BEASTS
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Giant River Otter pups (Pteronura brasiliensis).
Location: Near Porto Jofre (Pantanal), Mato Grosso state, Brazil
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS II w/Canon 1.4x Extender
Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca).
I intentionally approached this snake while it was probing a termite mound. While it was amazing getting so close, it probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done considering their extreme speed and the high degree of toxicity of their venom.
Location: Janjanburah, Gambia
Lens used: Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS II w/Canon 1.4x Extender
Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus).
The Brown-throated Sloth is the most widely-distributed of the four species of three-toed sloth.
I observed this one swimming across an Amazonian tributary; he had just reached this log on the far shore and was resting.
Location: Amazonas, Peru
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
Location: Amazonas, Peru
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi).
Location: Tikal, Guatemala
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
Location: Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei).
If there is one wildlife experience in the world that I'd have to recommend to other, similarly-minded individuals, it would be to go see the very highly-endangered Mountain Gorillas in East Africa. There are groups in each of Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC that can be visited. Doing so isn't a cheap excursion (in addition to the expense of just getting to East Africa) and, as the number of visitors to the gorillas is heavily regulated plus how the gorillas make their home in a politically iffy part of the world, it takes some advance planning to do. But when you finally do come upon the gorillas in the bamboo forest, surrounded by adults and youngsters doing their thing sometimes only mere feet from you, it's magic unlike anything else.
There is but one dominate male in each group, the Silverback. This shot is of our group's Silverback (we visited 'Group 13').
Location: Parc National des Volcans (Volcano National Park), Rwanda
Lens used: n/a (Canon S1 IS point-and-shoot)
Fringe-eared Oryx (Oryx beisa callotis).
I love the patterning on these.
Location: Tsavo West National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Plumed Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons).
Location: Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
A spider on a pulsatilla seed head takes a defensive posture.
Location: Buttercup, Mt. Hood Meadows ski area, Oregon USA
Lens used: Canon 100mm f2.8 IS Macro
Crab.
Discovering the names of crabs that live along the coast of the Horn of Africa is quite difficult, I've discovered. For now, I'll call this a 'ghost crab'. I'll change it later if I ever find out it's true name. It was the largest and most numerous of the four different varieties of crab I saw while walking along the beach east of town. I had several enjoyable hours of chasing, catching and releasing them.
Location: Berbera, Somalia (Somaliland)
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Butterfly (Caligo etreus).
Location: Mindo, Ecuador
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
White-headed Lemur (Eulemur albifrons), female.
Location: Marojejy National Park, Madagascar
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Tusker tussle.
A couple of male elephants tussling.
Location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Praying Mantis behind flowers.
Location: Olon, Ecuador
Lens used: Canon 100mm f2.8 IS
Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas).
Tensed to bolt as I approach on foot.
Location: Djibouti countryside
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius).
The most dangerous animals in Africa.
Location: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Jackson's Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus lelwel).
No, I didn't mess up the photo's aspect ratio, they really do have such elongated heads and faces.
Location: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Atlas Beetle (Chalcosoma atlas).
Location: Tomohon, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Ugandan Kob (Kobus kob thomasi).
Location: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Lizard on a palm.
Location: Moheli island, Comoros
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana).
Location: Los Llanos, Venezuela
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas).
Location: Tsavo West National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Mangrove Monitor Lizard (Varanus indicus).
Location: Tetepare Island, Solomon Islands
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Oribi (Ourebia ourebi).
Location: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
Location: Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Lesser Kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis).
Location: Tsavo West National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
A landcrab takes a defensive posture.
If anyone could help me identify the species, I'd appreciate it!
Location: Santo island, Vanuatu
Lens used: Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS w/Canon 2.0x extender
African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus.
Location: Tsavo West National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Common Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvous).
Location: Mayotte, France
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
A hermit crab coming out of the protection of its shell.
This is my first ever attempt at a triptych. Though I didn't have such a thing in mind while I knelt in the sand and salt water waiting for the little guy to be comfortable enough to come out of hiding, I think it came together okay.
Location: Berbera, Somalia (Somaliland)
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Leaf visitor.
Anyone know the name of this insect?
Location: Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Coyote (Canis latrans).
Crossing the snow.
Location: Gulch, Mt. Hood Meadows ski area, Oregon USA
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor).
Location: Pench National Park, India
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Kirk's Dik-Dik (Madoqua kirkii).
Note that its nose is an 'innie', not an 'outie'.
Location: Tsavo West National Park, Kenya
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
A pack lurks in the dark.
Location: Harar, Ethiopia
Lens used: Canon 24-105mm f4.0 IS
Orinoco river Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana).
Location: Orinoco River Delta, Venezuela
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata okanagana).
Location: Glacier National Park, Montana
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Though still incredibly endangered, the african Mountain Gorillas have much more in the way of advocacy than most species teetering on the brink. The money they bring in to the government's coffers, for example tends to keep them in the spotlight, somewhat.
Not all such endangered species are so lucky - most vanish away without anyone even knowing.
Humans are pretty much always to blame for such extinctions.
Please try to be a good human - at least acknowledge that we share this planet with other beings and creatures that deserve to live just as much as we do.
Location: Parc National des Volcans (Volcano National Park), Rwanda
Lens used: n/a (Canon S1 IS point-and-shoot)
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas).
Location: Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata).
Location: Near Klamath Falls, Oregon USA
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
A Howler monkey lookin' at me from a tree.
It's a shame pictures can't convey what these things sound like when they start howling - they sound like jet engines. LOUD jet engines. Quite amazing.
Location: Orinoco River Delta, Venezuela
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
The end of life.
Location: Lyle, Washington
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
Spider monkey.
Location: Serere Nature Reserve, Bolivia
Lens used: Canon 100mm f2.8 IS Macro
I got tired of the beach one day, so decided to hike inland and check out the flora. I come upon this guy while walking through the hip-tall grass.
Location: Grande Riviere, Trinidad
Lens used: Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro
The name of these flowers eludes me now, but they're quite common in Venezuela. The butterflies and moths just loved 'em.
Location: Los Llanos, Venezuela
Lens used: Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro
The pose tends to make me think of this langur as a 'Dirty Old Man', sitting there with his wee-wee hanging out.
Location: Pench National Park, India
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS
An Indian Langur.
Location: Pench National Park, India
Lens used: Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS