Ring-tailed lemurs worship the sun. Each morning in Berenty Reserve, at the southern tip of Madagascar, they can be seen strewn about, soaking in the rays, in an apparent state of willing hypnosis. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/22 at 1/90th of a second.

All lemurs are acrobatic, but the eastern lesser bamboo lemur, also known as the eastern grey bamboo lemur, takes it to another level. These guys are quick and athletic and can disappear in an instant into the thick forest. This one hung around just long enough for me to grab a few shots before it bounded off, looking for bamboo I suppose, in Madagascar’s Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 120mm) ISO 400, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.

I took this image of a Parson’s chameleon eye at a reptile farm in central Madagascar. What is a reptile farm? Basically a zoo for reptiles and amphibians — a quick stop before heading into the next National Park. It allowed me to get some interesting close ups of the creatures I would later meet in the wild. At the time I took this photo, I didn’t have a dedicated macro lens but was instead shooting with a close up filter attached to the end of my 80-200mm zoom. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/20th of a second.

It’s not always easy being a lemur. At least not by the look of this ring-tailed’s body language. These lemurs love the sun and come out to bask in it every morning in southern Madagascar. So in this case, looks are likely deceiving. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/4.5 at 1/640th of a second.

This could very well be misidentified, but I think it’s a carpet chameleon, also known as a white-lined chameleon. Carpet chameleons are a type of panther chameleon found in Madagascar. I photographed this captive individual en route to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. I thought it looked a bit like a beaded belt. If I’m wrong on the ID, please let me know. Thanks. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 105mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

The giraffe weevil is one of the more interesting insects that I’ve photographed over the years. Aptly named as you can see, the males have necks 3 times the length of the females, although the ladies have long necks too. Males, like this one, are about an inch in length and it’s a sight to see them flying around with that extended neck. The adaptation helps them with nest building and fighting. Photographed in central Madagascar. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 200, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

Not sure of the exact species here, but this is some sort of ghost crab that I met on the beach in Madagascar. Perhaps the brown seawater ghost crab or the horned ghost crab. I was camping on the beach on the island of Nosy Mangabe, which sits just off the mainland (also an island). Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 100, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.

The nose-horned chameleon is very small (they average 1 to 2.5 inches in length). Not a lot is known about this species. I came across this one on a night hike in Ranomafana National Park in central Madagascar. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 105mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 400, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

The brown mouse lemur is one of the smallest primates in the world, although it isn’t the smallest lemur. That honor goes to the pygmy mouse lemur. But this guy is pretty small, as you can see from the piece of fruit there that was about the size of a lemon. I have no idea what that fruit is, but the lemur sure seemed to know what it was all about. Photographed on the island of Nosy Mangabe, which is off the east cast of the island nation of Madagascar. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

I believe this frog to be the species Boophis Goudotii, indigenous to Madagascar. I came across him/her on a night hike in Ranomafana National Park in the south central part of the country. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 92mm with Canon 500D close up filter attached) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.