Apparently yesterday was International Leopard Day. That said, here’s another leopard from the recent trip to Kenya. This female had two grown cubs. You can see one of the cubs crossing in the background as she stands guard. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second.
There’s a saying that you can gauge the health of an environment by the health of its frogs. And there’s a sad truth to it. When frogs start to die off in a particular area, more often than not it can be traced back to toxicity in that environment. One of the reasons frogs are so susceptible is because they breath through their skin. Any imbalance in the air can be lethal. Unfortunately, frog species worldwide have been declining in numbers in recent decades. Frogs are a particular favorite of mine, and I always get excited for nocturnal walks in tropical environments to search for these colorful little prophets of the night. This is one of the many species of glass frog that can be found in healthy parts of Central and South America. If photographed from underneath, you’d be able to see the internal organs through that delicate air-breathing skin. Photographed in the mountainous cloud forest of Ecuador. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/14 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.
This young monkey is a Hanuman langur. They were very common while on safari in India. It was interesting the way they hung out and worked together with the spotted deer to alert each other of any lurking tigers. The langurs would keep watch from high in the trees while the deer would use their senses on the ground. If either heard or saw danger, they would sound the alarm. This particular langur, however, seemed very relaxed and was taking a rest from play (never staying too far from mom). Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 116mm) ISO 800, f/3.2 at 1/500th of a second.
When photographing birds in flight, it’s always a nice bonus to get some of the landscape in the background. Even just a bit back there can add context to the image. In this case, a brown pelican flying over Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/3200th of a second.
Yesterday I posted the world’s largest rodent. Today, it’s Africa’s smallest antelope. Dik-Diks really are tiny and I only wish I could have captured something in the image to show scale. I’ve mentioned it before, but when they run through the grass, look like oversized rabbits. This is the Kirk’s did-dik, photographed earlier this year in Samburu, Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 300mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second.
Back again, everyone’s favorite rodent, the capybara. These are the largest rodents in the world and can grow to about four and half feet long and weight 150 pounds. Females are typically larger than males, and they can have between one and seven pups. This mother was hanging out on the riverbank with her two quickly growing pups. Photographed in the Pantanal of Brazil. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter (at 500mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/1600th of a second.
I photographed three different species of hornbill in Samburu National Reserve, the red-billed, Von Der Decken’s and this guy, the northern yellow-billed (also known as the eastern yellow-billed). Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/500th of a second.
Tasmania is a place of so many different incredible landscapes in its relatively small size. Everything from alpine meadows to rainforests with giant ferns to lichen-covered rocky coastlines. But within all those great landscapes, chances are there’s a wallaby hiding somewhere. This Bennett’s wallaby was enjoying the scenery up on Cradle Mountain National Park in the middle of the island state of Australia. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 95mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
I’m a big fan of gerenuks. Their nickname is the giraffe gazelle, for obvious reasons. The neck of the male is just as long as that of the female, but it doesn’t quite look it because it is much thicker. Always fun to see their faces protruding from the bushes. Males also have horns which are absent on the females. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.
This one takes a bit of work to see what’s happening. We saw a pride of about five lionesses take off in different directions, clearly a strategic maneuver to capture prey. We weren’t sure what they saw. Eventually we realized there was an unsuspecting warthog coming their way. It got closer and closer and the chase was on. The warthog, realizing his predicament, took off on a surprisingly fast sprint. Perhaps out of instinct, but more likely blind luck, he made a quick cut to the right — the only spot that one of the lionesses was not hidden in the grass waiting to ambush. He narrowly escaped to live another day, and the lions were left to try again. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/3200th of a second.