23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Tongue of the Sun

Photographed at absolute water level with a mobile phone using an ultra-wide lens. A wild cottonmouth flicks its tongue into the sun, forming a rare triple-tongue effect: the real tongue, its shadow, and its reflection.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: jackson, mi, United States of America
Camera: Galaxy S25 Ultra
Copyright: © Steven Grogin