Victoria water lillies in the Amazon

Victoria water lillies in the Amazon.

Pictures from the Amazon

Blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates azureus).

Blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates azureus). The blue poison dart frog is a colorful frog found in the rainforests of Suriname, a country located in the northeastern part of South America. The blue poison dart frog uses its colors to warn predators of its toxic skin.

A new study published in the current issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that poison dart frogs, as well as the Mantella poison frogs of Madagascar, derive their toxicity from the ants they eat. Specifically, both groups are frogs are capable of storing ants' toxic alkaloid molecules in their glands without being harmed.

The Little Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

The Little Colorado River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 315 mi (507 km) long, in the U.S. state of Arizona. The river provides the principal drainage for the Painted Desert.

Pictures of the Little Colorado

Boa constrictor in southwestern Costa Rica

Boa constrictor in southwestern Costa Rica.

Costa Rica pictures

Spiny forest vegetation at sunset in Madagascar

Spiny forest vegetation at sunset. Madagascar's spiny forests (or "spiny desert") are endemic to the arid southern tip of the island. These forests are dominated by plants of the Didiereaceae family, which is unique to Madagascar as are 95% of the species found in this ecosystem. Didiereaceae closely resemble some forms of cacti but are not related. Unlike catci, Didiereaceae species produce small deciduous leaves which are protected by meanacing thorns and spines that grow directly out of the plant's many branches. Madagascar's spiny forests are being rapidly destroyed for use as charcoal and building material.

More pictures of flora in Madagascar