These little guys are pretty common in Panama (I also saw them quite a bit in Costa Rica). They are known for being the only vertebrate that can lay their eggs either on land or in the water. With ample shade, they will lay them above water, but with little or no shade they will attach their eggs to submerged vegetation.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/25 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
This is what a safari must look like to a cheetah. The vehicle is actually ours, and I was on the ground behind the cheetah. I’ve posted photos of her before — she was saved by a Masai warrior when she was six weeks old and caught in a barbed wire fence. In this photo she was six months old and just beginning to venture out and hunt on her own. She was still very trusting of humans and we were able to actually play with her out in the field (see my bio pic here when she was up on our vehicle’s front hood).
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/1600 of a second
There are several different species of basilisk lizards that live in tropical regions of the Americas. They are sometimes called Jesus Christ lizards for their ability to run across the surface of the water. This guy is the helmeted basilisk. He/she was hugging a small branch, keeping a watchful eye on me as I was searching for tree frogs in El Valle, Panama.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/11 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
In addition to the spectacled owl which I posted last week, I also photographed a tropical screech owl while in Panama. Unlike the spectacled owl, this guy is quite small — less than ten inches in length. Tropical screech owls are pretty widespread throughout much of South America and up through Panama, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/200th of a second, Nikon SB-900 flash
As most of you know, I tend to favor creatures with fur above those with feathers. That being said, I certainly love both, and Panama is arguably the best place in the world for the latter. I’ve photographed green honeycreepers before in both Costa Rica and Trinidad but it was nice to get such good looks at both the male and the female in the tree-top canopy in Soberania National Park. The top shot is the male and the bottom is the female.
Both Photos — Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second
Here’s another look at a three-toed sloth. They sleep most of the day, but quite often you can see them hanging upside down giving themselves a good scratch. Sloths enjoy a symbiotic relationship with algae. Their fur gives the algae a great place to grow and the algae gives the sloths camouflage and nutrients through absorption. The algae also makes the sloth a magnet for moths, beetles and other insects.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1250, f/4 at 1/1000th of a second
There are quite a few different species of glass frogs that live in Central and South America. They are very small and most are green with a translucent belly. Viewed from below, you can see the internal organs — thus the name. This guy, the Fleischmann’s or northern glass frog, photographed in the El Valle region of Panama, can be distinguished by the faint yellow spots on its back.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/18 at 1/250th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Most antbird species are rather drab looking — a combination of browns and grays. But not the ocellated antbird. This shy bird has a brilliant blue facial patch, surrounded by a gray crown and chestnut, brown and black patterned wings and breast. My guide was quite excited when we found one and I was able to get a couple of decent shots before it flew off. I’m assuming that meant it’s not an everyday occurrence. As the name would suggest, antbirds eat ants — army ants being their favorite delicacy.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/50th of a second
Mantled howler monkeys are fairly common — at least in the areas that I have visited in Central and South America — but they can still be quite difficult to photograph given the darkness of their coloring and the fact that they are usually high in the trees against the white of the sky. This one was part of a troop that I photographed along Panama’s famous Pipeline Road. Pipeline Road is generally considered one of the best, if not the best spot in the world for birding. It’s also a great place for mammals and on this particular afternoon, I saw howlers, as well as both two and three-toed sloths, and agoutis.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
It’s rumored that the Star Wars character Jabba the Hut was based on a real life actor. George Lucas apparently told the production team to make Jabba look “alien and grotesque just like Sydney Greenstreet.” That may be true, but Jabba clearly looks more like a marine toad to me than the bad guy in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. Also known as a cane toad or giant neotropical toad, these guys can get big. Very big. And fat. This one looked about the size of a large cantaloupe.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 200, f/8 at 1/160th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units