Ring-Tailed Lemur
This one is from my trip to Madagascar back in 2007. Of all the lemurs (53 different species depending upon who’s doing the counting) the ring-tailed is perhaps the best known. They’re latin name is Lemur Catta — appropriate because they meow somewhat like a cat. This one was either waving to say hello, or telling me to get the camera out of her face.
Black Squirrel
I was up in Bronxville, New York this past weekend at a house party and saw a few black squirrels running around in the back yard. It reminded me of the ones that I used to get at my house in Michigan, including this guy here peeking out of a hole in a tree. Black squirrels are actually a melanistic subgroup of the eastern grey squirrel that carry a mutant black pigment gene. They are common in the Midwestern United States, Ontario, Quebec and parts of the Northeastern United States and Britain.  One theory suggests that they have thrived in these colder areas because their dark fur gives them the advantage of heat retention over grey colored squirrels.
Armadillo Dig
I spent quite a bit of time habituating this nine-banded armadillo on Merritt Island in Florida. Eventually it became comfortable enough with my presence to go about its business of digging frantically for grubs, termites, ants and other insects. Armadillos have very poor eyesight, but a great sense of smell and can detect prey through 8 inches of soil. If you look close, you can see the rotted bits of wood that the armadillo is tossing aside as it digs.
African Wild Dog Portrait
This is an African wild dog. Or, if you prefer, an African hunting dog. Or a Cape hunting dog. Or a painted dog. Or a painted wolf. Or a painted hunting dog. Or a spotted dog. Or an ornate wolf. It’s called all these things. It’s also in trouble in Africa and listed as endangered due to human overpopulation, habitat loss and predator control killing. I was lucky enough to find this guy and the rest of his pack of about twelve or so in the Linyanti Swamp area of Botswana.
Moose Cow in Lake
This one is from a trip to Maine a few years back. I was at Baxter State Park when I saw this moose cow in the middle of Sandy Stream Pond. Moose like the nutrient rich vegetation that sits on the bottom of the pond. She was out there for what seemed like an hour, grazing under water and allowing me to get many shots.
Early Morning Hippo
During the day, hippos rarely leave the water, but at night they typically sleep on land. They are very susceptible to sunburn and as soon as the sun starts to get hot, they get back in the water. This was first thing in the morning when the sun just broke the horizon and several hippos were out foraging on the plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya. In the background, a few buffalo keep a close watch on their often cantankerous neighbors.