Interesting fact about the endangered eastern quoll — they glow under UV light, revealing hidden blue-green patterns. It’s thought that this is for communication or camouflage in nocturnal environments, but the exact purpose is still being researched. Quolls are night hunters, crucial to controlling pests like mice and insects, and they are known as risky scavengers, sometimes even stealing scraps from Tasmanian devils. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm lens, ISO 160, f/3 at 1/320th of a second.
The green rosella is Tasmania’s largest parrot. It is often seen foraging on the ground for seeds, berries, and flowers, including the prickly blooms of thistles and other spiny plants. I photographed this guy on Maria Island, off the east coast of Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1600th of a second.
One forester kangaroo reaches out to another on Maria Island in Tasmania, Australia. The proper common name for these guys (if that’s a thing) is eastern grey kangaroo — but locally they are known as foresters. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 220mm) ISO 800 f/5 at 1/1000th of a second.
Keeping the mothers theme going, here’s a Bennett’s wallaby with her joey. This is a rare white morph of the Bennett’s wallaby found on Bruny Island in Tasmania, Australia. Another white wallaby with joey did make my 2026 wall calendar. Head on over the www.specieslimted.com to see which one. And to buy a calendar (or shirt), of course. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.
The orange lichen found on the granite boulders of Binalong Bay in Tasmania’s Bay of Fires is one of the area’s most iconic features. The coloration comes from a species of lichen which thrives in the coastal environment thanks to its tolerance for salty air and strong sunlight. The lichen-covered rocks give the coastline a glowing, almost surreal appearance. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/40th of a second.
The common wombat is a sturdy, nocturnal marsupial known for its powerful digging abilities. Using strong claws, it excavates complex burrow systems that can extend over 100 feet underground. These burrows provide shelter from extreme temperatures and predators, making them essential for survival. Uniquely, wombats have a backward-facing pouch to keep dirt from filling it while they dig. Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, ISO 800, f/7.1 at 1/1600th of a second.
My journal entry last week over on my specieslimited.com tee-shirt website was about habitat fragmentation (check it out if you haven’t seen it and grab yourself a tee shirt or two while you’re at it). To me, the koala is the unfortunate face of fragmentation due to deforestation. They only eat one thing — eucalyptus leaves. And as eucalyptus forests are disappearing, koalas find themselves stranded on small islands of trees, unable to roam beyond the immediate habitat. I photographed this koala many years ago on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. I hope to get back soon before more of their habitat disappears. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/180th of a second.sd
The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is one of the largest and most common kangaroo species in Australia. Eastern greys are known for their powerful hind legs and graceful leaping ability that can cover over 25 feet in a single hop. I got the camera on the ground for this low-angle perspective in Narawntapu National Park, Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5 at 1/5000th of a second.
Behold the cassowary, declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be “the most dangerous bird in the world.” The distinction is mainly due to its huge claws that it uses to defend itself, usually aiming for the torso of would be intruders, human or otherwise. Native to northeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea, it is the third largest bird in the world behind the ostrich and the emu. Like those birds, it is flightless, and it can grow to over 6 feet tall and weigh more than 150 pounds. Lucky for me I had a 600mm lens on my camera and could photograph from a safe distance. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/5th of a second.
Here’s another one that goes back quite some time. I went to Australia in December of 2006. It was my first trip with a digital camera and I was blown away by the convenience of being able to change ISO whenever I wanted without having to back a roll of film carefully out of the camera. Or tell a developer I wanted to “push process” if I shot at a different speed value than that of the film. Everything got so much easier. Long lens auto focus and vibration reduction would revolutionize things for me yet again a few years later. And now, with mirrorless systems and their subject detection eye tracking, those old days seem pretty archaic. Who knows what’s next. As for the subject of the photo, this is a red kangaroo, captured in Flinders Ranges National Park in Southern Australia on a beautiful late afternoon. A low angle combined with a 600mm lens was a great combination for subject isolation. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second.
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