can you spot – Syndication Server

Yellowstone landscape is pretty, but can you spot the bear?

During the summer bears roamed the Yellowstone landscape, but weren’t always easy to see. Image will test your spotting skills.

*Editor’s note: A version of this post was published by ForTheWin earlier this year.

Bears in Yellowstone National Park are hibernating, but during the summer they were spread across the landscape and often visible from roads and trails.

But they weren’t always easy to see, and one Montana-based hiking guide used an image he captured from above the Lamar River to test his social-media followers’ spotting skills.

“I’ve been told my more recent ‘Find the Animal Friday’ posts have been way too easy,” Douglas Scott stated via X. “This one is a little more challenging.”

Can you spot the black bear? Photo: Douglas Scott

Scott allowed the use of his image for this post, so we’re also challenging readers: Can you spot the black bear in the images posted above? (Answer below.)

Hint: It’s a difficult quiz and there are several shadows that might be mistaken for the bear.

Scott, who runs The Outdoor Society, told me that he captured the image June 21 “on a perfectly clear day” in the park’s northern range.

“It was definitely a fun spot as my client was amazed I saw it so easily from so far away,” Scott recalled.

His X followers offered several guesses but in the hours after his post only one had pinpointed the bear’s location.

When I guessed, Scott informed me that I had found “the shadow of a tree.”

Another guess was met with the reply: “Unfortunately, you are incorrect. You most definitely found a non-animal shadow though!”

Yellowstone is remarkable in that visitors often see bears up close or in the distance, especially if they’re patient and use binoculars or spotting scopes.

They might also capture a landscape image and later realize that a critter is visible in the image.

In 2023, for example, I was watching bears on one side of a highway and turned to snap an image of a coyote in transit on the other side of the highway.

When I got back to my hotel room and began to inspect my images, I discovered that a smaller animal was visible, paying close attention to the coyote.

As for the black bear photographed by Scott, it’s much easier to spot in a zoomed-in version posted immediately below.

Zoomed-in version shows black bear’s location. Photo: Douglas Scott

Immediately below is an image with the bear pinpointed with an arrow.

Black bear location. Photo: Douglas Scott

As for Yellowstone bears, they’ll begin to emerge from hibernation as early as late March.

‘Would you have stepped on it?’ Deadly snake ridiculously hard to spot

The puff adder is nearly impossible to spot until the narrator zooms in and reveals the venomous snake hiding in the bushes.

The puff adder is one of the deadliest snakes in Africa, and also an expert at camouflage.

Can you spot the puff adder in the accompanying image, or in the footage before the narrator zooms in? (Footage posted below.)

Or, as asked by Watamu Snake Farm in Kenya: “Would you have stepped on it?”

As for the image, look just left of the dangling gold leaf and good luck. The answer is best provided in the footage as the narrator discusses the snake’s ability to remain hidden while it “lies in wait.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHH8gSoBrO/

A few facts about puff adders, courtesy of Siyabona Africa:

–The puff adder gets its name for its propensity to inflate itself and hiss when threatened.

–The puff adder’s venom causes swelling, blisters, and tissue damage. Snake bite victims are urged to seek medical help as quickly as possible. (Most fatalities occur because of a secondary infection or improper medial care.)

–The puff adder is extra dangerous because it typically holds its ground when danger approaches, relying on camouflage. It will not retreat from footsteps and it will bite if stepped upon.

From Siyabona Africa: “The Puff Adder is responsible for more bites and fatalities in Africa than any other snake due to its habit of not moving away from approaching footsteps, instead blowing out air as a warning, hence the name.”

Can you spot the rattlesnake hiding in Arizona backyard?

A Phoenix company that relocates rattlesnakes issued the photo challenge after being summoned to a residence to capture the reptile.

–A version of this post was published by FTW Outdoors in 2021.

A Phoenix-based company that relocates rattlesnakes reported by concerned residents has quizzed Facebook followers by posting the accompanying image and asking:

“Western Diamondback Rattlesnake spotted in a backyard by Dave recently. See it?” (Answer at the bottom of this story.)

Can you spot the rattlesnake? Photo: Rattlesnake Solutions

While many will spot the rattlesnake after a brief inspection, the image reveals how adept rattlesnakes are at blending into their surroundings.

The image was posted to Facebook by Rattlesnake Solutions, which operates in Phoenix and Tucson. The company is licensed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and maintains that snakes are not harmed during capture or relocation.

MORE: Can you spot the Yellowstone elk in striking “moonset” image?

Many in the comments section correctly described the location of the rattlesnake in the image. But some were merely intrigued by the prospect of discovering a rattlesnake in one’s yard.

Reads one comment: “Not your average backyard thankfully! Note to self – do not buy a house with a backyard with rocks to hide under in Arizona, in fact buy a condo on the 12th floor!”

For those who would like conformation that their guesses are correct, the snake is circled in the image posted below.

Western diamondback rattlesnake circled in red. Photo: Rattlesnake Solutions

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Can you spot the black bear peeking from the forest?

The images were captured by a USFWS employee in central Washington. Hint: Not all black bears have black fur.

Can you spot the black bear peeking from the forest in the Pacific Northwest?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked a similar question Monday via social media and provided the main image and a second image showing a portion of the bear in a different location.

We’ve provided both images below, with the answer circled at the bottom of this post.

“In the Pacific Northwest, fish hatchery employees are accustomed to wildlife encounters, including black bears,” the USFWS post states. “These photos were taken during a hike earlier this summer to check on water levels above Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, in the mountains of central Washington.”

Hint: Not all black bears have black fur, which appears evident in both of Mathew Maxey’s images.

Second image provided by USFWS Pacific Region

Viewers can click here to view the USFWS post. You might discover that I guessed the correct answer in the comments.

I’m also providing the answer in the image posted below.

Can you spot the Yellowstone moose on the distant ridge?

Local photographer asks author if he can spot the moose in a Yellowstone wildlife quiz with an amusing twist.

Last week in Yellowstone National Park, I was observing badgers at their den when a local photographer asked if I could spot the moose on a distant ridge.

I became excited because I had yet to log a moose sighting and, after a few seconds, I realized that the photographer had presented a quiz with an amusing twist.

So I’ll do the same: Can you spot the moose on the ridge in the accompanying images? (Answer at the bottom.)

Can you spot the moose? Photo: ©Pete Thomas

It’s worth noting that moose sightings are somewhat rare in Yellowstone, with fewer than 200 animals inhabiting the massive park.

According to the park website, moose numbers have declined over the years “due to the loss of old growth forests surrounding the park, hunting outside the park, burning of habitat, and predators.”

They’re also solitary creatures, for the most part, except during mating season from September into early October.

So moose sightings are cherished, in part, because they occur so infrequently.

The regal critters are usually spotted near marshy areas or water bodies, which is why I was surprised when the photographer asked me to look at a ridge more suitable for bighorn sheep.

As many might have already figured out, this is not a quiz that should demand too much of anyone’s time. So I’m presenting the answer below and apologize if I’ve thrown anyone a curve.

Moose-shaped vegetation on the ridge. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

I’m also including an image of an actual moose that I spotted on a roadside slope two days later.

The moose caused a significant traffic jam and there was no place to pull over so I snapped a few quick shots from my vehicle.

Actual moose a bit farther east. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Hardly a giant but still impressive, and it marked my first actual moose sighting in 6-7 years of visiting the park.

Yellowstone coyote not alone; can you spot the other mammal?

The coyote passed virtually unnoticed behind tourists observing bears, but it was definitely noticed by the smaller animal.

A bit of advice for anyone visiting Yellowstone National Park: While searching for wildlife, always take a moment to look behind you.

This could be rewarding even you’re already observing large animals.

The accompanying images show a coyote that I photographed last May as I stood alongside a road with dozens of others observing a cinnamon black bear with two cubs.

The bears were down a forested slope, perhaps 80 yards from the road. The coyote was behind us, on the opposite side of the road, passing almost unnoticed about 40 yards away.

I didn’t realize until that evening that a smaller critter was in the image, watching the coyote. Can you spot and ID the critter? (Answer below.)

Of course, coyotes do not rank high on many tourists’ spotting lists. But I found it interesting that this coyote was on the move and so close to so many people who had no idea it was even present.

Mountain goats on a ridge. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

On the same trip, also in Yellowstone’s northern range, I was with perhaps 30 tourists watching a lone black bear descending a slope toward the road. People jockeyed for spots from which to observe or photograph the bruin.

Directly behind us, high atop a rocky peak, mountain goats maneuvered in and out of sight. They were distant and the accompanying image is cropped and grainy, but I was glad to have documented the sighting before turning my attention back to the bear.

Ground squirrel watching the coyote. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

My mammal sightings log for three days: 14 individual bears, the coyote and ground squirrel (see photo above), the mountain goats, and dozens of pronghorn and bison.

Can you spot and ID the ‘slithering critter’ in Georgia forest?

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Monday asked social media followers if they could identify a ‘slithery critter’ photographed recently in a pine forest.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Monday asked social media followers if they could identify a ‘slithering critter’ photographed recently in a pine forest.

For some, it took a while to spot the snake as it blended with pine needles and cones.

“Finally found it,” reads one of more than 135 comments beneath the Facebook post. “I’m rethinking all my playing out in the yard plans.”

The DNR does not identify the snake in a description that provides hints:

“I spy with my wildlife eye a ssslithering critter!

“You can quickly identify this venomous critter by the series of large, black, chevron-like crossbands down its body and the reddish-brown stripe that runs down the center of its back.

“This critter may actively pursue prey by following scent trails, but more commonly acts as a sit-and-wait predator, ambushing prey at the base of trees or next to fallen logs.”

The snake is fairly easy to spot after a scan of the image, captured by Berkeley Boone.

“While you’re unlikely to find this critter in an urbanized environment, you may encounter it in lowland cane thickets, high areas around swamps and river floodplains, hardwood and pine forests, mountainous areas, and rural habitats in farming areas,” the DNR continued.

“Most individuals are docile when encountered in the wild and will remain coiled or stretched out without moving. They may also rattle their tails as a warning, producing a loud buzzing sound. If provoked, however, they will not hesitate to deliver a serious bite.”

Obviously a rattlesnake, but what type of rattlesnake?

Viewers are asked to click on this link for the answer and to learn more about the species.

Can you spot both bobcats photographed in Wisconsin forest?

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two camouflaged bobcats in a wintry landscape and asked its Facebook followers if they could spot the animals.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two bobcats camouflaged in a wintry landscape, and asked its Facebook followers:

“There are two bobcats in this snapshot from Lincoln County! Can you find both?”

It’s probably not so much a matter of if viewers will spot both bobcats, but how long it will take them. (One bobcat is clearly more visible than the other.)

The top two images – the same image in different sizes – show how well these predators blend in with their surroundings, and how thick their coats become as winter sets in.

The bottom image provides the answer, with both animals circled.

The WDNR wrote on Facebook: “Bobcats are crafty hunters, and with small prey, they will wait motionless and then pounce. Bobcats hunt small mammals, like eastern cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, as well as birds and even reptiles.”

The image was posted as a promotion for the Snapshot Wisconsin program, which allows schools and the public to participate in research by hosting trail cameras that help the state monitor wildlife activity.

Can you spot the weather balloon amid the clouds?

The accompanying image was shared via Twitter on Monday by the Little Rock, Ark., office of the National Weather Service, along with the question: “Can you spot the Weather Balloon?

How many relish the challenge when a nature or weather quiz appears in your social media feeds?

The accompanying image was tweeted Monday by the Little Rock, Ark., office of the National Weather Service, along with the question:

“Can you spot the Weather Balloon? This was about 1 minute after release, nicely camouflaged beneath the altocumulus this evening.”

As quizzes go, this isn’t a difficult challenge for anyone with decent eyesight. But perhaps the point of the NWS Little Rock post was to reveal the beauty of altocumulus cloud formations, parallel bands or clumpy mid-level, gray-shaded clouds typically associated with settled weather.

The formations, which can be strikingly beautiful, sometimes span enormous swaths of sky at an altitude between 7,000 and 23,000 feet.

Writes the U.K.-based Weather Online: “They are white and/or gray in color with generally shadowed parts or undersides and often show a waved aspect.

“They may be well shaped by high winds into lentels or rippled wave patters and might appear as a pancake tower or like an UFO, often sharply outlined, but they may also become partly fibrous and diffuse.”

The quiz answer, if anyone should require confirmation, appears in the image posted below.