Jason Bittel

writes about animals for a living.

(Because that’s a thing you can do.)

Hi, I’m Jason Bittel.  

As a National Geographic Society Explorer and Knight Science Journalism Project Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I consider it my mission to help everyday people reconnect with the wonder all around us—whether that’s an entire, adorable colony of ants hiding inside a single acorn or a botfly larvae wriggling around the nasal cavity of a white-tailed deer.

I’ve sniffed sloth turds, trapped invasive wild boar, and even once recorded the anal temperature of an elk. I also make a mean periodical cicada scampi, but the next batch won’t be ready until 2036.

In addition to writing for adult readers at National Geographic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Popular Science Magazine, New Scientist Magazine, and elsewhere, I used to write a super fun monthly column for kids called “Ever Wondered?” (You can read the archives here.)

I’m also the author of four kids’ books: Mountain: Go On a Grand Tour of the Highest Places on Earth (2024), The Frozen Worlds (2023), Animals Lost And Found (2022) and How To Talk To A Tiger…And Other Animals: How Critters Communicate In The Wild (2021).

And now, I’m so excited to announce that newest book, GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals, comes out March 3, 2026. It’s a new kind of wildlife book that leaps off the page & lights a fire in your heart. It's rigorously scientific, slightly hilarious, & written for everybody -- young & old, rural & urban, scientist & layperson. Scroll down for a sneak peek, and sign up for my totally free newsletter for updates! You can read more about that here!