Mouse lemurs are one of the smallest primates in the world, although the gray mouse lemur is the largest of the mouse lemurs. Still, they measure just ten inches in length, half of which is the tail, and weigh about two ounces. They are strictly nocturnal and quick little guys so were difficult to photograph. This one stopped for just a second to check me out and I was able to get the shot. Like all lemurs, they are found only in Madagascar and the surrounding islands.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/4.5 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash

Something a little different today. This is an African giant snail. They can grow to as big as eight inches in length. This one was making its way across a sandy trail in the town of Maroantsetra in Madagascar.
Nikon D40X with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 18mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/640th of a second

This certainly isn’t the most artistic or technically sound photo I’ve ever taken and I wouldn’t have posted it unless… it also happened to be one of the most rare primates in the world. In fact, scientists had presumed the greater bamboo lemur to be extinct until a small population of them were found in central Madagascar back in 1986. I was lucky enough to spot a pair in Ranomafana National Park when I visited back in 2007. They didn’t stick around for long and I was only able to snap off a few frames in the rainy forest. The future, unfortunately, doesn’t look bright for greater bamboo lemurs as slash and burn farming, mining, bamboo logging and hunting continue to pose a critical threat.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash

This one goes out to my frog-loving sister who celebrates her birthday today. Another of the many great frogs that I had the pleasure of meeting in the forests of Madagascar. I didn’t get the common name on this one (if it even has one) but according to my guide, the scientific name is Mantidactylus bicalcaratus. Photographed along a trail in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 145mm) with Canon 500D close up filter attached, ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units

In addition to lemurs and chameleons, Madagascar is also a great place to photograph frogs. This guy’s scientific name is Heterixalus Betsileo. Not sure of the common name. I photographed him/her on a night walk through the forests around the town of Perinet in central Madagascar. I’ve mentioned that in lieu of a dedicated macro lens, I used to capture shots like this by screwing a close up filter to the end of my mid range zoom lens. This creates a very narrow depth of field so a high aperture is necessary to get good results. I also used two flash units positioned close the subject to fill in the shadow areas.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 165mm) with Canon 500D close up filter, ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units

The light wasn’t great on this one, but I liked the outstretched wings of this Madagascar flying fox just after it came in to roost. Shouldn’t be a surprise from the picture, that flying foxes are actually bats — the largest in the world. They also go by the name of fruit bats. Their diet consists mostly of juice from fruits that they squeeze into their mouths. This one was part of a colony of about a hundred, roosting high in the trees of Berenty Reserve in the south of Madagascar.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm 5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 400, f/8 at 1/125th of a second

As mentioned before on this blog, there are a staggering variety of lemurs in Madagascar. Some are strictly nocturnal while others are only active during the day. Then there’s the red-bellied lemur. It is what is known as cathemeral — which means equally active in the day and night. This little guy is a young one that I encountered in the town of Tamatave on the east coast of Madagascar.
Nikon D40x with Nikkor 18-55mm lens (at 48mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash

I think this guy is a Parson’s chameleon but not sure. There are quite a few different species of chameleons in Madagascar. In fact, half the world’s 150 different species can be found there. Parson’s chameleons, of which there are two subspecies, are among the largest. They can grow to more than two feet in length.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 80mm), Canon 500D close up filter, ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash

There is an incredibly wide variety of lemurs to be found in Madagascar. From the pygmy mouse lemur, which can fit inside an egg, to the indri, which stands about three feet tall. There are lemurs that meow like cats and others that snort like pigs. There are some with blue eyes and others with orange eyes. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors — 100 or so different species in all. But perhaps the most striking is the diademed sifaka. This lemur has a luxurious coat of orange, black and white, with ruby red eyes and a face that looks like it’s made from the finest black patent leather. I only saw two diademed sifakas. One in the wilds of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and another on Lemur Island, a reserve of rescued lemurs that roam free, but are quite habituated to humans. I was on the island just after sunset when I encountered this friendly guy.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units

This is a very rare frog that I photographed at the Peyrieras Reptile Reserve in central Madagascar. It is highly endangered due to its very limited distribution and the pressures put on the small areas that it does exist. It is also threatened by over collection by the pet trade. The brilliant color of the golden mantella is thought to be a form of aposematism — which is basically the reverse of camouflage. The bright color is a warning to would-be predators to stay away because the frog is highly toxic.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units