nature
How Brazil Protects and Preserves Its Luminous ‘Golden Grass’
In the Cerrado, the Mumbuca community spin capim dourado into hats, baskets, and jewelry.
Order Atlas Obscura: Wild Life today!
Venture into nature's unseen realms with our new book Wild Life
Atlas Obscura: Wild Life
Wonders of Our World
Our wildest book yet is on sale now. Step off the beaten path with us.
You’re invited to a secret world just beyond our own. A place of beauty, humor, and endless surprise.
Welcome to the best place on earth — Earth.
It's a world filled with rainbow trees and vampire birds; tent-making bats and self portrait-sculpting spiders. Where snakes fly, plants chat, ants explode, and crabs accessorize.
This is the world of Wild Life — and it's your world, too. As we wait for our ultimate explorer's guide, we're collecting some of our best-ever writing on animals, plants, fungi, and natural adventures. Scroll down and take a walk on the wild side with us.
Choose Your Critter Adventure
Learn to speak prairie dog, meet an immortal tree, or spy (respectfully) on a moonlit coral orgy.
nature
These Ants Protect the Colony by Blowing Themselves Up
The self-sacrificing insects explode, showering their enemies in killer goop.
nature
Are Bristlecone Pines Really Immortals Living Among Us?
These scrappy and squat high-elevation trees can live for thousands of years without seeming to age.
birds
Oxpeckers Are an Early Warning System for Rhinos at Risk
As their name suggests, these small birds provide critical cleaning services to oxen, impala and other animals of the savanna—with a side hustle as rhino guards.
nature
Australia's Synchronized Coral Spawning Can Be Seen From Space
The world’s largest living structure renews itself in nights of moonlit passion.
Feeling Wild? Scroll Down for More Adventures
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science
How the Enchanting, Elusive Pink Fairy Armadillo Became One Scientist's Obsession
A conservation biologist in Argentina once hosted one of the animals in her living room, but finding them in the wild has proven far more difficult.
caves
Puerto Rico's Most Adorable Frogs Live in Caves and Fight Like 'Gummy Bears'
For one biologist studying the rock frogs' behavior, safeguarding their habitat is personal.
monkeys
Won't Someone Please Think of Brazil's Least-Adorable Marmoset?
The wildly uncharismatic buffy-tufted-ear marmoset needs a boost.
genetics
The True Origin Story of Madagascar's 'Forest Cat'
Turns out this big, striped lemur-eater didn't come from mainland Africa.
islands
Podcast: The Feral Horses of Sable Island
One of the last unmanaged group of horses contend with their non-native home.
animals
The Uncertain Future of Finland's Rare Freshwater Seals
The animals face threats from climate change, fishing, and a tourism boom, but their biggest advocate remains hopeful.
Dive, Paddle, and Explore Discover remarkable wildlife and wondrous waterways.
Sponsored by
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diving
Aquatic Adventures: 7 Spots for Diving, Snorkeling, and Wildlife in Florida
Discover the amazing underwater world that can be experienced only in the Sunshine State.
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paddling
Mangroves, Manatees, and More: Florida’s Stunning Paddle Destinations
Paddle out to gain a unique perspective on the Sunshine State
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flora
Fantastic Flora and Fauna: Where to Find Rare Wildlife and Curious Plants in Florida
Explore 8 spectacular spots in search of charismatic plants and wildlife that can only be found in the Sunshine State.
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birds
A Field Guide to Exploring Florida’s Best Birding Spots
Discover the feathered residents that are only found in the Sunshine State.
See Florida Below the Surface Submerge yourself in the Sunshine State.
Sponsored by
An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders
From the authors of The New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura series.
Order Now"Almost as jaw dropping and awe-inspiring as the planet itself—and more portable."
BJ Novak
Best Selling author, Actor & Comedian
"A mind-blowing guide to nature's most enchanting and unexpected characters, every page is full of wit and wonder."
Ed Yong
Pulitzer Prize winning author of An Immense World
"I love this book. It makes me want to run upstairs, pack a bag, and bolt away to some far-flung corner of this astounding planet."
Mary Roach
Bestselling author of Stiff and Packing for Mars
