This cheetah was just doing what any self-respecting cheetah would do. Marking his territory. He was one of three brothers that I saw over the course of a few days while staying in northern Botswana.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second
Beaver are one North American mammal that I wish I had more photos of. I see them from time to time, but they have a well developed warning system when they sense an intruder and don’t wait around for long. They take that big flat tail and slap the water to alert all others in the area, before heading under water and retreating to their dens. This guy, on the other hand, was swimming along with me as I hiked down a riverside trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. I didn’t get a full body shot and the aforementioned tail, but I was able to record the nice green reflection off the surface of the water.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
A shaft of late afternoon light lit up this sea turtle’s face as she was attempting to make little sea turtles with that barnacle-nosed guy back behind her. We weren’t far from the coast of Isabella Island in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
I’ve only seen kinkajou a couple of times and only once was I able to get decent photos. I think this guy gave me a little extra time to grab the shot because he didn’t want to leave that giant white fruit. I was spotlighting on my own around my lodge in Pavones, Costa Rica. It can be difficult to shine a headlamp on your subject so that you can gain focus and then fire off you remote flash units, but I had just enough time to get it done. I got a series of shots, maybe four or five before the kinkajou moved on to other nightly delicacies. On a side note, kinkajou might be me favorite animal name.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second
I was in the Falklands at the time that the young king penguins were going through their molt, dropping their brown fluffy baby feathers to reveal the adult plumage beneath. This poor guy looked particularly scruffy as his head was in full transition.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
The moose on the left is the mother and the one with the antlers his her grown calf, now a bull. They were grazing along a small creek just past the north east entrance to Yellowstone in the town of Silver Gate, Montana. Taken a few years back in winter, my favorite season to visit the park.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/500th of a second
Just a simple shot of an elephant eating grass. This one was taken in Botswana at the Linyanti Concession near Chobe National Park in the northern part of the country.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second
This giant neotropical toad wasn’t exactly pleased, but accepting at least of having his picture taken. He allowed me a few flash bursts before… well, he didn’t go anywhere, just stared at me with that disapproving glare. We were in the town of El Valle in Panama.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/8 at 1/160th of a second
Unfortunately, road kill is a big problem in Tasmania and most people don’t drive after the sun goes down because of all the animals on the road. But on the plus side, there’s a great network of foster parents throughout Tasmania who will take in rescued baby marsupials. When a wallaby or possum or some other marsupial gets hit, it is advisable to always check the pouch. You never know what you might find inside. In this case, a baby brushtail possum was rescued and was being cared for by a concerned citizen in Coles Bay on the east coast. The goal is to eventually release the little guy back into the wild.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/640th of a second
The southern caracara, or southern crested caracara is a raptor in the falcon family that lives in central to southern South America. I photographed this one on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. These guys are opportunistic hunters, feeding on carcasses, stealing prey from other raptors, raiding nests, and only occasionally capturing their own live prey.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/640th of a second