River otters spend most of their time in the water, playing and hunting for food. They do, however, build dens. And by build, I mean they find another animal’s abandoned den and take it over by adding a few twigs and other nesting material. I was lucky to stumble upon this otter’s secret spot, almost fortress-like, in all those thin tree trunks in a swampy area adjacent to a pond. Photographed in southern Indiana. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.
These two bat-eared fox pups were playing just outside their den while their mother was out hunting for dinner. We watched as the mom headed off and then the pups became more animated but never strayed far from the safety of the den. Photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second.
As I listen to the spring peepers outside my window, I’m reminded of some of my favorite frogs from past adventures. This was certainly one of the most conspicuous I’ve met — the appropriately named tomato frog. Like much of the wildlife on Madagascar, the tomato frog (of which there are three species) is endangered. The bright red females are much larger than the males (4 inches vs 2 to 3 in length). The males also lack the red coloring and are mostly brown. Photographed in Maroantsetra. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 80mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.
Spotting and being able to photograph a tayra was the highlight of my trip to the Ecuadorian cloud forest back in 2012. I had seen one before in Bolivia, but before I could get a shot, the notoriously skittish member of the weasel family disappeared into the jungle. Tayras spend a good deal of their time in trees, but will also patrol the forest floor in search of food. They are opportunistic omnivores and have a varied diet consisting of rodents and other small mammals, as well as lizards, birds, invertebrates, various fruits and honey. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/60th of a second.
The toco toucan is also sometimes called the common toucan or giant toucan. The latter because it is the largest species in the toucan family. Toco toucans are found throughout much of central South America and pockets to the north. This one was photographed in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 400, f/8 at 1/640th of a second.
This guy is worth the post for the name alone. From the front, these birds appear uniformly black, but when at the right angle, and if they move their wings out of the way, that flame rump can be spectacular. Photographed in La Selva, Costa Rica. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
Depending on how you look at it, this is either a really small monkey or those are really big leaves. I suppose it’s a bit of both. Not sure of the exact species of tree but they looked like giant oak leaves. The monkey is the smallest of the four species found in Costa Rica. Including the tail (which is slightly longer than the body) squirrel monkeys only grow to about 26 inches in total length. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.
These two polar bears seemed pretty excited to be catching up on the latest gossip from the Arctic tundra. Anything to kill time, waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze up so they could go out and hunt seals like civilized Ursus maritimus. Photographed at Seal River in Manitoba, Canada. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 260mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
In the Falkland Islands, the striated caracara is locally known as the Johnny Rook. They are fairly common around the islands — sometimes a bit too common — as they always seem to be waiting for an opportunity to get into your backpack to see what they can find. I photographed this guy on Saunders Island, my first stop in my Falklands trip back in 2014. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second.
I’ve only spotted a few of these green and black poison dart frogs in my Central American travels — this one in Costa Rica. They are considered on the lower end of toxicity but still have enough poison to stop the beating of a human heart. That said, they need to really feel threatened to release any toxins. Interesting fact: they lose their toxicity in captivity leading scientists to believe they get their poison from a diet of mites and other insects in the wild. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm — with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/8 at 1.5 seconds.
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River otters spend most of their time in the water, playing and hunting for food. They do, however, build dens. And by build, I mean they find another animal’s abandoned den and take it over by adding a few twigs and other nesting material. I was lucky to stumble upon this otter’s secret spot, almost fortress-like, in all those thin tree trunks in a swampy area adjacent to a pond. Photographed in southern Indiana. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.
