It’s been a while since I posted a dancing lemur. This is the Verreaux’s sifaka lemur, best known for the way they move on the ground — a frantic shuffle that could best be described as balletic. The truth is, they hate being on the ground and this is fastest way for them to get from one tree to another. Photographed at Berenty Private Reserve in southern Madagascar.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 100mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/500th of a second
This genet interrupted our dinner one night while on safari in Botswana. I always bring my gear with me to meals just in case of such an occurrence. Usually, nothing, but this time I was able to get a series of shots, a few of which I’ve posted in the past. Genets are strictly nocturnal and a somewhat common sight around camps after dark in eastern and southern Africa.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 640, f/4 at 1/60th of a second
This tiny little guy is called a Fitzinger’s Rain Frog (I’m going to go out on a limb here and say he was discovered by Fitzinger). He was probably no more than an inch in length, but I somehow spotted him while on a hike in El Valle, Panama.Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/25 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Just a simple shot of a simple bird doing its thing. This is a rufous-chested dotterel, also known as the rufous-chested plover. It is a South American bird that breeds in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. In winter it can be found as far north as Peru. I photographed this one on Sea Lion Island in the Falklands.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/1250th of a second
Pikas are closely related to rabbits, although smaller than the average rabbit and with shorter ears. There are several species living in mountainous regions of Asia and North America. This is the American pika. It lives in boulder fields at or above the tree line. Spotted at Mount Evans in Colorado.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/250th of a second
This is the first platypus I had the pleasure of photographing. It was my first trip to Australia back in 2006. Platypus can be notoriously shy and elusive creatures so I was quite excited when I not only captured a photograph of this guy, but actually habituated him to my presence after about an hour or so of sitting by the edge of a pond in Flinders Ranges National Park on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. There was no one else around for the entire hour/hour and a half that I spent with the platypus. He/she kept diving and resurfacing, never still for a moment, making it a challenge as I was shooting with a 600mm manual focus lens back in those days.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second
There are ten species of cat-eyed snake. I believe this one to be the northern cat-eyed snake. You can see where they get their name with that vertical pupil. Cat-eyed snakes are venomous, but the toxicity level is very low and only dangerous to very small prey. I came across this guy in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica but they range as far north as southern Texas.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units
Last Friday I posted a pademelon mom and her joey. This is a proper kangaroo and her joey — the eastern grey kangaroo, known locally in Tasmania as the forester. I saw probably fifty or sixty of these guys late afternoon in Narawantapu National Park on the northern border of Tasmania.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
About five years ago, I posted a closer crop of this mother reticulated giraffe and her baby. Here’s a wider view which I think I now like better. I was in Kenya in November, the time of the short rains, which meant plenty of great clouds and lush green rolling hills — the perfect backdrop for all the great wildlife.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm) ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/1600th of a second
With my 15 millimeter fisheye lens, I was able to capture the three main groups of rockhopper penguins that live in this colony on Saunders Island in the Falkland Islands. It was great to have this place completely to myself when I visited in October of 2014.
Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 200, f/18 at 1/100th of a second