The world is a very wild place and every day, it just keeps getting crazier and crazier. You never know what sort of surprises you are going to find around the next corner.
That’s what these 50 photos illustrate. From ancient flying lizards to aerial views of modern cities, these are the surprises that nature and civilization don’t want you to miss.
Even a quick look at these images will have your jaw dropping in awe. Once you see them for yourself, you’ll understand why. It’s amazing what you’ll notice when you view the world through a new lens.
1. Natural Smile
This dog broke her bottom tooth. Surprisingly, her top tooth filled in the gap. It began growing extra long to compensate for the hole!
2. Ancient Beast
29,000 years ago, this crazy-looking creature was actually a real thing. Scientists call it the Elasmotherium. It was a giant hairy rhinoceros species that had a horn bigger than its entire head.
3. Sun Halo
The beachgoers were shocked when they looked up at the sun and noticed a large rainbow ring around it. It turns out, this natural optical phenomenon is called a 22° halo. It is the result of thin clouds in the sky.
4. Arm Placement
This Uber driver spends a lot of time in his car. He also puts his arm in the same place over and over again. He’s done it so many times that the armrest has formed an actual indentation where his elbow sits.
5. Bathroom View
Here we have a perfect view of the London Eye from a London bathroom, in a pub, on a boat. The Ferris wheel is the exact right size for the window. It creates a very neat effect when the boat passes by the attraction.
6. Lizards Can Fly
Flying lizards are basically just miniature dragons. They are so cool looking. The pattern on their wings reminds us so much of the ferocious fire-breathers of medieval legends.
7. Towel Display Trick
It turns out, the stacks of towels at IKEA are mainly just an illusion. As you can see from the side angle, it is just one towel folded over and over again against a styrofoam backing. We feel so deceived!
8. Braided Tree
Someone wove these little trees together while they were growing. Now the branches are all braided into one big tree. It’s pretty confusing to look at. We’re still trying to figure out how it’s possible.
9. Butterfly Eggs
When we think about eggs, we automatically think of some sort of round shell. However, butterfly eggs form geometric patterns. They are basically little black stars.
10. Diamond Mine
It looks like a giant sinkhole has swallowed up part of a town. However, it’s actually a diamond mine in Russia. The town is built up right to the edge of it. The enormous mine makes the apartment buildings look so tiny.
11. Heavy Load
Everyone knows that snails walk slowly. However, this snail walked at such a slow pace, a bunch of hornets built their nest on its back. The hornets’ nest was bigger than its entire shell and body!
12. Beautiful Earth
Here is an amazing view of Earth as seen from the International Space Station. It shows the Mozambique channel as it heads inland from the coast of Madagascar. The colors are absolutely incredible!
13. Starfish Closeup
This is what the mouth of a starfish looks like if you zoom in really close. It is almost alien-looking. Are those thousands of little teeth?
14. Baby Peppers
The chef cut open this bell pepper only to find eight more peppers growing in the middle. It’s not the most exciting thing in the world. However, it is pretty random.
15. Tree In A Tree
When sliced open, this tree revealed a secondary tree image stained on the inside. Although, it could also be a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. It depends on how good your imagination is.
16. Cloud Angels
A US Air Force jet left this incredible cloud behind it in the sky as it flew by. It looks like two angels coming together in an embrace. The jet in the background continues on towards the horizon.
17. Alligator Sighting
Despite what it may look like, it’s not actually an alligator. It’s a fallen tree branch from a storm. However, from this angle, it’s easy to mistake it for a dangerous predator.
18. Tasty Leaf
The caterpillars are absolutely devouring this leaf. We have never seen so many of them at once. There were tons of leaves to choose from, yet for some reason, they all decided to snack on the same one.
19. Hairy Legs
This guy’s leg hairs turned completely white after cutting stones for fifteen minutes. The dust from the stones coated everything. Hopefully, he wore a face mask while he was doing it!
20. Summer Fun
Have you ever been to a ski resort in the summer? It’s a really great time to go hiking. The ski trails leave big open expanses all across the landscape.
21. Glass Gem Corn
It’s one of the coolest strains of corn ever. All of the kernels are different brilliant colors. It was first grown by an Oklahoma farmer who crossed several different native strains of corn to create it.
22. Night Market
Markets in Thailand really light up at night. This one is called the Ratchada night market and it is located in Bangkok. The beautiful tents shine bright across the sky, inviting everyone in the neighborhood to come out for a bite to eat.
23. Weird Shaped Banana
Most bananas that we see for sale in the supermarkets are curved. However, this one is suspiciously straight. How it ended up like this is one of the great mysteries of life.
24. Purple Starling
The purple glossy starling is one of the most beautiful species of birds in Africa. Its feathers are a sparkling purple, blue, and green. Coupled with its bright yellow eyes, the starling really is a sight to behold.
25. Shoe Test Area
If you really want to test shoes out, you need to try them out on a variety of landscapes. That’s why this shoe store created an area with several different potential surface options to choose from. It includes stones, mulch, and even Legos!
26. Stretchy Flowers
These daisies mutated into something unrecognizable. They are elongated. It’s almost as if they are from an alien planet with a different degree of gravity. However, in scientific terms, it is technically a phenomenon known as fasciation.
27. Potato Plant
Apparently, microwaveable potatoes will sprout if they are left alone long enough. That’s what happened to this student. They left the container out while they were away on winter break. When they returned, it was growing!
28. Three Bridges
There are multiple historical layers to this bridge. On the bottom is a bridge built in the 12th century. In the 18th century, they built another bridge on top of that one. Then in the 20th century, they built another bridge on top of the original two.
29. Shady Sidewalk
In this image, the shadow from the sun lines up perfectly with the edge of the sidewalk. It’s a pretty cool coincidence. It makes it look like two totally different pictures were combined together.
30. Grass Closeup
Here we have a blade of grass as viewed under a microscope. It’s hard to believe it’s real. The most surprising part is the smiley faces. However, they actually serve an important purpose. The grass sucks water up through them.
31. Buff House Cat
Have you ever seen a cat this ripped before? He is practically all leg muscles! He must be related to a jaguar or a tiger.
32. Double Vision
The shadow from these glasses looks like an additional pair of glasses. It’s surprisingly realistic. If we weren’t paying attention, we could easily mistake it for two separate pairs.
33. Stylish Shell
It looks like someone painted the back of this turtle. However, it is just his natural appearance. He has a fascinating yellow pattern on his shell.
34. Missing Eye
This frog was spotted hanging out on the person’s porch. At first glance, it appears pretty normal. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that it was born with only one eye.
35. Volcano Aftermath
These photos show Mount St. Helens volcano before and after its eruption. It is located in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest. The eruption took place in 1980 and caused a massive amount of damage, including 57 deaths.
36. Strawberry Life
A berry farmer made this interesting photo documenting the lifecycle of a strawberry. It starts as just a wee bud. Then a white flower forms, and finally, the strawberry begins to mature.
37. Wood-Paved Path
This street in Philadelphia was created using wood instead of rocks, cobblestones, or pavement. It takes us back to a simpler era. Wooden streets were quieter than cobblestones when horses and buggies drove down them.
38. Daytime Astronomy
An amateur astronomer was able to spot the planet Saturn from their backyard during the day using a telescope at 7 am. If you know where to look, you can find it too. It almost looks like a cloud, however, the planet and its ring are clearly visible.
39. White Orchid Mantis
We’ve all seen green praying mantises before. However, the white orchid mantis is a different member of the Mantis family. They live in the rainforests of Southeast Asia and disguise themselves as white flowers.
40. Bank Remnants
After the bank was demolished, all that remained was a metal cage. It used to be where the bank’s money vault was located. The vault managed to partially withstand the demolition.
41. Loving Puppy
This dog was blessed with a heart on the back of his neck. It’s such a beautiful birthmark. If his owners ever get tired of him, we’ll volunteer to adopt him.
42. Coastal Views
The number of different colors in this aerial photo is pretty incredible. It was taken on the coast of Broome in Western Australia. It just goes to show that Mother Nature is an amazing artist.
43. Bar Food
The Taco Bell behind the bar installed an order window so bar patrons could get their tacos without ever leaving the drinking establishment. It’s a great idea for bars who don’t serve food — just team up with the neighbors.
44. Cat Thumbs
This little kitten was born with thumbs! It’s not normal, but it is really cute. Let’s just say the odds are very high that someone dresses her up in mittens someday.
45. Fancy Pigeon
Frillbacks are a breed of pigeons that are fancier than most. They naturally have feathers that curl up all over the place. They were bred for show, not practicality.
46. Old Bones
This iguana carcass was spotted on the beach in the Galapagos Islands. Because of the perspective, it’s easy to imagine it as a dinosaur. It looks much bigger and scarier than it really is.
47. Heart Shaped-Rock
It’s shaped like the real organ. It even has barnacles attached to the top that look like arteries. It is a natural heart look-alike.
48. Lucky Drop
This chef dropped their pizza board on the ground. It instantly transformed it into a cheese board. It split on both sides at the same time.
49. Ice tunnel
Here we have a tunnel of snow and ice in Patagonia, Argentina that looks like dragon scales. The turquoise color is stunningly beautiful. It’s so surprising that something like this occurs naturally in the wild.
50. Grocery Ice Rink
Hockey fans will appreciate this one. The grocery store was originally a hockey arena. When they converted it, they still left the circle on the ground that marks center ice.
51. Neon Fangs
Jumping spiders are fascinating creatures. Most people never get close enough to ever examine them in detail. However, if you did, you would be shocked to find that some varieties have bright-green fangs!
52. Fast Food Date
Someone reserved a table at a Burger King for a fancy dinner. We had no idea that such a thing was even possible. However, a white table cloth and a flower in a vase can make any dining situation feel classy.
53. Mini Oasis
These are actually tiny weeds in a garden. However, when viewed up close, it looks like a little desert oasis. It’s a small patch of life amidst an endless expanse of sandy rock.
54. Colorful Snake
“She is a sunbeam snake, Xenopeltis unicolor, a nonvenomous colubrid originating from southeast Asia,” explains the man. When the sun shines on the snake, she really comes alive. The patches of colors on her scales mimic a rainbow.
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