Phil Torres @phil_torres Twitter profile

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Phil Torres

5 years

A reminder that we live in a world where turtles have tears and butterflies drink them for the salt. Rainforest ecology is complex, but sometimes the simplicity of a bizarre interaction is just about perfect.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Looking for some good news today? Was out on our neighborhood walk when I heard some baby birds peeping... I expected to see a nest in a tree but realized the sound was below my feet!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Here’s the moment we reunited these baby ducks found stuck in a storm drain with their momma duck. It was the best.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

Hummingbird feeder in the yard + iPhoneX + @moment wide angle lens =

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

...Aaaand the award, for cutest butterfly in the world goes to:

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

A reminder that baby tarantulas are basically spiders with fuzzy socks.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

7 years

Nature dropped some glitter all over this beetle and evolution was like "yeah ok let's do this"

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Some personal news- we got our first home! Complete with bookshelves big enough for all my science books, half acre of certified wildlife habitat old growth forest yard, a wild chanterelle mushroom patch out back, and attached to 120+ acres of protected wilderness. 🌿

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Toilet paper and hand sanitizer are sold out. But do you know what are not sold out?? Hummingbird feeders. The perfect quarantine-with-a-yard solution to boredom.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

The monarch migration has been absolutely spectacular this year. This group of millions ended up in the forest just 20m away from where I saw them last year. Incredible how the thousands of miles of orientation are preserved in their genetics, despite being generations apart.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Here’s some footage I took of the White Witch Moth— widest insect wingspan in the world. It is ~ 1 ft (30cm) wingtip to wingtip! As far as I know there isn’t other footage out there of them flying slow motion in their natural habitat.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Just a casual day in the Amazon Rainforest where butterflies swarm turtles to drink their tears. Why? Because the rainforest here lacks sodium, and butterflies gotta find it somewhere so they hit up the ol’ turtle eyeballs.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

A white witch moth! This beauty is one foot wide tip to tip which makes it the widest insect in the world and I can’t believe I just found one. Along the Rio Negro, Brazilian Amazon.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

We spent 10 minutes watching this big kitty nap on the side of the river. 8th jaguar sighting of my life, so thrilling every time even when they 😴

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

7 years

That moment science twitter tells you there are spiders out there that can look up at the night sky and see another galaxy. Mind. Blown.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I hope you enjoy this moment with a blue morpho butterfly as much as I did when I paused to film it on the trail 🦋

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Hey @NaturelsLit you’re stealing my video and you really kinda suck for doing that. Also, your caption blows- they aren’t just fluttering around a turtle they are drinking it’s tears

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

This is a tree trunk in Mexico, covered in tens of thousands of monarch butterflies. Now imagine the sound when they all take off and fly, I recorded it here:

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Update from the Amazon: Urania day-flying moths drinking some tasty mud.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Feeling anxious? Here’s a clearwing butterfly from Peru I filmed last year.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Walking by a small pond on this property we heard a quack, then another quack, and then WE FOUND MOMMA DUCK!!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

One of my favorite wildlife encounters of 2019: there’s a rare poison dart frog in the Peruvian Amazon that lives and breeds inside bamboo (Ranitomeya sirensis). I always wanted to film them in this micro-habitat, and when @laowa_lens invented their probe lens I got my chance!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

2 years

Close up of a monarch butterfly’s wings.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 months

This was a bucket list encounter in Monteverde, Costa Rica this week. Can you spot it from the first image? It’s one of the most remarkable disguises in all of nature, the moss mimic stick insect.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I got the new #iPhone11ProMax and tested out its native built-in lenses this morning on some hummingbirds. Needless to say, it works spectacularly.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Known as either a glasswing or clearwing butterfly, this Ithomiini species is a stunner every time I see it in the rainforest.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

Meet the unrivaled Sword-Billed Hummingbird. One of the most fascinating and elusive birds I've ever seen in the wild, and the only one in the world with a bill length that is longer than its body. From the cloud forests of Ecuador last week.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

There’s a fly in Pence’s head. As an entomologist, I can certify they prefer to land on dead things or 💩.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Look what we found! First night out in Tambopata and my first silkhenge sighting in 3 years.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

After inspecting the storm drain and looking around for a momma duck, we realized these babies were stuck and alone and in need of some help.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

2 years

iPhone, hummingbird feeder, rubber band.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Alright this hummingbird is just a stunner. Set my iPhone + @moment lens on top of feeder and look who showed up. How is this animal real!?

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I can’t even describe how magical Yosemite was this morning. A double rainbow at the base of Yosemite falls- the rainbow literally started in front of my face and ended in the river below the falls. 😍🌲🌈🙏🏼

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

We carefully gathered up the baby ducks and placed them together in a paper bag. Our mission: find momma duck

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Update: no momma duck yet, but thankfully babies seem healthy and warm and hopefully she’s nearby.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

Can we all give a warm welcome to Central Park's newest resident, this spectacular Mandarin Duck! Showed up several days ago and it's made itself right at home (despite being native to east Asia) #mandarinduck

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

This is a shrew caravan, used by the momma to teach her young to explore and to get them safely from A to B. Even cooler? Shrews like this can shrink and absorb their skulls (and brains!) during the winter for survival so they need to eat less. It grows back in the spring.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

One of my mosquito bites from Peru keeps tingling and this is me 🙏🏼 that I finally got a bot fly.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I can’t get over the fact that in a forest full of 10 million+ monarchs we found the one that someone had tagged 2000 miles away, and she’s on Twitter! @Juliann77966869

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

After a quick consult with @PAWStweets , they thought before taking them in to their wildlife rehab facility the best thing was to really try and find momma duck. I figured with all this peeping she must be nearby? But no luck after 30 mins up and down the trail.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

This last week I have been in butterfly wonderland at the monarch migration sites in Mexico. Thankful for those who protect these beauties, especially the two monarch activists who were murdered last month for working to preserve this for future generations 🙏🏼🦋

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I have wanted to see this natural phenomenon for years- crown shyness! These Scalesia trees (endemic to Galapagos) grow just wide enough to *almost* touch each other. They fit like a puzzle, possibly evolved to avoid spreading disease/herbivores from one tree to another.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I found a female rhinoceros beetle last night who had recently died, so I was able to open up her wings to show the world what’s under that hard elytra.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

2 years

I am a father as of Sunday night. It is overwhelming how much joy your heart can feel. I found a ladybug in our hospital room so I got to watch her eyes widen and follow the sight of her first insect as it walked in my hand. First moment of wonder of her existence.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Always pushing my iPhone X to see what I can film in nature, here’s my latest #shotoniphone @apple

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Definition of my happy place 🦋🙌🏼 #monarchmigration

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

7 years

Look at this fern. It’s like a fractal.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

One of the best days of my life. Drove 4 hours into the Mexican country side, rode a horse and hiked all to see this: literally millions of monarch butterflies flying around me. And now imagine that the forest was almost loud with the sound of flapping butterfly wings.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Hello world, meet the jumping stick. The goofiest looking grasshopper in the land.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

7 years

When you a frog but also like polka dot purple pants.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Here’s a little behind the scenes of what it takes to film some magic moments with butterflies: chasing them in the mud with a camera. But wait until you see the footage!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

A few nights ago in the Yasuni rainforest I met a flat worm that swallowed a rainbow.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Just discovered that if you puff a puffball mushroom into sunlight, you get a puffball mushroom rainbow. Puff bow.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Io Moth! While their caterpillars are covered in venomous spines, the adults are floofy with false eyespots to scare away predators.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Bats under a tree overhanging the lake. I love them.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

There’s a lot happening in America these days. But this is happening in a backyard in America, today. Sometimes we need a reminder that there is beauty and joy to celebrate everyday, too. #shotoniphone

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

My friends at @TropicalHerping put together this article on the most bizarre amphibians they have documented in Ecuador. I can’t unsee this.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

This old tweet of mine is getting shared around again. Maybe some of us need more glittery beetles in our lives.

Phil Torres

@phil_torres

7 years

Nature dropped some glitter all over this beetle and evolution was like "yeah ok let's do this"

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I could literally spend hours opening mystery drawers at natural history museums. In this one? Some spectacular metalmark butterflies. Part of the collection at the Museo de Historia Natural in Lima.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Macaws eating clay for the minerals, as seen from a boat on the Tambopata River last week. This group almost made a rainbow.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

It finally happened. Around midnight as the sun set while peaking over the edges of cliffs on the southern coast of Iceland I photographed the most adorable and statuesque bird in the world: a puffin.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

After hiking alongside a river full of spawning salmon, spotted my first-ever grizzly bear in Alaska!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Need to relax? Have a puffin.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

You asked for it! Here's my bot fly larva growing in my back, probably around 12 days old at this point. If you look closely you'll see two little dark hooks– those are its breathing spiracles it pokes out to get air.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

I’ve been in the rainforest without internet for the last three days. After peeping back on Twitter I think I’ll just log back out and leave you with this early morning serenity.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

We saw some (millions of) monarchs today. Leading an @atlasobscura trip to their overwintering migration site in the mountains of Mexico, an absolutely perfect day up here at 10,000ft.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Life update– relocated to Seattle, and we got 8 baby chickens who are growing up so fast.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I saw some birds today. Macaws eating clay in Tambopata, Peru.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

We found a bridal veil mushroom! You always smell it before you see it, I like to describe the smell as “chemically preserved dead animal + garlic.” Its scientific name “Phallus indusiatus” translates to “penis wearing outerwear” 🤔😂

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Is it weird that I was the one that filmed this and I still think it looks like CGI? These butterflies literally look unreal.

Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I hope you enjoy this moment with a blue morpho butterfly as much as I did when I paused to film it on the trail 🦋

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

I just learned two-toed & three-toed sloths are so distantly related they are members of different *families* of mammals. Their most recent common ancestor (35 million years ago!) was ground dwelling, both of these sloths evolved their tree-dwelling lifestyle independently 🤯

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Leaf cutter ants are the hardest working animal in the Amazon.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Checking out 170 year-old moth specimens from Brazil collected by Titian Peale. You wear the fancy white gloves when handling historical specimens like this!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

A reminder that some male butterflies have a feathery scent gland that comes out of their back end and it looks like this 👀

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

So I was walking in the rainforest at night last week and I heard someone next to me, well, fart? Only there wasn’t anyone next to me, only a tree. Then I looked closer and yes, this is much much grosser than a 💨. Make sure your audio is turned up.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

A very prominent science communicator tweeted something dumb & heartless yesterday, adding to the many reasons I don’t follow him. Follow these people instead and your life & mind will be richer: @alieward @AstroKatie @DrShaena @corvidresearch @indyfromspace @AlongsideWild

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Wowsers. A giant golden orb weaver met its demise via fungus. Saw this individual alive and well in the rainforest just days ago!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

Some butterflies are lachryphagous. What does that mean? They drink TEARS, and especially love them some turtle tears. My latest video documents this rare behavior:

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

@NaturelsLit That’s my video you asshats.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

A short-eared owl in Galapagos shakes off the rain and is def not amused.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Thought I saw a river otter run into some rocks at our local beach. So, I zoomed in my iPhone, propped it up, and backed off to see if anything would show up when I reviewed footage later. Look at this otter and wait until you see the fish it just caught!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Bumblebee digging. Likely a queen looking to make a new nest!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

This is accurately calling out the most widespread misunderstanding about “saving the bees.” It is not honey bees that need our help, it is the native bees!

Steven Falk

@StevenFalk1

3 years

@MandSnews Dear @MandSnews please rethink or rejig. I'm a wild bee expert and it is the UKs wild pollinators not our Honey Bees that need help. Did you know that wild pollinators do 2/3 of the UK's crop pollination? Did you know that saturating the landscape with Honey Bees harms them?

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Go buddy go!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

4 years

Weird observation but my goodness Texas has the friendliest dragonflies on the planet. I have never been able to just let one crawl up on my hand.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

So overwhelmed by my amazing wedding this weekend and more posts to come. But for now, just know that at one point a swallowtail caterpillar crawled onto my tuxedo at dinner. It was perfect.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

Video credit: me.

UberFacts

@UberFacts

6 years

Butterflies will drink turtle tears when they need salt!!!

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

3 years

Today is momentous. A new president, older family getting vaccinated, and I SAW MY FIRST EVER NUDIBRANCHS IN THE OCEAN 🇺🇸🤿💉🙏🏼

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

My parents took me to the rainforest for the first time 20 years ago and that experience changed my life. Last week I got to return the favor and take them to the rainforest to celebrate my dad’s 70th. It was the best 💚🌿🦋

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

2 years

I took this video of a beautiful Urania moth drinking mud and people of the internet keep telling me it looks like a pair of pliers opening and closing and now I can’t unsee it

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Probably my favorite before-and-after photo ever. Poison dart frog jumps and turns into a dart.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

My first Bot Fly video is has arrived! Click for the squirm, stay for the learn. Part 1:

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Just landed in Cambodia and I thought this was a butterfly flying around me. To my surprise, it was this: The Picture Wing Dragonfly.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

8 years

Locked out of cabin in the Adirondacks, my girlfriend just picked the lock with this after seeing on a show about women codebreakers in WWII

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

6 years

NEW VIDEO! When butterflies are swarming a turtle's face, you know something amazing is going down. Why is this happening? Find out:

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Can’t get over these metallic colors. Urania moth on the left, skipper butterfly in the right, both making mud-drinking look goooood. (Pinging @AndyBugGuy for the skipper ID)

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

This was quite the scene. Incoming macaw can't stick the landing & falls into river. Can it swim? It can! All of the other macaws turn their heads to watch. But this macaw in the water is a perfect opportunity for a predator to pounce, so they all get scared & fly off in a flash.

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Phil Torres

@phil_torres

5 years

Found a dead land iguana in Galapagos. Those teeth are made for ripping into Opuntia cactus, spines and all.

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