Will Florida hunt down every python? Plus, fighting salmonella; disappearing frankincense

Also, climbing a forbidding mountain; lips on a T. rex and dino nuggets; bears really do chase skiers  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

PICTURES OF THE YEAR VIEW ONLINE

PICTURES OF THE YEAR

KILL THE PYTHON, BUT SKIP THE BLOODLUST Monday, December 11, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we get a behind-the scenes look at the hunt for Burmese pythons in Florida, track the disappearing frankincense trees, learn how to fight salmonella ... and climb a forbidding mountain.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ZACK WITTMAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX It seems biblical. A land overrun by snakes. In Florida, it’s Burmese pythons (one 12-foot version above). Now, 100 elite hunters are shooting and trapping their way through swampland to rid the state of the invaders, one by one. Is that the best way to do it? Who is picked for this force? Are they making a difference? READ THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIUS CSOTONYI, ROYAL TYRRELL MUSEUM OF PALAEONTOLOGY

Dino nuggets ... for dinosaurs? A young tyrannosaur’s last meal gives new insight (Above, illustration of juvenile Gorgosaurus consuming its prey) How magnesium affects your sleep and anxiety Bears really do chase skiers—but is this video fake?

Cooking oil just fueled a transatlantic flight. But is it a solution? Out of ideas for what presents to give this holiday season? Here are 12 last-minute gifts for the curious and adventurous What archaeologists say about the real Jesus Discovering lips on a T. rex—and other wild scientific finds of the year Finding a lost Maya city—and other amazing 2023 archaeological discoveries Related: What really caused the collapse of the Maya civilization? These 6 U.S. Christmas markets feel like a fairy tale

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY MINGMA DAVID SHERPA Happy International Mountain Day! You might not be summiting this Himalaya peak, like the elite Nepali mountaineer shown above, but you can climb steps or a StairMaster today with a sense of purpose. This climber is one of 10 who made it to the top of this forbidding peak in this historic expedition. Which mountain is this? A. Meru B. K2 C. Everest D. Nanga Parbat (Killer Mountain) CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MICROGRAPH BY A. DOWSETT, NATIONAL INFECTION SERVICE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Salmonella 101: Poisoning typically occurs when you eat food that has been contaminated with the bacteria—seen here in a colored transmission electron micrograph. Here’s what you need to know to fight it. WHAT’S IN YOUR FOOD?

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL MELFORD, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION That time of year: Frankincense trees (above)—of biblical lore—are being tapped out for essential oils. The fragrant resin gifted to the newborn Jesus may be at risk of disappearing, writes Rachel Fobar for our Wildlife Watch investigative unit. READ MORE

Today’s soundtrack: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Cannonball Adderly Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup.

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

READ OUR LATEST STORIES

SHOP

DONATE

SUBSCRIBE

TRAVEL

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: mitch.dobbs.pics@blogger.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences. Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies. © 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.