23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Triple Tongue Flick in the Swamp Light

A wild cottonmouth rises at the swamp’s surface and delivers a rare triple tongue flick—air, shadow, and reflection—captured at true water level with a mobile device using its wide-angle lens as sunlight broke through the forest.

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