Now that Game of Thrones is back and in full swing, thought I’d post a dragon. Not exactly as fierce as the beasts flying above Westeros, but a rather impressive specimen nonetheless. Meet the Boyd’s water dragon. Also known as Boyd’s forest dragon. They grow to be about two feet in length. This one was spotted in Daintree National Park in Queensland, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/5 at .8 of a second.
My mother’s dog Rogan (RIP Rogan) used to sit like this and we would call it the frogger position. We like to anthropomorphize animals like that (attribute human characteristics). But since being a dog owner myself, I can’t help also seeing canine features in other animals — be it the face of a seal, the muzzle of a lion, or the resting position of a polar bear. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
The Baird’s tapir is the largest land mammal in Central America. They are classified as endangered and vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss and poaching. The death of even a single tapir is significant because they reproduce so slowly. The gestation period for a female is more than 400 days, after which a single baby is born. Multiple births are extremely rare. This large male tapir was foraging on the forest floor in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/100th of a second.
A great blue heron bearing a gift — a stick to reinforce the nest. Photographed in Venice, Florida. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 210mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/2500th of a second.
As I post this, there’s still twenty or so minutes left of Easter Sunday. So naturally, here’s the annual rabbit post. This time a desert cottontail from the Badlands of South Dakota. Hope everyone had a great day. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
The golden mantella is a critically endangered species endemic to Madagascar. It’s bright coloration is actually the complete opposite of camouflage, used as a warning sign to let would-be predators know to stay away due to high toxicity. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 155 with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
It is said that prairie dogs get their name from the habitat they live in and the fact that they sound like dogs when alerting others of danger. I get the habitat part, but not the dog part. Their call is certainly more of a high pitched yip than a bark. Regardless, they are fun animals to watch and photograph. These two youngsters were showing each other a bit of affection outside of their burrow in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 340mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/4000th of a second.
During the wet season, the crab-eating fox searches for crabs out on the muddy floodplains of central South America. Thus the name. This crab-eating fox, however, was looking for something a bit different — no doubt attracted to the smells coming from the lodge I was staying at in the Pantanal of Brazil. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 105mm) ISO 200, f/10 at 1/60th of a second. Two Nikon SB-800 flash units.
Cape barren geese only exist in the extreme south of Australia (with a small, introduced population also in New Zealand). I photographed this one on Maria Island in Tasmania. They were quite common on Maria Island and, as with most geese, allowed a close approach. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
I took a trip to Boundary Bay, just south of Vancouver, a few years back in search of snowy owls. I had just enough light left when this one took flight above the marsh, in search of an evening snack. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm), ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.