don’t think that Halloween is for little kids and “adults” like me who may still be considered children. The deep sea has its fair share of scary creatures who were made for this day and are sure to send a chill down the spine. In celebration of the 31 days of October, here are 31 deep sea monsters — some quite large and intimidating, others much smaller but equally or even more dangerous — that could have starred in the B-rate horror flicks getting major play today. For all you ghosts and goblins and trick or treaters out there, enjoy learning about these freaky creatures while having a safe Halloween.

Don’t  Swim in the Deep Sea

(Images via: Deep Sea Anglerfish, China Sea, Star Bulletin, Nette Key If)

Let’s begin our journey of the sea monsters that inhabit the mysterious, cold waters of the oceans, beginning with the deep sea anglerfish in the upper left-hand corner and eventually swimming our way to the fangtooth in the lower left-hand corner. Looking as if it was just shot out of the fiery gates of hell, the small but vicious deep sea anglerfish is also known as the common black devil, which makes sense considering that it deceptively uses the appendage at the top of its head to emit a blue/green light for luring prey into its big mouth. Another ferocious predator despite its diminutive size, the deep sea dragonfish is known for its large, hinged teeth while the longer and slender, female black dragonfish also produces its own light in addition to possessing fang-like teeth that would make Dracula jealous. Speaking of dangerous teeth, the appropriately-named fangtooth features the largest teeth of any fish in the ocean in proportion to its size, and is also known as the “ogrefish” or common sabrefish. No word if this fangtooth wants to suck your blood, but for other fish in the ocean, look out when crossing this bully.

Danger, Danger: Beware of the Bright Shining Lights

(Images via: Wolaver, Sreeh, It’s Nature)

Just as heeding the call of the Sirens was a bad idea in Greek mythology, the same goes for being drawn to the bright lights in the deep sea. Many other scary fish are capable of producing their own light (a process known as bioluminescence) to either distract predators or tempt prey. With the pale apparition of a ghost, the one-to-six inch hatchetfish not only produces light to hide from predators but resembles the blade of…you guessed it…a hatchet, the preferred weapon of Lizzy Borden. As for the Lanternfish, they emit light to attract smaller fish to feed on, and judging by their bright, blue eyes, they may also have telekinetic powers. Last but not least, the small predator fish known as lizardfish may not be the brightest bulb in this bunch, but they certainly make up for it with mouths and even tongues that are comprised of sharp needles rather than teeth. Like a zombie reaching its hand through the ground, the lizardfish sit on the bottom of ocean floor and wait for prey to swim by before ambushing them with their powerful jaws.

The Deadly Bite of the Viperfish

(Images via: Ibiblio, Sumedh, Neat-O-Rama)

What do you get when you combine the fang-like teeth of a vampire with the breakneck speed of a werewolf? The viperfish, of course. Viperfish fangs are so large that they don’t fit in the fish’s mouth but rather curve back to the eyes. Lucky for the viperfish, it avoids poking its eyes out; however, for smaller prey, they are not so lucky. Swimming at its victims at high speeds, the viperfish is believed to impale its competition before feeding on them. So not only does the viperfish act like 80s slasher star Jason Voorhees but it looks like the Camp Crystal Lake favorite without the hockey mask, as evident by the picture in the upper right-hand corner.

Some Deep Sea Monsters Are Just So Disgusting

(Images via: Lazy Lizard Tales, Kusawake, Island Environment Blog, Cute and Weird)

Remember the cute but oh so messy Slimer from Ghostbusters? The Atlantic hagfish is the “Slimer” of deep sea monsters. Looking like an eel but not an eel, the hagfish sneezes slime that contains strong fibers and is thus difficult to remove. Furthermore, the hagfish can emit enough slime to fill a milk jug. At least the hagfish isn’t the bizarre and depressed blobfish, with its large nose, two eyes and sad expression that can make residing in the saltwater coasts of Tasmania and Australia a real downer. Once thought to be extinct, the prehistoric coelacanth is actually still alive, although it is worthless to eat since its tissues spew oil and a nasty odor following death. Speaking of foul smells, the giant grenadier fish is not only known for its giant mouth but a smelly chemical compound that would make Peanuts’ Pigpen embarrassed. And to cap it off, these slow-as-molasses grenadiers love to feed on smelly carcasses. Makes sense, you think?

Night of the Living Dead Fish

(Images via: Vanaqua, Dave Harasti, Flickr, Mex Fish)

Appropriately-named given the theme of this Halloween-related post, the bottom dwelling coffin fish features fins that act like legs and allow it to crawl and walk on the bottom of the sea floor. In a similar light, the rare Australian fish known as the spotted handfish features pectoral fins that act like hands for deep sea walking. As long as these day and night walkers don’t start talking and clamoring for “Brains” like zombies, things should be all good. Speaking of brains, the eyes of stargazers are located near their brains, on top of their heads to be more precise. This may be hard to tell with the above stargazing monster buried in the sand, but is more apparent with the land-based example of this fish. In addition to the weirdly-positioned eyes, stargazers are venomous, with two large poison spines behind the opercle (the upper bone that helps form the gill) and above their pectoral fins. Even more shocking, stargazers can cause electrical shocks, making it very irresponsible for other fish to have their attention diverted to the heavens when a stargazer is around.

Certainly Not James Woods’ Short-Lived TV Series “Shark”

(Images via: Fun Is 2 Cool, UFL, Bog Leech, Supiri)

A list of deep sea monsters would be lacking without the “Jaws” of the sea. While we all know about great white and hammerhead sharks, don’t sleep on the megamouth shark and sixgill shark. Not discovered until 1976, the rare megamouth shark is a mystery, with its large mouth and small teeth, rounded snout that makes it look like an orca whale, and luminous photophores around the mouth. Like the megamouth shark, the sixgill shark can reach up to 18 feet in length, but is distinctive in that it has six rather than five gills and only one dorsal fin (located closer to its tail). A close relative to sharks, chimaeras are kind of what you think sharks would look like in hell. Judging by the bottom images of the fiery red chimaera and the long-nosed chimaera, it’s not wonder these deep sea creatures are also referred to as ratfishes and ghost sharks.

Getting Overwhelmed by Other Sea Giants

(Images via: Fish Govt., Shnock, Pixdaus, One Inch Punch)

When you can reach up to 60 feet in size like the colossal or giant squid, you don’t need any extra advantages. Yet the world’s largest invertebrates grip prey with sucker rings on the ends of their limbs, which also feature sharp hooks for good measure. The only known enemy of the giant squid is the mammoth sperm whale, with males reaching 60 feet and weighing 40-50 tons. It is believed that sperm whales are able to feed on colossal squid because of a dark, waxy substance similar to cholesterol (called ambergis) that is produced in their lower intestines and protects them from squid stings. Now just how tough and intimidating are sperm whales? They’ve been documented attacking and feeding off the mammoth and elusive megamouth shark.

Scaring (and Gripping) the Life Out of Me

(Images via: MLML, What’s the Crack,Flickr, Aqua Views)

If there’s one thing that holds true with deep sea monsters, it’s that size does not always the matter. Only three inches long, the firefly squid is able to flash blue lights on and off, attracting smaller fish and then attacking them with their strong tentacles. Similarly, Dana octopus squid feature glowing arms that lure, stun and blind prey. Once mistaken by researchers to be an octopus, the six-inch vampire squid is equipped with eight arms that can be used like a webbed cape and thrown over its body for protection. Within this webbing are two jaws that are strong enough to crack the shells of crustaceans. Only the size of a golf ball, the blue-ringed octopus is extremely poisonous and capable of killing a human in minutes. Unfortunately, this octopus does not make its blue rings apparent until its ready to attack, putting unknowing humans and prey in danger, especially when considering that there is no known antidote to this poison.

A Creepy Feel for These Eels

(Images via: Flickr, Alloom, Flickr Weird Sea Monsters)

Talk about a deep sea monster that looks like a scientific experiment gone madly wrong, the gulper eel will make you gulp with its abnormally large mouth that is much larger than its body. With 750 vertebrae in its spine, the snipe eel has more vertebrae than any other animal on Earth in its five-foot long body, which is 75 times more long than wide. Adding to the creepiness of the snipe eel, its anus is located on its throat. Rarely seen, the oarfish looks like a mythological sea serpent even though it isn’t one (despite what its 36 foot length may tell you otherwise).

Rounding Out Our Deep Sea Monsters

(Images via: It’s Nature, Flickr, Flickr, Reef Suckers)

How the tables have turned. Small sunfish are often caught in our lakes, but in the ocean, specific types of sunfish called molas can reach up to 600 pounds. As rare as catching these fish are, equally weird is the fact that molas look like they’ve been chopped in half. Despite dwelling at the bottom of the sea, wing-like sea robins look like birds in flight as they swim, specifically because of large pectoral fins that open and close akin to a flying motion. While in the same family of shrimps and crabs, the relatively large giant isopod ranges from 12 to 16 inches in length and is a bit unsettling to look at even for a scavenger, particularly due to its deep sea gigantism and resemblance to an “Alien vs. Predator” creature. Also inhabiting the ocean floor, sea cucumbers are in the same classification of starfish and sea urchins. Now if  you get a sea cucumber when trick or treating, give it back as they are equivalent to eating a very bad fruit. For more information on deep sea monsters, visit the highly informational and interactive Web site, SeaSky.

Nature's Halloween Screams: 20 Scary Animals

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(Images via: Nose Digg, The Hostess, Somethin Beautiful, Wolaver)

With Halloween just around the corner, what better time than now to talk about some of the scariest and freakiest animals in nature. From the nocturnal primate (ayer ayer) that looks like a gremlin to the appropriately-named vampire bat that subsists on blood to a blobfish engulfing anything in its path to the hatchetfish with their ghostly apparitions, nature truly consists of some animals that can at times seem straight out of horror movies.

Hardly Out of Sight, Out of Mind Underwater

(Images via: Wild Animal Fight Club, L’s the Word, Epica Ceremony)

Thanks to the various “Jaws” movies of the late seventies and early 80s, it’s safe to say that this author has never placed a foot in the ocean out of fear of encountering the legendary monster, the “blood-thirsty” great white shark. Of course, movies tend to dramatize things, but the fact remains that the fear still exists all these years later. In simple terms, there is something very unsettling about floating in the water, with hundreds of miles and who knows what moving below you. Of course, the ocean’s waters are haunted by more than sharks, octopus and whatever this freaky, gap-toothed fish creature is.

Ghostly and Monstrous Deep Sea Creatures

(Images via: Flickr, Science Ray, Dark Roast Blend, Science Blogs)

The deeper the ocean gets, the stranger the fish become. Imagine scuba diving and running into some of these guys above, which are sure to send chills down the spine, cause you to clench your oxygen tank a little tighter and maybe even make you feel as if you’re in the depths of fiery hell (well at least this red fish in the upper-left hand corner). The monk fish (upper-right hand corner) looks more like a monster than a saint, while the viper fish has haunting eyes that cut right through you. As for the gulper eel (lower-right hand corner), it looks like a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong, at least from this point of view.

If Looks Could Kill

(Images via: Gateways Clearinghouse, It’s Nature, Wunder Ground, Science Ray, Ugly Overlord)

Reptiles are cold-blooded, which makes sense when considering the sheer intimidation that they can cast with a cold, blank stare. Simply looking into the eyes of these fellows can leave one feeling possessed and under their control. And when these creatures get mad, as evident above, their reactions are enough to leave you having nightmares for weeks to come. And let’s not enough talk about how the presence of a snake makes me feel.

Soft and Furry Until They Get Angry

(Images via: Flickr, Flickr, The Web site of Everything, Flickr, Flickr)

Various land-based animals that look cute or appear aloof for the most part can get quite nasty and vicious when need be. If you ever run across these critters on a bad day, be careful. These rabies-infested animals are not afraid of showing their teeth, hissing and letting you know who is in control. With all that said, most wild animals simply want to be left alone and are harmless unless they feel threatened. As has always been the case, respect the animals and they will typically respect you.

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Outdoor photographers rely on a great eye to relay the picture they see in their heart and want to share. They travel the globe to capture images of gorgeous wildlife and lovely landscapes, using time-tested techniques and tremendous talent to touch our emotions with their recorded moment of time. Here are 14 of the best and the brightest contemporary outdoor photographers and 37 of their breathtakingly creative images.

Pam Wood

(image credits: Photography by Pame)

Pam Wood is a freelance photographer who offers a vast selection of photos from around the globe. She has a quest for capturing the world at its best with her camera, her quest is to capture the magic of moment in time. Wood hopes her pictures make people laugh or smile, while encouraging us to do what we can to preserve our planet for future generation to enjoy. “This is an incredible planet we all live on. Let’s celebrate life!” Her photo of a tiger underwater was one of the finalists in the Natural World category of Smithsonian magazine’s 6th Annual Photo Contest.

Galen Rowell

(image credits: Mountain Light)

Galen Rowell was an internationally beloved freelance photographer and global adventurer. His life was tragically cut short when a private plane with his wife and two friends crashed near his home. He offered worldwide wisdom on the environmental impact being wrought upon people and their lands. Some of his works include wild horses in Patagonia, Argentina, and a rare 360-degree rainbow over Na Pali Coast, Kauai Island in Hawaii. He captured another rainbow, many in fact, this one over Hidden Peak, Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan. The next to lower right is called, Stormy Sunset over Evolution Lake. In the bottom right, Star streaks over South Gasherbrum Glacier in Pakistan.

Curious Expeditions – Michelle Enemark and Dylan Thuras

(image credits:Curious Expeditions)

Aptly named Curious Expeditions, these photographers, Michelle Enemark and Dylan Thuras, travel the world snapping shots of bizarre yet beautiful places. The top photo is of beautiful Rose Valley, Göreme. Göreme, an area with fairy chimneys, is in Cappadocia, Turkey. The deep valleys and soaring rock formations are volcanic rock that has slowly eroded away to create strange “Fairy Chimneys”. The locals had believed them extraordinarily magical places that only fairies could have created. Ancient people hollowed out the fairy chimneys to carve out homes, chapels, and tombs from the soft inner rock. They also tunneled to create underground cities, some going down eight stories. The bottom picture is a fairy chimney hotel which is also located in Göreme.

Patrick Smith

(image credits:Patrick Smith)

Sometimes nature can take your breath away with her beauty. Patrick Smith has enormous talent taking photographs. The top picture is called Big Sur, Portal of the Sun. It was the winner in the 2009 Nature’s Best Ocean Views competition. Smith says, This sea arch opening in a cliff face at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur allows large waves to come through at high tide before a big storm. The waves often fill the entire portal to the top, and the portal becomes a giant water shotgun! The Tufoni formations in the rock are incredible and should be seen in person.” The bottom photo is of Trinidad Beach which is north of Eureka, California. At high tide, the amazing cloud layers and intense colors are spectacular.

James Neeley

(image credits:James Neeley)

James Neeley takes stunning photos, making it easy to see why landscapes are usually devoted to nature without mankind polluting the frame. At Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, buffalo still roam and graze on Antelope Flats as seen at Moulton Barn shortly before a storm broke loose. The top right photo is of Lower Antelope Canyon, also called The Corkscrew. It is a hot destination for photographers like James Neeley who titled this picture Nature’s Abstraction. On the bottom left, the lake has a majestic backdrop of the Teton Range in the morning light. There is no mistaking Monument Valley landscape for any other spot in the world. It once stood synonymous for the Wild West. The iconic sandstone buttes have been a famous landscape in media genres since the 1930s.

Stuck in CustomsTrey Ratcliff

(image credit:Stuck in Customs)

Trey Ratcliff is the creative photographer behind Stuck in Customs. He captured this stunning shot in the final hours of daylight, the rugged peaks near the southern tip of Argentina and the edge of Chile, just a glacier away from Antarctica. He stayed there watching icebergs float by until the last morsels of dusk remained. To capture this moment in time, Ratcliff stated, ‘I started on one edge of these rugged peaks and moved around to this side, to get the view from the glacial lake. The spiked mountains there are Cerro Torre, and I was very lucky to see them without cloud cover. I understand they are covered up 90% of the time, so to have crystal clear air was fortunate. The glacier there, which presents on the right but really goes back behind many more mountains, is called “glacier grande”.’

Mario Bertocchi

(image credits:Mario Bertocchi)

Photographer Mario Bertocchi possesses an uncanny knack for capturing captivating moments of time and stunning landscapes. Promise of a new day is the title of the top photo. After a morning storm, a rainbow shimmers over the Teton Mountains. There are no foothills along the Tetons, making the view dramatic as they rise sharply from the surrounding terrain to about 7,000 feet. In the bottom landscape, the rugged coast and steep terraces of Cinque Terre National Park overlook the sea. Cinque Terra is located on the Italian Riviera and is made up of five villages. This view is of Riomaggiore.

ZooBorns

(image credits:ZooBorns)

As their name implies, ZooBorns specializes in baby animals born in zoos. Many of their photos are taken outside, but taking pictures of newborn animals sometimes takes them indoors as well. They share their photographs online and hope you see something that brightens your day. Part of their mission is to help people learn about the need to protect these adorable animals in the wild and the ways in which accredited zoos and aquariums contribute to this cause.

National Geographic Photographers

(image credits:National Geographic, National Geographic Travel)

Per-Andre Hoffmann

(image credits:Per-Andre Hoffmann)

Professional photographer Per-Andre Hoffmann has been called a “magician of light”. Although he travels around the globe to find the perfect moment and capture it, these images were taken near where he is based, Makati City, Philippines. The top left photo of the starfish was captured at Palawan, Philippines, which was once named as the best island destination in East and Southeast Asia by National Geographic Traveler. The top right picture is of the Mayon volcano that erupted in 2007. The bottom photograph is of the famous Manila Bay sunset.

Jason Bradley

(image credits: Bradley Photographic)

Jason Bradley had wanted to be a marine scientist. As an aspiring researcher, photography was a vital tool. Becoming a photographer was an afterthought for Bradley. He adores nature and most of his freelance photos are marine related. He is an expert at capturing underwater shots and has many galleries showcasing his works.

BONUS SHOTS Pam Wood

(image credits: Photography by Pame)

Pam Wood is an unbelievably talented photographer. Although she also snaps landscapes, her animal shots are extraordinary. From Rainbow Flamingos to the bottom lion cub that she titled, Yummy, she showcases her skills. Expect to see more and more great pictures emerge from Pam Wood.

BONUS Patrick Smith

(image credit:Patrick Smith)

Patrick Smith calls this photo Maelstrom. He risked his life to snap this shot in Kauai, Hawaii. He states, “I had this near-death experience on my last trip to Kauai! This lava-ledge is 20 feet above the sea, and I suppose the incoming wave is twice that height. This is not the Sprouting Horn near Poipu and it is not Queen’s bath! It is called the Mokolea Lava Pools.”

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As the days shorten and the weather gets colder, it’s easy for most of us humans to adapt. Simply break out the long underwear, dust off the winter coat and we’re pretty much ready to go, at least here in the Midwest. Now what about those animals out in the wild? While we’re all familiar with bears hibernating through the winter, birds migrating to warmer settings and other animals living off stored food that they’ve been saving up since the summer, how the heck do those animals who remain active not only brave the elements but function in these conditions, especially in the coldest regions of the world? Understanding the answer to this question requires an appreciation for the adaptability, resiliency and creativity of leatherback turtles, penguins, arctic foxes, golden-crowned kinglets  and many other animals.

Take Your Leather Coat, Give Me a Leatherback Turtle

(Images via: Tree Hugger, Aint Chicken, Raka Only, Flickr)

Around for more than 100 million years, the leatherback turtle has certainly evolved as a deep sea diver capable of surviving in the coldest, deepest waters. For these unique reptiles, it’s good to be big. Weighing up to 2,000 pounds, leatherbacks remain warm in cold water in large part to their mass and natural abilities to slow heat loss. Outgoing blood warms cool blood in the leatherback flippers before it reaches the body core, and a sphincter in these turtle’s throats shuts off blood flow to the lungs when diving, allowing these amazing creatures to conserve energy when needed. In the deepest waters, leatherbacks get plenty of sustenance from jellyfish, their favorite meal.

March (Madness) of the Penguins: Survive and Advance

(Images via: Red Bubble, Flickr, Penguins Land)

While penguins may be celebrated in film for their triumphs on land (and aided outside the water during the cold by their compact feathers, including up to 70 feathers per square inch), these intriguing fellas do spend nearly 3/4 of their lives in the water. So what is the key to their success? Chalk it up to an insulating layer of blubber and the ability to generate body heat by staying active (penguins are able to jet through the water at speeds of up to 15 mph). Other ways penguins stay warm include tucking in their flippers to reduce the surface area for heat loss, absorbing heat from the sun via their black, back feathers, and reducing their contact with the ice by tipping up their feet and standing on their heels in a tripod-like position.

Size Matters: Bigger (and thus Warmer) than the Competition

(Images via: Flickr, Animal Aquatic, Aquatic Community)

For other warm-blooded mammals like whales, seals and walruses, it certainly helps to be big, as the larger the mammal, the lesser the surface area to lose heat. With that said, fur seals benefit not only from weighing roughly 600 pounds as adults but having thick under and overcoats that they shed once a year, and blubber under the skin that can range from one to six inches. For Beluga whales, five inches of blubber certainly helps, as do unique adaptations like a dorsal fin that can break through ice for attaining fresh air, a flexible neck that allows for more maneuverability while navigating cold waters during migration, and amazing endurance (these whales can cover 100 miles in one day). Eat your heart out, Michael Phelps.

Becoming One with the Land

(Images via: Squidoo, From Smiler with Love, Next Stop, Flickr)

Outside the water, land-based animals must be as adaptive to the perils of the Arctic tundra in order to ensure survival. What blubber is to keeping penguins, seals, whales and walruses warm, fur is to caribou, musk oxen and arctic wolves, with the last two examples having thick, long hair overcoats and supplemental undercoats of fleece and fur, respectively. In comparison to other wolves, arctic wolves have smaller, rounder ears and shorter muzzles and legs that help them reduce heat loss. For some animals like the arctic fox, snowshoe hare, collared lemming, and ermine (least weasel), their fur actually changes colors from brownish-gray to white during the winter, offering them not only a needed blanket but an advantageous form of camouflage that makes them hard to identify in the snow. Lemmings, which look like fat furry hamsters, and arctic ground squirrels (the only arctic animal to hibernate) also keep themselves warm by staying in tunnels under the snow (as Ben Folds Five once sang, “you can be happy underground”), while hundreds of arctic hare display another crafty way of generating heat by congregating and packing themselves close to each other.

Adaptive Skills Fit for a Diminutive King

(Image via: Flickr)

Last but not least is the cool story of the golden-crowned kinglet, a tiny bird that resides in Canada and various parts of the United States, Central America and Mexico. Weighing less than a fifth of an ounce, this bird species is able to survive cold weathers via several intriguing adaptations. Researchers have found that the kinglets subsist on hibernating inchworms that reside in their stomachs, keep warm via their plentiful feathers that insulate their small bodies, provide further insulation by puffing out thier bodies (similar to many other birds), and huddle together at night for even more warmth.

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Freelance photographers roam the planet in search of that perfect moment in time. Some of these artist use their cameras to share with us hidden natural delights. There is magic in that moment that can awaken our spirits to also love that split millisecond of space, time, and beauty. Freelance photographers take us underwater, across the sea, out in the middle of nowhere to bring us breathtaking landscapes and spectacular wildlife. Here are 10 world-class freelance photographers and 36 photos of their famous works.

George Lepp

(image credits: George Lepp)

George Lepp is well-known outdoor and nature photographer. His stunning images reveal his environmental responsibility and passion for natural beauty. He captures landscapes and animals with his camera before sharing them with the world. Lepp also writes about his biological and photographic knowledge. The above photos are of a Colorado landscape, tulip fields, a leopard, and hippos in Africa.

Jim Zuckerman

(image credits: Corporate Fine Art)

Wildlife, nature, and travel, a far cry from most doctor’s lives, but that is what Jim Zuckerman started off to be in his career before changing over to a photographer. He started a love affair with photography when he was 20. Like many of the artists featured here, he is a multi-published author and world traveler. His works cover a wild range of topics, but pictured above is a seahorse, a Morpho butterfly from Peru, a vicious piranha, a close encounter with a snarling leopard in Namibia, a giant katydid from Papua, New Guinea, and sparing elk from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Jonathan Blair, Robert Turner, David Muench, Nevada Wier

(image credits: Crocodile Fotos, Crocodile Fotos, theg2gallery,Muench Photography, Nevada Wier, Nevada Wier)

Jonathan Blair was first published in National Geographic Magazine, before his photography took him into adventure stories and underwater photos. The top left picture is called, Exclusive Dining: “The vivid mottlecah eucalyptus lures Australian honey possums, one of two mammal species that live only on nectar and pollen.” The top right is Blair’s of Saunderskill Stream. Robert Turner is an avid conservationist who began as a documentary filmmaker before shifting his skill to photography. He searches out perfect natural lighting as in the woods pictured above. David Muench has more than forty books of landscaping photography. He also works with other photographers in workshops. The bottom left photo of Muench’s is called, Extreme Sierras. Nevada Wier is yet another award-winning freelance photographer. She specializes in very remote corners of the globe and the cultures that inhabit them.The two bottom right photos are hers; she snapped the Galapagos Sea Lions off of Espanola Island and the misty sunrise was captured in Myanmar Maurk.

Jason Bradley

(image credits: Bradley Photographic)

Jason Bradley had wanted to be a marine scientist. As an aspiring researcher, photography was a vital tool. Becoming a photographer was an afterthought for Bradley. He adores nature and most of his freelance photos are marine related. He is an expert at capturing underwater shots and has many galleries showcasing his works.

Dennis Nigel

(image credits: Dennis Nigel)

Dennis Nigel is a wildlife photographer. His works include anything African, wildlife, scenery, people and culture. He offers over 70,000 images on his site as well as extensive photo tips. At top left are cheetah cubs, the picture taken at Kapama Game Reserve, South Africa. Below that image is a meerkat captured at sunset as well a lions all snapped in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. At the top right is Parson’s Chamaeleon, an endangered rainforest species photographed in Madagascar. Nigel also specializes in landscapes, in freezing the moment forever with his camera and then sharing with us the beauty of our natural world.

Pam Wood

(image credits: Photography by Pame)

Pam Wood is a freelance photographer who offers a vast selection of photos from around the globe. She has a quest for capturing the world at its best with her camera, her quest is to capture the magic of moment in time. Wood hopes her pictures make people laugh or smile, while encouraging us to do what can to preserve our planet for future generation to enjoy. “This is an incredible planet we all live on. Let’s celebrate life!”

Galen Rowell

(image credits: Mountain Light)

Galen Rowell was an internationally beloved freelance photographer and global adventurer. His life was tragically cut short when a private plane with his wife and two friends crashed near his home. He offered worldwide wisdom on the environmental impact being wrought upon people and their lands. Some of his works include wild horses in Patagonia, Argentina, a rare 360-degree rainbow over Na Pali Coast, Kauai Island in Hawaii. He captured another rainbow, many in fact, this one over Hidden Peak, Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan. The next to lower right is called, Stormy Sunset over Evolution Lake. In the bottom right, Star streaks over South Gasherbrum Glacier in Pakistan.

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(Images via: Phys Org, Soiled Laundry, A Minus 3, Dem Left)

Nature is all about survival of the fittest, a challenging truth to smaller animals who may lack the size of their predators but make up for this difference with shrewd intelligence and deception. From the gecko self-amputating its tail to distract larger animals on the prowl to sea worms dropping “green bombs” when disturbed or in danger to orangutans inventing an effective language to fend off bigger enemies, illusion is a crucial and amazing component of the animal kingdom.

Heads You Live, Tails You Survive

(Images via: Zipline, Straits Times, Wired)

What do spiders, sea stars, lobsters and gecko lizards all have in common? They all have the ability to lose appendages at their own discretion. What’s especially unique with the gecko is that it utilizes self-amputation of its tail as a strange means to distract predators, ultimately allowing the lizard to escape unharmed. Amazingly, the gecko tail is part of its spinal cord, and maintains function when it is dropped. Researchers have documented the detached tail moving around and flopping nearly two inches off the ground for up to 30 minutes, providing the gecko with plenty of time to seek freedom as the predator takes its eye off the prize.

While geckos can grow a new tail in nearly two months, such detachment is not without a downside. Gecko tails store extra body fat and nutrients that are beneficial to the lizard, and the new tails do not grow in quite as nicely. As a result, geckos will often return to the site of detachment to try and recoup some of the nutrients stored in their tail. Still, if a gecko ever finds itself in a jam, don’t be surprised if it thinks with not only its head but its tail when diverting hungry predators.

Bombs Away: Two Can Play the Appendage Game

(Images via: Dogo News)

What geckos are to self-amputation on the land, newly-found sea worms are to self-detachment in the water. Just this past August, researchers detailed the discovery of seven new species of sea worms that live anywhere from just under 6,000 to 12,000 feet in the Pacific Ocean. Apparently, when these sea worms are disturbed, they repeatedly release round, oval or long appendages that glow bright green and distract larger fish.  Scientifically named Swima bombiviridis but more stylishly dubbed “green bombers,” these underwater glowworms are like the gecko in that they are able to make do without these lost body parts and regenerate. The lesson to be learned: don’t ever anger these “green bombers” because they armed and dangerous, and willing to shoot repeatedly.

Termites: A Real Pain in the Ear

(Images via: Wild Biology, Padil, Science Blogs, Spiegel)

Most people who grew up with older brothers know what it’s like to be pushed around and bullied by family. Well, a smaller and wimpier yet smarter class of termites can relate to the feeling…but in their case, the stakes are much higher. Known as Cryptotermes secundus, these small termites are able to coexist in trees and wood despite the presence of their larger cousins, Coptotermes acinaciformis, which feature deadly mandibles that make any encounter a lopsided affair. So how exactly do the smaller termites survive in the presence of their vicious cousins? By eavesdropping. More specifically, these smaller termites interpret the vibrations of these larger termites as they chew, and use these audio cues to gauge how close the danger is in proximity. With this gift of listening put to use, the smaller termites will start tunneling away to safer enclaves where their own species are located. As for those bigger termites, guess the old saying “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” doesn’t quite apply.

Birds of the Feather Flee Together

(Images via: Bwog, Project Visual, Mdahlem)

Nearly everyone who has worked in a downtown metropolis or simply strolled through a park can relate to the image of an annoying flock of pigeons taking off simultaneously when humans get too close. Not known until recently, startled pigeons are able to flee at the same time due to a unique form of communication that has nothing to do with their squawking and a talking but rather their wings. More specifically, Australian researchers recently discovered that the wings of Crested Pigeons emit a whistling sound when the bird is alarmed, likely due to a primary feather on each wing that is smaller than the other feathers and ultimately acts like a reed that vibrates and makes a loud shrill sound when coming in contact with the other feathers.

Interestingly, the researchers were able to unlock this hidden pigeon communication — marked by takeoffs that are louder and faster than usual — in field studies that used recorded audio of pigeons rapidly fleeing from a simulated hawk call. Upon hearing this audio of the whistling wings, the studied pigeons took off, indicating that they received the signal of perceived danger. So just when nothing else that pigeons do seems to make any sense, at least this whistling indicates some intelligence from these typically crazy birds.

Orangutan Kiss Squeak Speaks of Deception & Innovation

(Images via: Monkey Day News, Smithsonian Mag, 4015)

Just because orangutans are bigger than the other animals mentioned in this article doesn’t mean that they don’t have to or won’t use their noggin for deceptive purposes. According to new research, orangutans have invented a new “kiss squeak” sound to trick approaching predators into thinking that they are bigger than they really are. Now here’s the real kicker: orangutans use a sound modification tool that they crafted themselves out of leaves stripped from twigs to make the squeak, which usually causes the predators to alter their plans. Here’s guessing that Tarzan would be proud of the crude yet effective orangutan invention.

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74 of the World's Strangest Animals

Some of the strangest, most amazing and most threatened species in the world. Some of these animals may appear harmless but are all too deadly while others ...

They may not win any beauty contests anytime soon, but the weird wonders of the animal world are infinitely more interesting than any mundane and adorable little creature. The Earth is full of rare and bizarre fish, amphibians, mammals and more that shock us with gigantic teeth, creepy gelatinous skin, retractable claws and parasitic mating habits. From the dark depths of the sea to the treetops of Madagascar, these 15 strange animals are quite a sight to behold.

Viperfish

(images via: Courier Post, Duke University)

The depths of the ocean are literally swimming with creatures straight out of your weirdest nightmares, and the Viper Fish is among the scariest. This grotesque-looking creature has teeth so large, they don’t fit in its mouth. It swims at high speed toward its victims and impales them upon its sharp teeth

Sea Pig

(images via: funster.us)

With its pallid pink flesh, the scotoplane – known as a sea pig – resembles some kind of tumorous growth that was just excised from somebody’s abdomen. But, this strange creature is actually a type of sea cucumber. Sea pigs look and act sort of like slugs, feeding on organic materials that settle on the ocean floor.

Aye-Aye

(images via: The Telegraph)

Few mammals are as weird looking as the endangered Aye-Aye, a lemur found only on the island of Madagascar, but – surprise! It’s actually a close relative of humans. With big protruding eyes, super-skinny fingers and a huge bushy tail, Aye-Ayes are pretty unique.  Their bat-like ears allow them to detect insect larvae squirming inside trees, and they’ve also got a sweet tooth for coconut and sugar cane, which gets them in trouble with farmers.

Horror Frog

(images via: New Scientist)

It’s called a ‘horror frog’, but this amphibian isn’t the star of a b-movie. It’s so named because of its ability to actively break its own bones to produce claws. Hairy and bizarre, the horror frog – also nicknamed the wolverine frog, after the comic book character – can break its bones so that they puncture its toe pads, producing extendable claws on demand when threatened. This Cameroon native, which is often roasted and eaten, was discovered in 2008.

Giant Isopod

(images via: Wikipedia)

If you’re afraid of bugs, you’re really not going to like the Giant Isopod. It resembles nothing so much as a cockroach the size of a guinea pig, but it’s actually a crustacean related to shrimp and crabs. These scavengers roam the cold, dark sea floor from 560ft to 7,000ft below the surface of the ocean, eating mostly dead whales, fish, and squid.

Yeti Crab

(image via: National Geographic)

With its long, furry appendages, the newly-discovered Yeti Crab looks like some kind of sea sloth. It was discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean during a deep-sea diving expedition in 2006 and is so unusual that a new taxonomic family had to be invented for it. The Yeti Crab is blind and white, with fur that supports colonies of bacteria. It lives near hydrothermal vents 7,540 feet under the surface.

Spanish Ribbed Newt

(images via: National Geographic)

Another creature that intentionally injures itself to produce weapons is the Spanish Ribbed Newt. It looks pretty unremarkable until it’s threatened, and then it does something pretty wild: it punctures its skin with its own sharp rib bones to create spines, which are coated with toxic skin secretions. These poison spears do not emerge from permanent openings; they must rip holes in the skin each time they’re deployed.

Anglerfish

(Images via: Wikipedia, EarthGuide, OceanExplorer and Nat.Geographic)

The anglerfish’s appearance is scary enough, but its mating habits truly set it apart as among the weirdest of the weird sea creatures.  The male anglerfish bites into a female’s skin, releases an enzyme that digests the skin of his mouth and her body to fuse them together, and then atrophies into nothing but a pair of gonads, becoming a parasitic sperm factory.

Dumbo Octopus

(image via: The New York Times)

Strange as the Dumbo Octopus may be, some people actually think it’s pretty cute – hence the Disney-inspired name, given for its two fins which resemble ears. ‘Dumbo’ can be found in the dark depths of any ocean on Earth and grows up to 20cm in length. It swallows its prey, made up of mostly worms and crustaceans, whole.

Gulper Eel

(image via: National Geographic)

Where the gulper eel lives – way down at the bottom of the ocean – there isn’t exactly a buffet of meal choices. Luckily, this creepy creature has a gigantic jaw that allows it to eat pretty much anything it comes across, regardless of size. At the end of its very long, whip-like tail, there’s a light-producing organ called a photophore that it uses as a fishing lure to attract prey.

Long-eared Jerboa

(images via: The Telegraph, Science Blogs, Metro UK)

Shaped somewhat like a tiny kangaroo, the nocturnal mouse-like Long-eared Jerboa uses its elongated tail and hind legs for jumping. The endangered rodent, found in the Gobi desert of Mongolia, has ears that are about a third larger than its head and eats mostly insects. It’s so extraordinary that it’s the only species of its genus.

Indian Gharial

(image via: Crocodopolis.net)

Most of us have grown accustomed to the prehistoric appearance of alligators and crocodiles, but for those unused to looking at it, the Indian gharial seems like something transported straight from the age of dinosaurs. This severely threatened native of Indian rivers has a very long, thin snout fitted with a row of sharp teeth. Scientists suspect that heavy metal pollution in the rivers is causing debilitating gout and making gharials susceptible to infection.

Long-beaked Echidna

(image via: Wikimedia.org)

Is it a porcupine or an anteater? Neither, actually. The long-beaked echidna is a rare egg-laying mammal found in Papua New Guinea. This nocturnal critter is a relative of the platypus, but lives underground where it uses its tube-like snout to search for invertebrate prey like insect larvae and worms. It has to eat soft foods, because it doesn’t have any teeth. Hatchlings are known as ‘puggles’, and they reside in a sticky pouch to receive milk from mammary patches on the mother’s body.

Blobfish

(images via: OnlytheMost.com)

When you pull up your fishing net to inspect its contents, the last thing you want to see is a gelatinous mass of pale flesh peering up at you with dull bluish eyes. But, fear not – catching a blobfish is extremely rare. These bizarre fish live in the depths off the coasts of Tasmania and Australia. They don’t have any muscles, but since have a lower density than the water, so they just sort of float around.

Naked Mole Rat

(image via: National Geographic)

Its wrinkled pink skin, piggish nose and protruding teeth don’t exactly make the naked mole rat the cutest animal around. Colonies of these hairless rodents live in underground “palaces” led by one dominant rat – the queen, which is the only female to breed and bear young. As with bees, naked mole rats have roles in the colony, including workers that dig the tunnels and gather food. Most naked mole rats are found in the sandy deserts of sub-Saharan Africa.

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(Images via: Bay State Replicas, Pale News, Guardian, Telurium)

Sometimes what has seemingly appeared to be true since we can remember is no longer the case, as new scientific discoveries often reveal, thus requiring history books to be rewritten and/or changing the way we previously thought about certain things. Take the case of evolution, with these recent findings on the development of dinosaurs, birds, bats and man perfect examples of how new scientific evidence and research can dramatically alter and even shatter perception and reality.

Mammal Family Tree Topped by Tree Dweller, Of Course

(Images via: University of Toronto)

This past July, researchers identified the world’s first known tree-dwelling vertebrate, a discovery that was 260 million years in the making and ultimately revealed that mammals actually predated the dinosaurs (as opposed to the other way around). Named Suminia getmanovi, this tree dweller lived 30 million years before the first dinosaurs and is actually a distant relative to mammals, including humans. Researchers were able to link this vertebrate’s ancestry to mammals through a feature unique to the Suminia getmanovi and mammals: an opening beyond the eye-socket named a “synapsid.” Apparently, Suminia getmanovi was highly skilled at climbing up trees and clinging onto trunks and branches due to its long fingers and curved claws, which proved advantageous in relation to avoiding larger predators of its time. Also featuring an opposable thumb, this tree dweller was analyzed in a pre-dinosaur mudstone slab that contained more than 15 skeletons of the vertebrate.

Human Evolution Revolution: Tree Dwellers, Not Knuckle Draggers

(Images via: Lazear Science, Kit Comm, 3 Chimps, Alien World)

No need to dust off your Anthropology notes from freshman year of college because human evolution is not as we know it, as least according to North American scientists who claim that humans actually evolved from tree-dwelling chimps and bonobos rather than knuckle-dragging gorillas, as so many textbook illustrations have led us to believe. And how was this discovery made? Well, a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined the adult and juvenile wrist bones of gorillas, chimps and bonobos, finding that gorillas have wrists that extend straight down and are more similar to how elephants walk, while the chimps and bonobos have wrists that allow for bending and more flexibility (like humans). In other words, the researchers concluded that it’s not likely that human bipedalism (referring to movement on the two rear limbs) evolved from knuckle-draggers but rather developed from an ancestor that spent a lot of time in the trees and eventually began to walk upright.

A Real Life, Walking Bat Man?

(Images via: Phys Org, Daylife, Terra Nature)

Continuing on this walking theme, did you know that only 2 of the 1100-known bat species — the short-tailed bat in New Zealand and the vampire bat – actually walk on their feet? If this little known fact is surprising, you haven’t seen anything yet, Bruce Wayne. Recent bat fossil findings reveal that the modern walking bat in New Zealand is actually the descendant of 20-million-year-old walking bats from Australia. Why should you care? Well, it turns out that both the short-tailed bat and the fossil bat – which apparently died off 15 million years ago as a result of climate changes in Australia – share a similar anatomical feature (a groove in its elbow) that functions as part of a specialized muscular system allowing it to move about the ground. What does this mean? Well, it disputes the original idea that short-tailed bats started walking as an adaptive measure to friendly, modern surroundings devoid of predators. As for those ancient walking bats, they were frequently surrounded by predators but were so quick on their feet that they hardly were in danger, except for dramatic climate shifts, of course.

T. Rex and Its Own Mini Me

(Image via: China Confidential)

Evolution keeps throwing us for a loop here as it turns out that the supreme dinosaur predator – Tyrannosaurus rex – is actually the descendant of a newly-discovered dinosaur that was 8 feet long (or 20 percent smaller in length to T. rex), but still dangerous. While packing a smaller frame, this new dinosaur – Raptorex kriegsteini – maintained the massive jaws, quick legs and tiny arms that still allows the T. rex to intimidate and provoke nightmares today, some 65 million years after its extinction. According to fossil records, the T-Rex predecessor actually lived 125 million years ago, and sustained itself on pig-sized dinosaurs and turtles. Interestingly, this discovery was made when the owner of the fossil – illegally excavated from China — asked to have it examined for scientific value. Sometimes stumbling upon something new is a matter of circumstance and luck.

The Missing Link? Not Sasquatch, But A Bird-Like Dinosaur

(Images via: Skews Me)

Oh, how the pieces are coming together. Earlier this week, Chinese researchers unearthed a bird-like dinosaur with four wings. Dating back to some 160 million years ago, this discovery — named Anchiornis huxleyi — could very well be the missing link in explaining the still-mysterious evolution from dinosaurs to birds. Only 20 inches in length and comparable to the size of a chicken, this bird-like dinosaur had feathers that covered its arms, tail and feet; features that Chinese researchers suggest indicate the existence of a four-winged dinosaur prior to the transition to birds. Previously, the idea that a dinosaur was an ancestor to birds was disputed, but not no more after this enlightening discovery.

Of course, this story comes a couple of months after another study observed how changing a single gene can cause similar bird populations to split into distinct species. Past and present, it’s safe to say that birds whistle to their own tune when it comes to evolution.

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Albino Alligator

(images via: Ripley BION, Animals / Pets and Mirror UK)

There are only about a dozen white alligators in the world and not all of them are strictly albinos. Bouya Blan (White Fog), above bottom, is a 22-year old leucistic alligator who lives at Gatorland in Florida. Leucistic animals have some, though very little pigmentation as can be seen in Bouya Blan’s icy blue eyes.

(image via: All Hat No Cattle)

From the bayou to the big time! “White Diamond” was born in Louisiana but wows crowds at Germany’s Serengeti Safari Park these days. The 15-year-old albinistic variant of Alligator mississppiensis is the only albino alligator in Europe. Judging by his toothy grin, you won’t want to tickle those ivories!

Albino Snake

(images via: Design Swan, Kizandjenn and Photographers Direct)

Snakes can display varying degrees of albinism and their skin will range from snow white to what looks like an image printed from a copier that’s running low on color ink. As stealth hunters, albino snakes are at a huge disadvantage in the wild and rarely live for very long.

(image via: Bluecavs)

The double-headed albino snake above was born double-unlucky and it’s a wonder it managed to grow at all. Likely the snake hatched in captivity and has been carefully monitored by its owner. One problem (out of many) two-headed snakes have is that the heads will often attack one another. At least the above specimen’s heads split off the body at a narrow angle, mitigating the problem.

Albino Peacock

(images via: Bod’s Blog, Super Stock, Tokyo Bling and Richmond Zoo)

Looking a lot like a scraggly chicken with its fan-like tail feathers folded, the albino peacock (and its all-white, non-albinistic variant above) becomes the price of poulty when it puts on a classic mating display to impress the lady peahens – and any other living thing in range.

(image via: Frakin Cool)

Who could imagine the male peacock, the poster-child for brilliant color and former mascot for the NBC television network, would look just as magnificent (if not more) as an albino decked out in lacy white plumage?

Albino Zebra

(images via: 1UP, Mongabay and Biomes Blog)

Better to burn out than fade away? Fine for Neil Young maybe but not for the albino zebra. It appears that in zebras, albinism displays as a range of severity that preserves much of the animal’s natural black & white striped pattern.

(image via: Asquared185)

Though they tend to stand out in the presence of normal zebras, most albino variants show a softer, tawnier coat that could possibly be MORE effective as camouflage on the dry, dusty savannah.

(image via: Uncommonpics)

A completely white zebra would be virtually indistinguishable from a white horse. The above image depicts the result of a mating between a white horse and a non-albinistic zebra – truly a “zorse” of a different color!

Albino Gorilla

(images via: Fed By Birds, Miko Lah and Gather)

As the only albino gorilla to be raised in captivity, Snowflake delighted visitors for nearly 40 years before dying of skin cancer in late 2003. Most gorillas only live about 25 years in the wild so Snowflake definitely beat the odds. Over the course of his adult life, Snowflake fathered 22 offspring though none of them shared his albinism.

Here’s a short video of Snowflake taken at his home in the Barcelona Zoo:

Snowflake late in life at the Barcelona Zoo, via Errha

(images via: Totally Looks Like)

In many ways, Snowflake looks more human than gorilla – perhaps because most of us have nothing else to compare him to. Contributors to the website TotallyLooksLike.com have picked up on this and have featured Snowflake not once, but twice.

Albino Dolphin

(images via: Snopes, One Man’s Blog and Marvillous)

(image via: Scholastic)

Albino dolphins were first sighted in 1962 and since 1994 three have been seen frolicking in or around the Gulf of Mexico. The latest is “Pinky”, a bottlenose dolphin of the Flipper variety that lives in Louisiana’s Lake Calcasieu. What’s up with Louisiana anyway? First albino alligators, now… in any case, Pinky is as pink as, well, the pink dolphin contestants on MXC must leap over while navigating the Rotating Surfboard of Death. Pinky owes her (his?) very unusual hue to blood vessels showing through blubber and unpigmented skin. If you think the pink dolphin has become a local tourist attraction, I’d say “Right you are, Kenny”.

(images via: Stormfront and Now Public)

Other types of dolphins have been known to display albinism, most notably the not-so-cute; not-so-pink albino dolphins living in Brazil’s Amazon River. That’s Amazon Pinky above left, American Pinky to the right… let the “USA!” chants begin!

Albino Whale

(images via: Life In The Fastlane and Cairns.com)

I see your Great White Shark and I raise you a Great White Whale! Albino whales are rare but not exceedingly so – then again, something that big and that white is going to attract a lot of attention. Take Migaloo, for instance. Frequenting the chill waters of the southern ocean around Australia, Migaloo is an albino Humpback Whale. Other whale species such as the Beluga are normally white and an albino would only be detected by very close examination of its eyes.

(image via: Sharkdivers)

By the way, there really is a Great White Whale Shark – a 30-foot, one-of-a-kind (as far as we know) female was photographed by diver/naturalist Antonio Moreano in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

(images via: Environmental Graffiti, Isla-Mocha and Ox Bow Art)

Any discussion of white whales (or albinos in general) would be lacking without mention of the legendary Moby Dick, the cetacean scourge of maniacal Captain Ahab in the nineteenth century novel by Herman Melville and the 1956 epic film starring Gregory Peck. While Moby Dick was fictional, Melville likely based his character on a very real albino whale called Mocha Dick, who destroyed numerous whaling ships and whaleboats in the area of the Mocha Islands off Chile in the early decades of the 1800s. Mocha Dick was estimated to have been 70 feet long when he was finally killed and yes, his snow-white back was festooned with harpoons – though no furious, peg-legged sea captains were found among them.

The lack of skin pigmentation that is the distinctive characteristic of albinism and that gives these animals special appeal to humans is actually a drawback in the wild, since without visual camouflage they’re much more visible to predators and potential prey. Some may bemoan their perceived lack of freedom but in actuality, the safest place for these wonders of nature is in the “protective custody” of zoos.

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