Mother Nature’s Bag Of Tricks: Cool Things Found In Nature
Nature regularly performs small miracles, so we’re going to share a few good ones with you now. We’ve gathered a few of the most intriguing nature-related pictures that were submitted by the r/mildlyinteresting Reddit community. These range from cute animals and stunning nature pictures to unusual fruits and vegetables and occurrences of unusual weather.
If you’ve been looking for a list of beautiful things to take your mind off of the daily grind, then scroll on. We hope that some of these images pique your curiosity more than just a passing glance. Nature has many things to offer. All that she requests is that you take some time to reflect on her stunning offerings. Stop for a moment and observe. Prepare to be amazed!
Rise of the Kitty
Wait a minute! What’s up with the sun throwing up the shape of the continent of Australia all of a sudden? No, no, wait! It looks like a superheated cat’s head like it was made out of molten metal or something!
Now isn’t this neat? This is what happens when you manage to capture an eclipse that’s about to happen. The slight intrusion from the moon makes the sun look like a cat. Considering how much we love sunsets and adore cats, this is perfect for us!
Stunning!
Just look at the pattern that this has created! It seems so surreal! Like someone took a paintbrush and went to town on this rock. What might have caused the pattern is a leaf or another type of foliage that has left an imprint.
The more you look at it, the more it reminds you of the “White Tree of Gondor.” Maybe, this, too, is waiting for its rightful master to bloom in full. What a gorgeous find this is, honestly. We hope the person preserved this rock.
Leaf tears
Have you ever witnessed the sparkling, crystal-like droplets of water in the morning hours or at night? These droplets would have caught your attention because they are visible at the leaf’s tip and edge. Guttation would be the term for this.
It refers to the discharge or excretion of water from the outer edges and tips of a leaf in the form of fluid drops. Guttation is really the exudation of xylem sap drops on the tips or margins of leaves of certain vascular plants, like grasses.
Disney prince alert
We have found ourselves a Disney prince, it seems. This tiny bird came out of nowhere and just clung onto the person’s shirt like it was made for him. Maybe the bird has a thing for linen. We know we do.
Look at this little bird, holding on to the shirt like it is some sort of branch. It must feel quite at home with the pastel blue hue of the fabric. We know for sure that this person felt like a million bucks at this moment!
A pink morph of the meadow grasshopper
We can say that the meadow grasshopper is a typical species of grasshopper. It can be discovered in non-arid grassland all over the lush regions of Europe and some nearby regions of Asia. It is a well-researched organism in evolutionary biology.
This species served as an early and significant model organism for the investigation of European phylogeography. Also, this pretty pastel pink color is determined genetically. That means not all but certain populations have a higher chance of being so deliciously pink.
What a view!
Oh, man! To wake up to this view in the morning would be absolutely sublime. When you type “picture-perfect view,” this surely must be among the top results that pop up. We are experiencing a bit of a struggle with this one.
We struggle because it is quite hard to find adequate words to describe this view. There’s nothing like going up to that bench with your morning beverage of choice and sitting there, alone with your thoughts. We get chills just thinking about it.
What a pretty tourmaline!
Tourmalines come in countless different colors. In fact, this special gem can be found in almost every single color. This makes the tourmaline a gem with one of the most extensive color spectrums. This gem can be multicolored, with green and pink being one of the most common combinations.
Despite green and pink being the most popular, there are tons of color combos. The chemical makeup of a tourmaline greatly impacts both its physical characteristics and its color. A set of closely linked mineral species known as tourmalines possess the same crystalline structure but different chemical and physical characteristics.
It’s slime time!
Slime is produced by snails through a specific gland located on the front of the snail’s foot. Originally, scientists believed that the slime’s function was to allow snails to move. But over time, scientists have discovered that snail slime is really a peculiar chemical.
It has distinct qualities and multiple uses. Snail slime seems to have a liquid gel-like consistency. It is firm and sticky while at repose. But when placed under pressure, it melts and serves as a lubricant. The slime is not necessary for snail movement.
This way is up
Well, isn’t this convenient? We are referring to something else that we spotted, but first, we have to address the doggo in the room. Look how peacefully asleep he is. He is absolutely lost in dreams, in the warm embrace of his mom or dad.
But the most striking thing is the arrow on his fur! In case you needed to figure out which way was up now, you have the answer. This arrow also perfectly indicates where the best place to be petted is! Right here, hooman!
Spots and stripes
When this adorable kitty was about to be born, there was a disagreement—a disagreement on whether it should have been a striped cat or a spotted one. We bet nature was like, “why not have both” and went with it.
It would be a crime not to mention how absolutely adorable we find this whole stripes and spot getup. This kitty looks absolutely smashing. We have to somehow refrain from showering it with all the love and affection it needs. Aww!
Why are rainbows arched?
Now that’s a cool double rainbow. But why do rainbows always appear in the shape of an arch? What is the reason behind that? The circle (or half-circle) rainbow is caused by a cluster of floating droplets inside the atmosphere that can focus the light scattered at degrees of divergence.
That is from the initial direction of the sun’s light which ranges from 40 to 42 degrees. Every droplet inside the arc scatters light and reflects it back toward the viewer, forming a circular arc, as what you see from the naked eye. Now you know why.
This is the way!
Remember those black, sea urchin-like things that the Tusken Raiders used as drinking water vessels? They just shove their thumbs into one, and a black mist pops out like citrus fruit. Then, they drink whatever is in it, and that would satiate their thirst.
This really reminds us of that. Now, is this a prop from the movies or the TV series? Nah! This is a giant blackberry. Yeah, you heard that right! This is the kind that Paul Bunyan would be seen eating with relish!
Nope (2022)
Nothing to worry about here. This is just a contrail left by a SpaceX launch. Everyone talks about contrails, but what causes them? It happens from a process in which a few tens to hundreds of molecules mix together and grow to bigger sizes by sticking together.
Due to a scarcity of accessible water vapor in the environment, contrails can appear within a few wingspans of the airplane behind the exhaust and, therefore, can evaporate inside a small distance from the engine exhaust, which is exactly what happened here.
The life force of the tree
Look, there’s a star in the middle of all these growth rings! But what causes them? The growing season in the forests starts in the spring in Canada and the northern US. The springwood is initially created by the cambium’s numerous big cells having thin walls (earlywood).
This is the light-colored ring visible in a tree’s cross-section. Then, as the end of summer approaches, development slows. During this period of the year, tiny cells having thick walls are produced. On the tree cross-section, they create the summerwood (latewood), which would be the darker rings.
Sidequest Tulip
Oh my goodness! We just love this tulip! Just look at how sharp the colors are! It’s almost like this was painted by an artist. The red compliments the yellow and vice versa. We would love to encounter this in the wild.
If you have played video games casually or on a hardcore or professional level, you know this kind of coloration means something. This is a rare item, and touching it could take you to a whole other place. Just like a portkey!
Snails have homing instincts.
You know how, when we are lost, we still manage to stumble across the correct path by following landmarks and just homing in on it? Well, apparently, snails also have that ability. An experiment entailed transferring snails from the gardens they were found in.
Snails do seem to possess a homing instinct across small distances. But according to other research, many snail populations may override this homing drive. The likelihood of the pests returning is reduced if they are transferred at least 20 meters away from their usual habitat.
Surely that couldn’t be a lion!
If you had a bit of a jump-scare moment the very first time you saw this, don’t worry, we were caught off-guard too. We were taken aback, to be honest! Why does this bush look so much like a lion?
It is so surreal. This isn’t the kind of thing you want to encounter while taking a very leisurely stroll. The features look absolutely stunning! It is detailed to the point that you can even distinguish its nose. Nature, we have to hand it to you; you’re quite the artist.
No need to call pest control. Read what’s below.
Many people can become rightfully alarmed by the ground-nesting bees that become more active in many lawns in the early spring. Their nest openings are tiny, inch-wide mounds of earth. They may momentarily diminish the appearance of a well-kept lawn.
These cause absolutely no damage to the lawn. In fact, the lawn may even benefit from it because their nests serve as ventilation holes that let nutrients and water penetrate the soil more effectively. Ultimately, as soon as the spring breeding season is over, the nests are deserted.
Huh! That’s funny
As far as stickers go, this looks pretty and unique. Also, why is it stuck in the shutters rather than at the bumper? We do love the vibe, but the shutters aren’t the best place for a sticker. Or is it even a sticker?
Nope. We were duped for a moment here. This sticker-like thing is a direct result of sunlight. The reflecting sunlight from the rearview mirror melted the snow on the shutters. The shape of the mirror also helped create this effect. How neat!
Who messed with the texture controls?
Wait! Why is this egg so wrinkly? Take a look, folks; this happens when you don’t wear your sunscreen. In all seriousness, eggs with wrinkles are occasionally laid by hens. These eggs contain regular eggs within; however, the shells are wrinkly. What then triggers these wrinkly eggs?
Are they okay to eat, too? It is more difficult for a shell to develop properly around an egg if the white, or albumen as it’s officially called, is watery. This, rather plainly, can result in an eggshell that is wrinkly or has ripples on it.
Beautiful dichromatic leaf
Okay, surely this can’t be real now, can it? This looks too much like an art project from middle school. Just look at the pairing of the colors! The contrast and the sharp lines. This looks like this was hand drawn.
But, like most of the posts that we encounter in this thread, that is not the case. This is the handiwork of nature, and she is to be given full credit for creating something like this for us to enjoy.
Caterpillars: Their color is what they eat (species: Megalopyge urens)
This coloration on this caterpillar says one thing. Stay away! But what determines their color? Caterpillar colors can occasionally be difficult to identify for a wide range of reasons. First off, as they develop from a preliminary phase to a later phase, caterpillars may change color throughout time.
Secondly, depending on their environment (such as the plant, limb, or leaf they are living on) and diet, caterpillars may change their color. The color of the mature insect that caterpillars transform into is generally not associated with the color of the caterpillar.
Life, uh, finds a way.
The first thing that springs into mind when we see this is the quote by Ian Malcolm. You know, the chaos theorist played by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park? “Life, uh, finds a way.” Well, it sure does, Dr. Malcolm.
This is a condemned building that is scheduled to be demolished. Even though that is the case here, you can’t help but admire the sheer beauty of this setting. This is what you can expect when you let life have its way. This is really beautiful.
Just dance!
Fairy rings, often referred to as elf rings or pixie rings, are circles composed of mushrooms that appear in nature. The mushrooms emerge from the earth in a round pattern. A solitary fungus that is developing subterranean is the source of fairy rings.
Mycelium, the term for the mycelium that the fungus produces, grows in a ring-like pattern. Annually, the mushrooms at the circle’s outer perimeter emerge from the soil to form the fairy ring. The circle will be modest, to begin with, before growing larger as it ages.
Harambe lives!
Is this a bonsai tree or a reincarnation of Harambe the Gorilla as a plant? It sure does have all the features it needs to look like a gorilla, doesn’t it? That puffed-up chest and its heavy weight were propped up on those long arms.
Instead of the head, there is a plant coming out of it. It kind of reminds us of the clickers from The Last of Us. Instead of fungal spores, you have this entire sapling just popping up. Pareidolia is a pretty interesting thing, isn’t it?
Wait, that’s a cashew nut?
Oh, so that’s how cashew nuts are harvested. Interesting! While the seeds grow inside the flesh among most fruits, it falls from the bottom of the cashew apple. It is effectively a bloated stem. The kidney-shaped cashew seed has a hard outer shell having two layers.
These layers must be removed manually. The phenolic resin urushiol, which is the same chemical that results in the blistering rash seen following interaction with poison ivy or poison oak, lies hidden between these two layers. This component is eliminated during the shelling process.
Ice diamond extraordinaire!
If only this were a real diamond. What do you think the diamond would cost? The temperature was probably pretty frigid for this to have formed like this. We just wonder how this ice cube formed in this shape in the first place.
It must have taken some time, surely. All of those raindrops falling one after the other to form this? Whoever said that “good things take time” wasn’t bluffing. All we have to do is be patient if we are to come across something like this.
Fossils in the washroom
Now, this is an interesting thing to find in a washroom. But why is it so fascinating? Maybe because of the sandstone? Sandstone is created when sand grains are bonded firmly. Fossils found in sandstone typically do not display many features as those discovered in shale and limestone.
That’s because sandstone is a rougher substance than shale or limestone. Fine fossils are infrequently seen in sandstone. Numerous habitats, such as dunes, oceans, sandbars, beaches, rivers, deltas, deserts, and flood plains, can produce sandstone. Trilobites, brachiopods, crustaceans, bryozoans, and plant fossils can be found in sandstone.
Ai! A Balrog is come!
If you stumble across an ominous hole in the mountain that looks like this, stay away! By all means! As far as caves go, this could be inhabited by a troll or something like a cold drake, judging by the environment.
The best thing to do is to set up some trap cameras and monitor this location remotely. Why risk your life and face the wrath of some eldritch creature that has woken up unceremoniously from its deep slumber? Always take precautions where mythology is concerned.
Moose rutting post
The Canadian moose employs the surfaces of his palmate antlers resembling satellite dishes to enhance the cries of a cow seeking a mate. That’s not all, though. He purposefully clonks his antlers on big trees and rubs supple bushes and saplings.
Where the bull scraped the antler surface all over the wood and where the antler prongs pierced and punctured the bark, gashes and scrapes may be seen. These scratches act as olfactory and visual noticeboards, and their chemical deposits serve as signals for the mating season.
Geothermal pizza, anyone?
As far as ovens go, this looks pretty hardcore. You’re using geothermal energy generated by the earth to cook what appears to be a banger of a pizza! We are drooling at the look of this cheesy goodness. Is it time for lunch yet?
Plus, if this could be properly harnessed, it could mean a sustainable energy source for a lot of people. Warming up your house when it is cold and using the heat to prepare food are two of the many applications that we can think of when we see this!
Caterpillar conga!
Talk about conga lines! This takes the cup. But what causes this behavior? As they move ahead, the caterpillars leave a lovely trail of pheromones. However, this is unrelated to mating. They are moving in the direction of a pupation site.
They want to embed themselves in the ground and develop into cocoons. The rear of the caterpillar in front of each one pulls the one behind forward. Usually, the leader is a potential female. Caterpillars have been seen marching in a straight line containing as many as 300 individuals.
Two stems? Two stems!
Why would anyone want to nail an apple? Not the smartphone, we mean the fruit. Although, if an older model starts acting up, that thought might cross our minds. But let’s get to the question at hand here. How can this happen?
Well, if two fruits start to grow at the same time and fuse, this could happen. But the real question is: how was this connected to the branch? The Redditor should have really taken a picture of that for us to see.
Spore molds?
Someone will be in trouble for spilling sugar on the table like this. If you tend to live in a warmer climate as we do, you know that this means trouble as this is like a buffet for throngs of ants!
But wait, something in the structure of the crystals says otherwise. Ohh, these are not sugar crystals! These happen to be recrystallized salt. Someone must have left concentrated salt water to evaporate over a period of time. Probably as a scientific experiment!
Love Kiwi
Legend has it that if you take a bite from this love kiwi, you will find love yourself. Just look how cute this looks! The seeds have all arranged themselves to portray a heart. It would make a pretty sweet gift to give to someone.
Imagine if you’re unaware that the seeds have arranged themselves to form a heart. You give this to your significant other or your crush, and they cut it open and find this. Now, how romantic would that turn out to be, eh? Pretty romantic!
Hope
As we mentioned previously, here we have another contender for the white tree of Gondor. However, this is nowhere near as majestic as the white tree that symbolizes the return of the rightful heir. But still, it is a tree.
It has managed to survive in this concrete jungle for goodness knows how long. It is a fighter; it is a survivor. It is a beacon of hope for those who crumple under continued pressure. You have the strength within you to continue!
Slurp up that moisture, little scorpion
There is a rule of thumb when it comes to scorpions. The smaller it is, the more venomous. The bigger it is, it’s somewhat safer. So judging by the size of the beverage container, we can dictate that this scorpion is not to be messed with.
But what the Redditor unknowingly did was provide this thirsty scorpion with water. In a way, they really helped an animal quench its thirst. That is pretty meritorious when you come to think of it. Way to go to this Redditor. Well done!
This looks delicious!
We don’t know for sure, but this BigMac looks way bigger and juicier than the ones served today. Just look at the size and the thickness of the patties and the texture of the cheeses used here. We are missing out, it seems.
The buns also look really supple and soft. Man, this makes us hungry. But we can’t order a BigMac knowing this was the gold standard in the 70s. Maybe we will opt for an In ‘n Out burger. Whatever looks and tastes great.
Fred Flintstone called; he wants his egg back!
As far as hard-boiled eggs go, this has been boiled so much so that it became a fossil. Like the kind of egg you can imagine a Norwegian rock troll would like to have for breakfast. But even the troll would find this unappetizing.
All jokes aside, this is a pretty cool rock formation, isn’t it? The yellow coloration in the center really contrasts with the gray that surrounds it and gives off the overall impression of an egg. It’s pretty neat, isn’t it?
Life
Well, this looks quite stomach-curdling, to say the least. But these are not what you think they are. No, these are not ticks. If you look closely, you might notice the wing cases or the elytra. These are June bugs. You can let out a breath of relief.
Bit of a moral here to be also learned. If you tend to follow something blindly, without looking or paying attention to what is happening to those who went before you, you will end up in a pit full of your former brethren.
Signs!
Okay, people! Move in a calm and orderly manner, but quickly get out from underneath the glowing circle! It looks like the aliens have started their experiments again. If you don’t want to be whisked away to some galaxy far, far away, be careful.
If only! This is not some Independence Day or Encounters of the Third kind type of scenario that we have here. This is a reflection of the lights that were used in the rehearsal for the Beijing Paralympics. It looks quite surreal, doesn’t it?
This left us pretty stumped.
Whoever thought of utilizing this tree stump as a part of the stairs is a Bear Grylls fan. This has improvisation written all over the concentric rings that we see. But there seems to be one thing that we can’t figure out.
Is this done for the aesthetic, or was this a bit of a lazy moment? Or did they run out of tiles, mortar, and other equipment that is needed to remove this stump? Well, it is something only the contractor can answer.
No, thank you!
Talk about reverse trypophobia. Instead of having a fear of pores, you tend to develop a fear of things that come out of pores. There is no denying that we love dogs. But this can make us reconsider our choices in a jiffy.
This is the kind of outgrowth you would expect in their feet, bum, or anywhere else that gets a lot of friction on a daily basis. But how on earth does the nose end up being like this? It really baffles us!
Mold or crop circles?
What is this we have here? Crop circles for ants? Also, why is it so grey? Maybe the farmer didn’t have a bountiful crop this season around. That can happen, you know. Guess the aliens ended up going all upside down on this.
Sometimes we love how our imagination manages to run wild. But it’s time to reign that imagination back in because these are actually mold formations because this person forgot his lemonade bottle in a cupboard. Quite the hypnotizing design it appears to be, isn’t it? Very artistic!
Way to go, Monstera!
Whenever you feel down in life, all you got to do is to look at this monstera leaf. It will keep on giving a thumbs-up as long as it doesn’t unfurl. Same as life; we just have to plow through.
That does not mean that you don’t have to address your sadness. Take time to cope with what you are going through with the help of family, friends, or a therapist. Then try to plow through and move on. Do it for yourself.