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Current Issue March 2012
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Visions of Earth

Each month, National Geographic magazine features breathtaking photographs in Visions of Earth. Browse through visions of the world as seen through a photographer's eye.

/visions-of-earth/img/0312-spadefoot-tadpoles-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0312-spadefoot-tadpoles-60.jpg United States—With aquatic tails plus full sets of legs, western spadefoot tadpoles display the magic of metamorphosis. Just days away from terrestrial life, these pollywogs will not eat until their tails are completely reabsorbed into their bodies.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0312-korea-demilitarized-zone-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0312-korea-demilitarized-zone-60.jpg South Korea—Rings of smoke pierce the air during a military exercise near the Demilitarized Zone. The South Korean tank, loosely camouflaged with tree branches, fires smoke shells amid man-made mounds of dirt.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0312-weaverbirds-queen-elizabeth-park-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0312-weaverbirds-queen-elizabeth-park-60.jpg Uganda—On a lodge terrace in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a photographer’s butter and roll prove irresistible to the local lunchtime crowd. East Africa is home to many species of weaverbirds, known for their skill in building nests.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0212-afghanistan-shepherd-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0212-afghanistan-shepherd-60.jpg Afghanistan—On drought-pocked earth near Marjah, in the restive Helmand Province, a lone shepherd leads his sheep through a mud wall's gap. Scenes of pastoral grace persist in this agriculturally intensive country, despite strife, insecurity, and dire food shortages.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0212-tajikistan-bathers-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0212-tajikistan-bathers-60.jpg Tajikistan—Long hair flowing in the Pamir mountain air, two sisters prepare to bathe in a pond near Rushan. Several major ranges radiate from this region, providing water—some of it diverted for irrigation and a growing populace—to much of Central Asia.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0212-harvest-mouse-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0212-harvest-mouse-60.jpg France—On a bright summer morning a captive-bred male harvest mouse perches acrobatically in an Alsace wheat field. This species—the smallest European rodent—boasts a prehensile tail and builds a round nest that resembles a bird's.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0112-spain-horseback-bullfighting-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0112-spain-horseback-bullfighting-60.jpg Spain—At the Feria del Caballo festival in Jerez de la Frontera, an assistant to a rejoneador, or horseback bullfighter, stands in the arena wings with mules used to remove felled bulls. The mules are festooned in traditional Spanish colors.]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0112-thailand-monks-maja-puja-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0112-thailand-monks-maja-puja-60.jpg Thailand—Stretching across a temple plaza, seemingly into the infinite, thousands of robed monks are ordained at a ceremony on the Buddhist holy day of Magha Puja. The holiday celebrates a key sermon and a gathering of monks during Buddha’s lifetime. ]]> /visions-of-earth/img/0112-indonesia-frogfish-714.jpg /visions-of-earth/img/0112-indonesia-frogfish-60.jpg Indonesia—A flurry of filaments helps camouflage the striated frogfish, a bottom dwelling predator often found in warm, weedy waters. Like its anglerfish relatives, it also employs a dangling lure to seduce fish and other prey into its lair—and gaping mouth.]]>