The mouse opossum is, in fact, the size of a mouse. But it isn’t a rodent at all. It’s a marsupial, and more closely related to a kangaroo than a rat. There are 55 different species of mouse opossum in Central and South America and they are all nocturnal. I came across this one well after dark while camping in the Pampas region of Bolivia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units
There are many pockets of the United States where you can still see wild horses, mustangs, whatever you want to call them, roaming free — both in the east and out west. This guy was grazing near Monument Valley National Tribal Park in southern Utah.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 190mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second, graduated neutral density filter
This California ground squirrel seems quite pleased with how its day is going. Perhaps because it found a spot devoid of any rattlesnakes, eagles, foxes, badgers, weasels, and raccoons — all of which, consider ground squirrel’s quite delicious for dinner. These squirrels are common (as the name would suggest) in California and in Oregon, and have been pushing their range even further north into Washington state.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/320th of a second
Short-eared owls are fun to watch hunt. They fly close to the ground before making a quick dive at their prey. This guy was scanning the marshland along Boundary Bay in Western Canada for any tasty rodents.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1250, f/5 at 1/1000th of a second
A bat-eared fox licking its chops late one afternoon on the plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/250th of a second
The cheetah may be the fastest land mammal on earth, but when it comes to long range speed, it can’t touch the pronghorn (up to 55 miles per hour for five miles). The pronghorn ranges across a large area of western North America, along the front range of the Rockies. This one, photographed in Badlands National Park in South Dakota, wasn’t exactly showing off its stellar speed, but it cooperated by posing in front of the colorful early morning sky.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second, graduated neutral density filter
Apparently, the art of subtlety is lost on the proboscis monkey. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if this rather forward approach with the ladies of the species resulted in any success. Either way, this one goes out to my friend Garth, who yesterday requested said monkey, no doubt identifying with its equally impressive facial proboscis.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/60th of a second
This holiday time of year always deserves a chipmunk-in-a-spruce-tree post or two. I took this one back in 2009 in Olympic National Park in Washington. These two chippers were keeping a watchful eye on a nearby black tailed deer.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second
It’s been a while since I posted one of my favorite animals, the ring-tailed lemur. These guys are sun worshipers and often look as if they’re meditating as they sit back and soak up the heat. The latin name for the ring-tail is lemur catta, because they meow like cats. The best place to see them is at Berenty Reserve in southern Madagascar.
Nikon D40x with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 55mm) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second
The lilac breasted roller has few rivals as the most colorful bird in Africa. It also happens to be a fairly common bird. I was able to get a few shots of this one perched on a branch before if flew off.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 400, f/7.1 at 1/1600th of a second