Iris

Up close with 2-year-old Willow, the muskox munching on some tasty lichen! Beneath that fuzzy, shaggy coat, muskoxen have a super-soft underlayer called qiviut, one of the warmest natural fibers in the world.

📹: Keeper Russell

An image of a faintly stripey brown, yellow and white bird perched on a seed cone at the end of a thin dropping branch. They have a yellow eye stripe.

A female siskin feeding on seed cones near the Seven Arches (Balmossie) Viaduct of the Dighty Burn in Monifieth. My first proper sighting of these birds. 📷📸🎞️🪶 #birds #ukwildlife

📣 Big win for Texas conservation! TNC secured 6,410 acres of coastal prairie, one of the largest left in the state. This milestone with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality protects a critical, disappearing landscape. ➡️ https://nature.ly/4qN357a

A spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project, classified by 44 volunteers.

A spiral galaxy, observed with the Apache Point 2.5m Telescope in the SDSS survey.

It is at redshift 0.008 (lookback time 114.4 million years) with coordinates (202.52560, -1.72060).

44 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo 2.

A light brown bunny sits with eyes closed on a gray fleece jacket atop a wooden desk.

A photo of a turtle frog sitting on a fallen leaf. The animal is purpleish in color, with large black eyes and powerful forelimbs.

Have you ever seen a turtle frog? Named for its uniquely shaped body—which resembles a turtle’s without a shell—this amphibian uses its muscular forelimbs to tunnel through the sand headfirst, digging up to 3.9 ft (1.2 m) underground.
Photo: Thomas Mesaglio, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

A spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble project, classified by 47 volunteers.

A spiral galaxy, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in the COSMOS survey.

It is at redshift 0.35 (lookback time 4.00 billion years) with coordinates (149.75733, 2.39819).

47 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo: Hubble.

Good news: the bugs that eat pests in your yard also use fallen leaves to survive the winter! 🍂

Learn how to balance tidying leaves and providing habitat ➡️ beecityusa.org/blog

#BeeCityUSA #gardencleanup #fallcleaning #yardcleaning #yardwork #fall #backyardwildlife #pollinatorconservation

As we near the end of our second week of field work with the @whaleresearch.bsky.social, here is a highlight clip which includes some drone footage and hydrophone recordings we captured just a few days ago of J-Pod, K-Pod, & L-Pod!

Take a look and see if you can spot J45 snagging a salmon! 👀 🎣

This November 8-11, we’re honoring those who serve. U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members receive free admission, while their immediate family members enjoy half-off general admission as our heartfelt thanks. This special offer is available only at our ticket window.

Polar bear keeper Stephanie traveled to Churchill, Manitoba with Polar Bears International to see polar bears in the wild and learn about the effects of melting sea ice. Inspired by what she saw, she’s sharing ways we can all protect these Arctic icons! 🌎🐻‍❄️💙 pdza.org/a-keepers-journey-to-churchill

Photo of an opossum on a deck next to a plate with bread on it. The photo is taken at night with light illuminating the foreground from the house.

Unpopular opinion: Opossums are adorable. They're also awesome animals! We appreciate our visitors.

#wildlife #backyardwildlife #opossums #mammals #Iowa #phonephotography #marsupial

Did you know that the leading cause of coral bleaching is climate change? A warming planet means a warming ocean, and even small changes to water temperature can cause coral stress and drive out their colorful algae. Learn more: wwf.to/4oUxcrv.

Meet Fender, a majestic 6′7″, 230-lb bowmouth guitarfish! One of only nine pups to survive after his mother was caught in a fishing net, Fender represents a critically endangered species.

Come see Fender at the Tropical Reef Aquarium and learn how you can help protect ocean wildlife. 💙

Critically Endangered Bowmouth Guitarfish Arrives at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium - Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is excited to welcome bowmouth guitarfish, Fender, to the Tropical Reef Aquarium.

Learn more about Fender at www.pdza.org/critically-endangered-bowmouth-guitarfish-arrives

A tiny brown bunny with closed eyes snuggles peacefully in a person's hand.

A galaxy with non-smooth features from the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble project, classified by 44 volunteers.

A galaxy with non-smooth features, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in the COSMOS survey.

It is at redshift 0.44 (lookback time 4.75 billion years) with coordinates (150.01477, 1.87157).

44 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo: Hubble.

'Backyard'
[ 1/250s ● f10 ● ISO 10 ● 105mm ]
📍 Kite Park, WA

I still have a hard time believing people just live with this view in their backyard every day. Washington is a wild place and I count myself among the luckiest to be able to live here.

#mtrainiernationalpark #mountrainier #mtrainier

Two Crows, One Mission. The Birdworld Briefing 🖤 I just caught two having what sounded like a very serious conversation. One giving orders, the other leaping off like it’s got a mission from HQ. What you think they were plotting? #Birds #Birdwatching #Nature #Wildlife #BirdPhotography #crows

Photo of a squirrel with a nut in its mouth. S/he is standing on a board fence board with tail in air, looking ready for action. Background is white-washed cinder block barn wall (that looks pale blue for some reason, but isn't).

Photo of same squirrel, now perched on the gate post with the nut in its front "hands."

Same squirrel has noticed the photographer and is facing toward the camera, still on gate post, now with nut back in mouth.

Squirrel is now hanging upside down along the gate post, nut in mouth, looking toward the ground and ready to jump.

Busy #squirrel

#BackyardWildlife 🌱

A spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project, classified by 45 volunteers.

A spiral galaxy, observed with the Apache Point 2.5m Telescope in the SDSS survey.

It is at redshift 0.018 (lookback time 257.3 million years) with coordinates (213.05302, 8.66184).

45 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo 2.

YouTube video by FathomVerse Everyone, hail the Pumpkin King! 🎃#larvacean #deeppiv #mbari #fathomverse

This video was recorded aboard the @mbarinews.bsky.social R/V Rachel Carson. Joost Daniels uses DeepPIV, an innovative imaging technology that utilizes lasers, to scan a larvacean so we can study their intricate structures.

Today's federal budget puts nearly $90-billion toward capital spending, national defense, housing & economic growth. But one thing is missing: nature.

Instead, it incl:

❌ The possible end of the oil & gas emissions cap
❌ Cuts to ECCC & the DFO
❌ No new funding to protect or restore biodiversity

‘Our economic resilience must be rooted in nature,’ WWF-Canada says in response to federal budget 2025 - WWF.CA The federal government is missing an important opportunity to invest in a nation-building restoration effort.

“The federal budget missed an opportunity to ensure Canada’s long-term prosperity and well-being by investing in growth that strengthens both our economy and our ecosystems, which is what Canadians want and need." — Megan Leslie, WWF-Canada president & CEO

🔗 Read our full statement.

Digital photo albums. Old voicemails. Your Facebook profile. Your digital presence will outlive you. Here's what happens to it after you die: buff.ly/8pmUDHF

Jack barks orders, Radar supervises, Kamiah keeps the peace, and Whittaker waits for treats. 🦊 Our rescued fox siblings are now seniors with a freshly updated, cozy habitat! ❤️

A barred spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project, classified by 44 volunteers.

A barred spiral galaxy, observed with the Apache Point 2.5m Telescope in the SDSS survey.

It is at redshift 0.028 (lookback time 397.0 million years) with coordinates (225.23616, 11.51740).

44 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo 2.

Can A Billion-Dollar Barricade Keep Carp Out Of The Great Lakes? A giant infrastructure project aims to block invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s polluted water already keeps them out.

Decades ago, non-native carp escaped into the Illinois River, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. Now, a proposed project that’s both expensive and contentious aims to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes. 🐟

What are riparian buffers? And how does restoring them on private lands create (literal) downstream benefits? - The zones between land and a river are a key to watershed restoration. Learn about what they are, what they do, and how to restore them.

Ever heard of a riparian buffer? 🤔 Chances are, you've seen one without even knowing it.

These natural zones between land & water are little-known areas with an important job — filtering pollution, preventing floods & protecting wildlife.

Learn how restoring them can help revive entire ecosystems.

Hawthorne the grizzly bear is getting ready for torpor season! 🐻 He’s been busy digging in his outdoor den with those massive claws, which is an essential skill for bears as they prepare to rest through the colder months. 💤

📹: Keeper Francis