Collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) have an exceptional sense of smell, far more developed than their eyesight or hearing. They use their powerful noses to sniff out roots, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates hidden beneath the forest floor. Their sense of smell also helps them recognize other members of their group, thanks to scent glands located just above their tails that produce a musky odor. In fact, they often greet one another by rubbing snouts or flanks, reinforcing social bonds through scent. Of course, in this photo, it was the scent of a human with a large camera that they were taking in. Photographed last month in Piedras Blancas National Park in Costa Rica. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 10,000, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.
Here’s one from the archives. I visited Olympic National Park back in 2009 and spent a bit of time photographing ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus). They are found up and down the Pacific coast, easily recognized by their orange, purple, or reddish hues. They play a crucial role as a “keystone species,” especially in rocky intertidal zones, by preying on mussels and helping maintain biodiversity. They can regenerate lost arms, and they feed by turning their stomachs outside their bodies to digest prey. They are also surprisingly strong for their size, and cling tightly to rocks with hundreds of tiny tube feet as waves crash over them. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 400, f/20 at 6 seconds.
Red fox pups (Vulpes vulpes) are born blind, deaf, and completely dependent on their mother, spending the first few weeks nestled safely in a den. As they grow, pups become curious and playful, wrestling with siblings and pouncing on leaves or insects in mock hunting practice. These early games help build the skills needed to survive on their own. They begin to venture outside the den around four weeks old and are usually weaned by eight to ten weeks, but they’ll often stay with their family group through the summer, learning to navigate the world one cautious step at a time. I encountered this pup (also called a kit or cub) in Delaware, along with a few other siblings, alternating between playing and resting while they waited for their mother to return with breakfast. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 200, f/7.1 at 1/400th of a second.
I did a lot of shooting of nocturnal creatures without using flash, on our recent Costa Rica trip. For this image, I used a spare headlamp that I hung on a branch behind the frog so that the primary light was coming from over the frog’s left shoulder. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/80th of a second.
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is famously fearless and tough, often taking on animals much larger than itself—including lions, if provoked. It has incredibly thick, loose skin that allows it to twist and bite even when a predator has it pinned. Known for raiding beehives despite painful stings, honey badgers love honey and larvae, but their diet is wildly varied. They’ll eat everything from snakes to fruit. I came face to face with this one years ago on my first trip to Botswana, in the Kalahari desert. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
Female hyenas are the dominant sex and raise their cubs in communal dens, where the young are fiercely protected and play constantly to build strength and social skills. Despite their reputation as scavengers, spotted hyenas are skilled hunters, and mothers will nurse their cubs for up to 18 months, one of the longest periods of any carnivore. On our last trip to Kenya, we saw so many spotted hyenas, most with cubs. If you want to join us on an upcoming trip, we’d love to talk. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 5000, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
The three-toed sloth, also known as the brown-throated or three-fingered sloth, spends most of its life hanging upside down in the rainforest canopy, moving so slowly that algae actually grows on its fur, helping it blend into the greenery. They sleep most of the day, but I caught this guy up and at it. Well, sort of. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 220, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.
The yellow-headed caracara is a clever and opportunistic bird of prey found throughout Central and South America. Unlike many raptors, it’s often seen walking on the ground or perched on cattle, where it picks off ticks and insects, earning it a bit of a reputation as nature’s janitor. It’s also known to scavenge and even steal food from other animals, making it one of the more adaptable and resourceful birds in its range. Every day while we were in Costa Rica, this guy would come and sit on the railing of our deck, affording me very close up portraits. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1000, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second.
As we get closer to our trip to Kenya and Uganda in June, and start to put the schedule together for later in the year and 2026, I’ve been thinking about some of the species we’re going to see, including the always entertaining gerenuk. Their long necks are well adapted to get at the foliage that other grazers can not (well, not including giraffes or elephants, but you get the idea). If you’d like to join us on a trip, including later this year, reach out to start a conversation. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.
The common basilisk lizard, also known as the “Jesus Christ lizard,” is famous for its ability to run across the surface of water. Using rapid movements of its hind legs and flared toes, it can sprint short distances across ponds and streams to escape predators. Despite this ability, it’s even better at avoiding notice altogether, often freezing motionless to blend into dense vegetation. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1250, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
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Collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) have an exceptional sense of smell, far more developed than their eyesight or hearing. They use their powerful noses to sniff out roots, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates hidden beneath the forest floor. Their sense of smell also helps them recognize other members of their group, thanks to scent glands located just above their tails that produce a musky odor. In fact, they often greet one another by rubbing snouts or flanks, reinforcing social bonds through scent. Of course, in this photo, it was the scent of a human with a large camera that they were taking in. Photographed last month in Piedras Blancas National Park in Costa Rica. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 10,000, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.
