Photographer Page

George Grall

A snorkeller looks for aquatic life in a spring-fed pool in a protected reserve called Cuatro Ciénegas, within Mexico's Chihuahuan desert. When this photo was published in the October 1995 issue, the writer reported that 60 species of plants and wildlife were unique to the region. Today, that number is upwards of 150.

After molting, many insects (pictured, an orange ladybug) are vulnerable to predators until their exoskeleton hardens.

Many insects, such as the Scudder's bush katydid (above), need to molt as part of their growth.

In seahorse couples, the female deposits her eggs into the male, which holds them in a frontal compartment called a brood pouch. After 14 to 28 days, he delivers up to 1,500 fry in a water birth.

Thanks to conservation efforts, hundreds of thousands of bald eagles now soar through U.S. skies.

There aren't enough resources to monitor the populations of every species of amphibian. That means there are gaps in scientists' knowledge about some species, including this drab tree frog.

To determine their direction, Indigo buntings observe the rotation of close star patterns around a center point, such as the North Star.

A swamp swallow forages at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland.

This male ruby-throated hummingbird is sipping from a mimosa flower, probably the first of many it will visit. Hummingbirds can eat up to twice their body weight each day.

Migratory birds like this yellow-rumped warbler may not always be able to make up for setbacks caused by storms, given a small margin for error in their caloric intake.