Face to face
The Wolf Guenon (Cercopithecus wolfi) is native to central Africa. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Click to see more photos of the Wolf Guenon.
New Guinea from above
Winding river makes its way to the sea in the lowland rainforests of west New Guinea. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Click to see more photos of New...
Woolly monkey hanging out
A woolly monkey hangs out in Amacayacu National Park, Colombia. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler . Click to see more photos of woolly monkeys.
Elephant in utero
Just 3 months into development, this image captures a rare look at a male Asian elephant in utero: showing off already its telltale trunk and big ears. Elephant mothers spend 22 months in pregnancy before giving birth. The elephant photographer here, named George, is now 6 months old and doing well. Asian elephants are classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. They are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and human and wildlife...
The eagle owl
The newest resident of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo in New York City is Flaco, an eagle owl (Bulbo bulbo). Native to Europe and Asia, eagle owls are one of the world’s biggest owl species with a wingspan up to 79 inches. The species is considered Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Photo by Julie Larsen...
From space: Nile at night
The Nile River Delta as seen from space at night. Photo courtesy of NASA.
Just how big is a giant earthworm?
A bottlecap allows one to see the true size, er length, of this giant earthworm photographed in Suriname. We haven’t been able to identify the species in this image. If you have ideas, please contact us. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler . Click to see more photos from...
Camel and government-built yurts
A camel stands in front of government-built yurts near Lake Karakul in the Xinjiang Province of north-western China. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler . Click to see more photos from Lake...
Masked frog croaking
Masked frog (Smilisca phaeota) croaking in a pool in Costa Rica. This species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Rhett Butler .
Gorilla born at the London Zoo
Mjukuu with her new baby boy. Photo courtesy of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) . On October 26th, the London Zoo received a new arrival: a baby western lowland gorilla. The as yet unnamed boy was born to first-time mother Mjukuu. Zoological director, David Field, said the pair were doing ‘brilliantly’. Classified by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered, western lowland gorillas, a subspecies of lowland...
A week of Papua: Dani elder
Dani elder in traditional dress in Indonesian New Guinea. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally diverse place in the world. To see more photos of...
A week of Papua: bowerbird bower
The elaborate bower of a male Vogelkop bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata) is artistically arranged with colorful items from the forest to attract a mate. Female Vogelkop bowerbirds select males based, not on size or strength, but on the best bower. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse...
A week of Papua: domestic life
Domestic life in a Dani village: children, pig, and village. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally diverse place in the world. To see more photos of...
A week of Papua: black-capped lory
A black-capped lory (Lorius lory) in Indonesian New Guinea. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally diverse place in the world. To see more photos of...
Silk Road mountains
Mountains rise in Xinjiang, the Silk Road region of western China. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. To see more photos of China.
Desert horned lizard
A desert horned lizard, more commonly known as a horny toad, in Big Sur, California. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. To see more photos of Big Sur.
Biodiversity matters
Today marks the opening of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan. Ten years ago member states pledged to stem the tide of biodiversity loss. By all accounts they have failed. Now, they are back at the drawing board, attempting to find ways to save the diversity of life on Earth. The US is one of three nations that is not a member of the CBD. Biodiversity provides a number long-overlooked advantages to humanity,...
Small antelope on Mount Kenya
A Suni (Neotragus moschatus), a small East African antelope, photographed on a trek up Mount Kenya. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2007. To see more photos of Mount Kenya.
Turkana woman
A Turkana woman. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2007. The Turkana of northern Kenya are semi-nomadic livestock herders inhabiting a harsh dry region, particularly susceptible to drought and therefore climate change. Surviving in a land of famine, the Turkana have long been marginalized by Kenyan government and society. To see more photos of the...
Photo: the bee and the crocodile
In Laongo National Park in Gabon, a bee rests on a African-slender snouted crocodile (Cocodrilo hociquifino africano), also known as the false gavial. The species is considered Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List, but has not been evaluated for over 15 years. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2006. More photos of Gabon’s...
