圖文閱讀:動物世界5

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

在德州玫瑰谷的Fossil Rim野生動物中心，一隻幾周大的阿特沃特草原雞正在它精緻的小窩中休息。一百年前，多達上百萬只的阿特沃特草原雞曾在這裏的海岸草原上徜徉。但由於過度捕獵以及生境流失，如今這種雞在野外只剩下不到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.
笑臉蜘蛛 Spider Guarding Eggs, Maui, Hawaii

現今在瓦胡島，莫洛凱島，毛伊島，夏威夷等羣島，依然能看見有快樂面蜘蛛的蹤跡.這隻蜘蛛在毛伊島的一篇樹葉上產卵，裝點成人面和腹部來保護它們的卵,是衆所周知的獨特模式.科學家們相信， 這種蜘蛛已形成了鮮明的標記，以阻止鳥類在吃它。
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.

長頸鹿(瑪拉瑪拉野生動物保護區) Grazing Giraffe, South Africa

南非的瑪拉瑪拉野生動物保護區裏的一隻長頸鹿正在品嚐樹葉。生物學家及探險家麥克菲稱讚瑪拉瑪拉是“野生動物保護區中的法拉利”，因爲這裏有着豪華的探險風格住所，鬱鬱蔥蔥的大地，一流的管理，還有大量的野生動物–獅子，花豹，大象，犀牛，角馬，羚羊和長頸鹿。
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.
亞約克角半島的鱷魚 Crocodile, Cape York Peninsula, Australia

在澳大利亞約克角半島的謝爾本灣，一條長達七英尺(五米)兇猛殘暴的鹹水鱷對着相機張開了血盆大口。這種爬行動物是生活在地球上的鱷魚中最大的一種，在澳大利亞它們被稱爲“鹹鹹(salties)”,是該地區最危險的食肉動物。它們會在毫無徵兆的情況下，突然用其強有力的尾巴擊打水面，然後將獵物–如水牛，猴子，鯊魚等–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.