阿特沃特草原鸡 Attwater’s Prairie Chick, Texas

在德州玫瑰谷的Fossil Rim野生动物中心，一只几周大的阿特沃特草原鸡正在它精致的小窝中休息。一百年前，多达上百万只的阿特沃特草原鸡曾在这里的海岸草原上徜徉。但由于过度捕猎以及生境流失，如今这种鸡在野外只剩下不到50只了。
Photograph by Joel Sartore
A weeks-old Attwater’s prairie-chicken perches in a delicate nest in Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. A century ago, as many as a million Attwater’s prairie-chickens roamed coastal grasslands here. Today fewer than 50 of these chickens are left in the wild, due to overhunting and habitat loss.
笑脸蜘蛛 Spider Guarding Eggs, Maui, Hawaii

现今在瓦胡岛，莫洛凯岛，毛伊岛，夏威夷等群岛，依然能看见有快乐面蜘蛛的踪迹.这只蜘蛛在毛伊岛的一篇树叶上产卵，装点成人面和腹部来保护它们的卵,是众所周知的独特模式.科学家们相信， 这种蜘蛛已形成了鲜明的标记，以阻止鸟类在吃它。
Photograph by Darlyne Murawski
Found only on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, the happy face spider, such as this one guarding its eggs on a leaf in Maui, is known for the unique patterns that decorate its pale abdomen. Scientists believe Theridion grallatormay have developed its distinctive markings to discourage birds from eating it.

长颈鹿(玛拉玛拉野生动物保护区) Grazing Giraffe, South Africa

南非的玛拉玛拉野生动物保护区里的一只长颈鹿正在品尝树叶。生物学家及探险家麦克菲称赞玛拉玛拉是“野生动物保护区中的法拉利”，因为这里有着豪华的探险风格住所，郁郁葱葱的大地，一流的管理，还有大量的野生动物–狮子，花豹，大象，犀牛，角马，羚羊和长颈鹿。
Photograph by James Blair
A giraffe samples foliage in South Africa’s Mala Mala Game Reserve. Biologist and explorer Mike Fay calls Mala Mala the “Ferrari of game reserves” for its posh, safari-retro accommodations, lush grounds, top-notch management, and abundant wildlife, including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, wildebeests, impalas, and giraffes.
亚约克角半岛的鳄鱼 Crocodile, Cape York Peninsula, Australia

在澳大利亚约克角半岛的谢尔本湾，一条长达七英尺(五米)凶猛残暴的咸水鳄对着相机张开了血盆大口。这种爬行动物是生活在地球上的鳄鱼中最大的一种，在澳大利亚它们被称为“咸咸(salties)”,是该地区最危险的食肉动物。它们会在毫无征兆的情况下，突然用其强有力的尾巴击打水面，然后将猎物–如水牛，猴子，鲨鱼等–拖入水底。
Photograph by Sam Abell
Seventeen feet (five meters) of brute reptilian force, a saltwater crocodile snaps at the camera in Shelburne Bay, Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Earth’s largest living crocodilians, “salties,” as they’re affectionately known in Australia, are among the area’s most dangerous predators. Without warning, they explode from the water with a thrash of their powerful tails and drag their victim-water buffalo, monkey, shark-under water.