Times Mother Nature Flexed Hard
Mother nature is one of the most beautiful yet shocking things ever. It can take your breath away, or it can scare you half to death. And that is where the beauty lies; you can't be too sure which side you'll get.
What you're about to see will be equal parts beautiful and scary. You'll marvel at the majesty of nature while vowing that you're never going to go outside ever again. The circle of life has some rough edges.
All The Fall Colors In One
Moss gets a bad reputation. It has the capacity to look so beautiful, especially when it lays itself out in such a seasonal color gradient. The shade slightly changes with each brick.
Eventually, this whole path is going to turn brown and then it's going to snow and then you won't be able to see any moss at all, but for now, it's absolutely perfect. We're glad that somebody managed to capture this moment in time.
Bees Killing A Murder Hornet
The murder hornet might be terrifying when you're a solo bee, but when you call in the hive, it's game over. The swarm's tactic is basically to tackle it as a group and wait until it overheats. This hornet never stood a chance the moment the whole team arrived.
There really is power in numbers. Would you rather face off against a single murder hornet or a whole swarm of bees? I mean, obviously neither, but if you had to choose...
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Someone spotted an albino deer while walking into work, and if that combined with the rainbow formation to its left didn't put them in a good mood, ready to tackle whatever the work day throws at them, nothing could.
This might just be the most magical photo we've ever seen. The only thing that would make this crazier would be if it were a unicorn instead of a deer. Although, why are unicorns so special anyway? An albino deer is just as amazing.
A Natural Umbrella
It seems that everything in nature takes care of each other. When this bird needed shelter from the harsh weather conditions, nature made it an icicle umbrella for it to perch under. It's perfectly shaped, too.
This is such a gorgeous picture. After seeing so many scary things on this list, it's nice to see nature doing something beautiful and serene. Thanks, little chickadee. We all needed this today. Winter is a little warmer now because of this phenomenon.
Would You Swim Here?
The water here looks really blue, but the cave monster looks a bit creepy. How did the rocks form into such a perfect face? There's probably some hidden treasure in there.
Does this rock formation remind anybody else of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy? Just me? Okay then. I can't tell if this thing is going to kill me or give me some sage advice. Let's stay far away from it just in case it's violent.
When You Notice Some Shrimp Missing
When you notice full shrimp missing, you wouldn't expect ants to be the cause. How are they so strong and able to move these shrimp at such an efficient pace? I guess that's the power of nature.
It looks like these shrimp are climbing up the fence post all on their own even though shrimp can't climb and these shrimp are dead and cooked. Ants might be annoying, but they definitely know how to work as a team.
Bald Eagles Don't Run From A Fight
Who knew that bald eagles were the same size as wolves? This fight looked like it was going to be epic, but the wolf figured it was best if it took a loss this time.
The wolf had no interest in eating the eagle, so it wasn't going to stick around and get struck by those massive talons. He got out of there before the eagle could deliver any deadly blows. Eagles are way tougher than we thought.
What Do You Call This??
Is this the fusion between a butterfly and a lizard? Only nature can create something unique and crazy. If one of these flies your way, however, you should protect your face. Bug spray won't help.
Honestly, I'm surprised that this person is just holding the creature and staying calm at the same time. I would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to shake this thing off of my hand.
The Cute Yet Disturbing Cuttlefish
What you see here are cuttlefish right before they hatch from their eggs. They look scary and sweet at the same time, but I wouldn't want to touch any of them.
Let's let them get a bit less scary and alien-like before we send them out into the world. They need to develop some color. We think cuttlefish are super cool, but these baby cuttlefish need some more time to cook. They still look like little bugs.
A Butterfly In The Making
The eye socket of this skull is now home to a butterfly-to-be. I wonder why it chose to rest here and not somewhere a little safer. That head could get taken at any moment.
It's crazy how that cocoon is placed perfectly in the middle of the skull's eye socket. It almost looks like this skull has a glowing green eye. Stranger things have happened in nature, I guess. This picture actually looks pretty cool.
A Dead Whale Feeds An Entire Ecosystem
When a whale passes away, sea life can survive off of it for quite some time. A whale is the largest thing in the water (that we know of), so that makes sense.
This whale skeleton still has some meat on it. You can see that there's a shark coming to snack on what's left of the body. I know that this is how ecosystems work, but that doesn't mean I'm not majorly creeped out.
Some Mossy Frogs
There are regular looking frogs, and then there are these guys. It looks like you could put them under a faucet and wash them smooth, but I wouldn't try it—you'd be scrubbing for a while.
These frogs look like pieces of moss so that they can blend in with their natural habitat. They don't blend in with blue gloves as well though. If you spotted one of these out in the wild you probably wouldn't even notice it.
The Fleeting Fire-Opal
You don't get to see a fire opal whenever you want. It's dazzling, but fire opals only get created under certain circumstances. It happens when water mixes with lava in a volcano.
A lot of the photos on this list so far have been pretty scary, but this one is just plain pretty. I mean, lava is scary, but this gem is absolutely stunning. How much do you think that one of these rocks would cost?
It's A Leucistic Moose
Encountering one of these is almost like winning the lottery. These are rare, but their facial expressions are what make them interesting. They look dopey and goofy, almost like an animated character.
This is a leucistic moose. Leucistic just means that it's a moose with white fur. It's not albino. It's not a genetic abnormality. Some moose are just white. It helps them blend into snowy environments. It kind of looks like a ghost moose though.
A Storm Moved The Road!
Nature is the last thing you want to mess with, obviously. Look at how a storm picked up this street and tossed it elsewhere. This is complete and utter madness.
We didn't even know that roads were something that could be picked up. We thought that they were just part of the ground. You can pick things up off of the ground. How do you pick up the ground itself? Leave it to the wind to figure that out.
Teeth In A Squid's Suction Cup
People who have no knowledge of how suction cups work probably never knew that there are teeth in them. As scary as it might seem, this is still nature at its coolest and most interesting. Just keep the squids away from me.
Not all creatures with suction cups have teeth in their suction cups, but just seeing this picture is enough to keep me away from all squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish for a long time.
10,000-Year-Old Skull Found
This farmer found a 10,000-year-old skull of an extinct giant Irish elk. That thing is beyond giant if the head is longer than this whole man. Imagine getting a headbutt from that.
This skull is a piece of history now. There aren't any more of these giant elks around, so these remains are all that we have to remember them by. As scary as these things probably were, we're pretty sad that there aren't any of them left.
A Snail's Growth In A Year
This woman showcased how large her snail had become, and it's ridiculous. Imagine stepping on that thing while you're walking in the morning. That would be a lot of ooze to clean up.
We didn't know that snails could grow this quickly. And to think that this snail is only a year old. It could get even bigger! Pretty soon this creature isn't going to fit in the palm of anyone's hand. That's a scary thought.
This Bird Wasn't Ready
Someone said they heard some noise on their roof and this was it. Nature battling it out on your roof like this seems pretty intense. How do you sleep at night?
Somehow, this snake managed to catch a bird right out of the sky. We kind of hope that the bird managed to break free even though we know that the snake was just looking for his next meal. Snakes have to eat too, you know.
After A Tornado...
After a tornado, there's no telling what the aftermath will look like. Have you ever seen wood pierce through cement like this? That could have easily have gone through a person or a home. Yikes.
We thought that cement was impenetrable, but obviously, we were wrong. High-speed winds can change everything we know about how the world works. We're just glad that nobody was hurt when this all went down. I mean, except for the curb.
After A Bite From A Baby Diamondback
The good news is that this man will live. The bad news is that now he has no pinky toe, and that probably hurt like you wouldn't believe. Diamondbacks are not to be trifled with. You live and you learn.
A Diamondback is a kind of rattlesnake, by the way. Diamondbacks are one of the heaviest venomous snake varieties in North America and they are also the largest rattlesnakes. They can deliver a pretty deadly bite.
This Is A Senecio Forest
This is on Mount Kilimanjaro, where the senecios live their best lives. Thanks to the perfect conditions, these members of the daisy family can grow up to 20 feet tall.
This looks like a scene out of the movie Avatar or something. I feel like I'm looking at a picture of another planet. This is beautiful and scary all at the same time. Those plants have no business being that big. They should just stay close to the ground where they belong.
This Snake Has Both Eyes In One Socket
This looks like some silly cartoon drawing. If I saw this in real life, I probably wouldn't even be afraid of it. That seems like one of the nicest snakes. Given the diamondback picture, though, I'll still be keeping my distance. Just in case.
At least this thing doesn't look like it has any fangs to speak of. Is this an actual breed of snake or is it a genetic abnormality. This just doesn't seem like something that commonly exists in nature.
The Way Into The Spider-Verse
If you wanted some spider powers or needed to find the spider-verse entrance, here is it. All you have to do is get permission from this treacherous wolf spider guarding the front. Maybe it's best to stay away. Nobody needs spider powers that much.
Yes, this web is very impressive, but it's also being guarded by a giant hairy spider, so I think I'll stick to admiring it from afar (or, even better, through a computer screen).
A Secretary Bird Handling A Snake
The San Diego Zoo confirmed that the secretary bird can take down even the most venomous snakes. To see a bird this small tackle something so dangerous is pretty crazy.
If you're cringing right now, imagine how that snake must be feeling. It probably doesn't appreciate getting stretched and eaten like that. This kind of hurts to look at. I know the bird has to eat, but still. I never thought I'd say this, but poor snake.
The Rough-Nosed Horned Lizard
This is a fine specimen. It's not a lizard you see often, but if you're lucky enough to come across one, take a cool picture like this—they're very photogenic. Would you keep one as a pet?
These creatures can be found in Sri Lanka in wet, lowland forests. Basically, if you don't live in Sri Lanka, you don't have to worry about running into one of these. Which is a relief because that nose looks pretty spiky.
The Menacing Black Heron
What makes these things so menacing? Well, it has to deal with the way they hunt, which is pretty clever. This bird creates a shady spot that tricks the fish into revealing themselves.
Maybe this is why all super villains sport shiny black capes. It makes them look like this bird who likes to lure poor, innocent fish out of the deep waters. Even though this is a scary hunting tactic, we still think it looks pretty cool.
A Wasp Eating Lunch
Wasps are some of the vilest creatures in the world. Here is one just casually chomping away at a poor little grasshopper. That's the thing with nature, it can be vicious. Sometimes the only thing you can do is to take a picture and move on.
We feel bad for the grasshopper, but not bad enough to get on a wasp's bad side. WE'll just let him do what he's doing and back away slowly.
Ants Squirting Acid!
If you didn't know that some ants can shoot acid, now you know! Somebody wanted to know if the acid hurts them when it rains back on them. That's a great question, but I'm not sticking around to find out.
I'm sure it must hurt a little bit. It is acid after all. Ants wouldn't have this defense mechanism if it wasn't useful. Is this fluid acidic enough to damage human skin, though? Probably not.
Dried Frog Eating A Spider
This frog died trying to have a spider for breakfast. This was a struggle that nobody won, as is sometimes the case in nature. Now their desiccated remains will just hang out there until something knocks them down.
Sometimes you eat your lunch, sometimes your lunch eats you, and sometimes both of those things happen. Well, if you're a frog both of those things could happen. It's a less common occurrence if you're a human.
Why Does This Ice Look Like It's Staring?
This might be the coolest ice ever. It looks like a giant blue eye on the ground, and now you can't stop staring. I wouldn't want to find out what is in the black space.
It looks like a neverending hole of darkness. You know the saying, "when hell freezes over?" Well, this is what that would look like. I guess because hell did freeze over, now you have to do all those things you send you were going to do when that happened.
Nature Has A "Twisted" Sense of Humor
This twisted driftwood was found at the beach in the town of Aarhus. A native of the town said it became an attraction that encouraged people to come to check it out and enjoy a hiking trail or beach walk while there.
we're not sure what caused a tree to grow this way or how it ended up on this beach, but we get why it's a tourist attraction. it's so photogenic and cool looking.
Carefully Framed
How amazing is the way the condensation formed on this blackberry plant, carefully framing each leaf? It almost feels like nature had a small paintbrush that it used to lightly dot the edges.
Nature is full of little surprises like this, and if you just take a moment to stop and smell the proverbial flowers, you might notice some of them. Don't rush through life. You might miss seeing perfect droplets of water on leaves.
Nature Always Finds A Way
Even in the harsh conditions and hot climate, these rare desert flowers bloomed in the Atacama desert in Chile. It knew exactly how much water and sunlight it needed to survive without any human intervention.
It's amazing to see new life bursting through the dry, cracked sand like that. It reminds us how resilient nature can be. It doesn't need any of our help. We just have to leave it alone and let it do its thing.
A Flower From A Land Far Far Away
This petunia looks like a portal that will transport you to an entirely new galaxy if you stare at it long enough. The color formations are so mesmerizing you might start questioning if you're actually still sober.
This galaxy patterned petunias are created through careful crossbreeding. I want to spread them all over my garden so I can look at them every single day. They're too pretty to have just one. Who wants a lonely petunia?
A Giant Mountain Hat
Mount Fuji looks like it's setting the fashion standard now for mountains worldwide. Pointy cloud hats are in and clear sky backgrounds are out. Weather conditions may affect the trend.
Mount Fuji likes to switch it up, though. It doesn't always wear a super chic cloud hat. Sometimes it goes for a more minimal look. It just depends on the sky and the temperature and humidity levels in the area. Nature can be really magical sometimes.
Beauty Is Not In Size
This super tiny maple leaf is proof that size plays no part in defining beauty. It's so small yet so detailed, vibrant, and recognizable. Let's make an example of this leaf for beauty standards everywhere.
In fact, we would posit that this leaf is so beautiful precisely because of how small it is. Its delicate nature is why we're all looking at it in awe right now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being small.
Pushing Through Concrete
If you've ever wondered about the strength of nature, it can literally push through concrete. These sunflowers grew out of the sidewalk just a few steps away from the parent patch. Where there's a will there's aways a way.
Take a note from these sunflowers and incorporate some more determination into your everyday life. Sometimes you just have to keep hammering away at something and eventually, your progress will bloom. You can accomplish so many great things if you never give up.
Nothing Can Stop It From Growing
This tree was burnt in a bushfire, but it wasn't done living yet, so it continued to grow anyway. Even though the bottom is barely holding on, the top is in full bloom. It's quite inspirational.
If this tree can survive an entire bushfire, then we can definitely survive another work week. Trees seem to be much more resilient than humans. There's no way that a human could survive being burnt to a crisp like this.
All The Colors Of The Rainbow In One Cabbage
This cabbage showing its stunning fall colors barely looks real. It's more believable to think that someone took a whole painting palette and individually painted each row than to believe that nature was just doing its thing. This is why we shouldn't mess with it.
Apparently, if you just let cabbages grow, they'll start changing colors. Nature has this colorful beauty thing covered all on its own. We humans don't have to interfere at all.
