Maya Carvings

An ancient stucco frieze recently unearthed in the buried Maya city of Holmul in the Peten region of Guatemala. Sunlight from a tunnel entrance highlights the carved legs of a ruler sitting atop the head of a Maya mountain spirit.

Best Hike : Tour du Mont Blanc, France, Italy, and Switzerland

Circling Mont Blanc—the rooftop of Western Europe—is one of the most special hiking experiences in the world. You travel through three different countries (France, Italy, Switzerland) and over several mountain passes with some of Europe’s most dramatic glaciers on display. You can soak it in and take your time over seven to ten days or fast pack in three days. No matter how you choose to do it, it is an adventure of a lifetime!

Cat Watch

Cats are king, and they are everywhere. There are 38 species of felids, ranging from the seven-pound tabby in your lap to 500-pound Siberian tigers—with cheetahs, leopards, ocelots, and other striped and spotted cats in between.

Tornadoes and Global Warming

Scientists can't say yet whether global warming will increase tornadoes. Linking any particular weather event to climate change is always tricky, because weather is inherently random. But weather patterns can speak to a warming planet. Scientists can detect that extreme rain events, for instance, are already happening more often than they used to, and that a warmer atmosphere with more water vapor in it is making such events more likely.

3-D Scans Reveal Caterpillars Turning Into Butterflies

Left: Chrysalis of a painted lady butterfly, showing breathing tubes (blue) and guts (red), at day 1 (left), day 13 (centre) and day 16 (right). Credit: Lowe et al. 2013. Interface.

The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is one of the most exquisite in the natural world. Within the chrysalis, an inching, cylindrical eating machine remakes itself into a beautiful flying creature that drinks through a straw.

Eastern Screech Owl

Masters of disguise. The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey. Location: Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA

Wrangel Island, Muskoxen

Explore a haven for wildlife, frozen in space in time. Here, two male muskoxen size each other up during mating season.