A group of bears is called a sleuth — the term coming from the Old English word “sleuth,” meaning a slow-moving or stealthy animal. The connection to bears stems from their solitary, slow-moving, and deliberate nature when not provoked. This particular sleuth was photographed in Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park. As always, head on over to specieslimited.com to get your animal group names apparel. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
The term “husk” for a group of jackrabbits is one of those rare and lesser-known collective nouns, and like many such terms, its origin is more poetic than scientific. It may come from the old usage of “husk” meaning an outer shell or group enclosing something, possibly reflecting how jackrabbits may scatter from low vegetation or “husk-like” cover when startled. Alternatively, it could simply have been chosen for its crisp, natural sound, fitting for an animal of open plains and dry grasslands. As with many collective nouns, it’s more about imaginative language than biological behavior. For more, head on over to Species Limited, and why not pick up a few tee shirts (or a nice coffee mug of a jackrabbit husk) while you’re there. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
The term for a group of lemurs likely comes from the way lemurs move together silently through the trees, with watchful eyes and coordinated behavior that can seem secretive or mischievous. The eerie calls of some species like the indri, especially at night, might have added to that mysterious reputation. While not used in scientific contexts, “conspiracy” has stuck in popular culture because it captures the intriguing, otherworldly vibe of lemur groups. Karen and I are looking to put a group together for a Madagascar trip in September of 2027. Reach out if interested. And head to specieslimited.com to get your Conspiracy of Lemurs onesie, toddler tee or coffee mug. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.
I’ve seen tayras a few times, but was only able to photograph them this one time. And when I say “them,” I mean this one individual. So again, not technically a gang. You need two more for that. Either way hope you’re all enjoying the wildlife collective name series and have checked out more at specieslimited.com. Tayras are sleek, weasel-like mammals found in Central and South American forests. Fast, curious, and highly adaptable, they are agile climbers that hunt small animals and raid fruit trees with equal enthusiasm. I photographed this one in the cloud forest of Ecuador. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.
Continuing with the animal collective names series, here is my favorite marmot shot. Had this individual been with two others, it would be correct to call it a madness of marmots. This image has been posted before but was worth a second look. Captured in the alpine tundra of Mount Rainier National Park. For more on the animal group names series, visit my shop at specieslimited.com.Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
Last week I launched a new collection of t-shirt (and baby bodysuit) designs in my online store, Species Limited. The 72 fun new designs center around the names we call groups of animals. For instance, a group of tigers is called an ambush. In my ten days in India, however, I never came close to seeing an ambush. I managed only three sightings of solo tigers — which was three more than I had ever seen, so good by me. See the “ambush” design below and head over to Species Limited to see more. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Another throwback — to my first visit to Bolivia’s Madidi National Park in the Amazon. A brown capuchin pausing to inspect a seed pod. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/320th of a second.
The pygmy marmoset is the world’s smallest monkey, weighing just 3 to 5 ounces and measuring around 5 inches long (excluding its tail). Native to the Amazon rainforest, it uses sharp lower teeth to gouge tree bark and feed on sap and gum. I saw quite a few of them over two trips to the Loreto region of Peru in the upper Amazon basin. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
Lions like to get active just after the sun sets. This young male was scoping out the area for any potential prey — a highlight of our tour in June of 2024. If you’d like to join a Crane Wildlife Tours trip to Africa, reach out to get the conversation started. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1400, f/2.8 at 1/640th of a second.
Here’s another elephant that I was able to photograph from a ground-level perspective using a wide angle lens, inverted monopod and remote trigger. In Samburu National Reserve in the north of Kenya, the elephants take on a reddish tint due to the red clay dirt of the landscape. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 160, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second.
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