Theerasak Saksritawee was trying to photograph a jumping spider on a leaf when the mantis unexpectedly appeared in the frame.

“One moment it was all clear – then this thing appears in front of me.”

Stargazers (family Uranoscopidae) are venomous ambush predators that have eyes on the top of their heads.

They bury themselves beneath the sand and use a worm-like lure to tempt prey close to their mouths, launching an attack when the prey is within striking distance.

This miniature shotgun is one of a pair of matched custom Purdy creations presented to King George V in 1935 on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee. They fired ammo made by Eley-Kynoch, barely a half-inch long and loaded with 1.62 grains of E.C. powder and 2.02 grains of dust shot. The monarch is said to have used them to kill moths.

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Just checked my game cam from the end of the season and had this photo on it.

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This was taken on my deer lease in Real County near Leakey. Thought y’all might enjoy it. My buddies said the buck in the air learned a new karate move. –Dan VanDeventer

A wildland fire “heavy attack truck” lays a “wet line” along a North Texas ranch road during last year’s wildfires.

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Thousands of acres burned and many homes were destroyed in the fires, and at least two major state parks suffered extensive damage.