Wildlife pictures

[srf4real]

Anybody else have wildlife pics? I am always trying to get natural shots of the local critters... I'd love to see some of yours and maybe learn a thing or two!

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6769/woodstork1dd7.jpg

-Wood stork guarding a Florida canal.:)

[dllavaneras]

Sure! Take your pick :) Slimy, scaly, feathery, smooth-skinned... Here are a few pics from my side of the world:

Hummer:
I found this little one resting on a tree branch while I was taking a walk around campus. It kept flying away, just to return to the same branch. Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Central de Venezuela
http://static.flickr.com/86/274343199_44fe0615a5.jpg

Toucan:
A member of the family Piciformes, we found this gorgeous bird while hiking a nearby mountain. Parque Nacional El Avila, Sabas Nieves, Caracas
http://static.flickr.com/88/280885249_8d0d405f0f.jpg

Onycophora:
Considered by some authors as a "missing link" (term used loosely) between the annelids and the arthropods, as these so-called velvet worms (Peripatus sp) have characteristics of both Phyla. This is the underside, with the mouth being the central opening. Those lateral openings aren't eyes, but mucous glands that secrete a very sticky goo, used to capture prey from a distance of up to 30 cm.
http://static.flickr.com/94/280885252_a0b3672f9e.jpg

Bothrops sp (Pit Viper):
Testing the limits of my absoulte crazyness, I lied on the ground at about 15 cm from this pit viper to take this pic. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! I know how to handle snakes, and a friend (who happens to be the snake keeper at a local terrarium) was keeping an eye out for me while I snapped some pics.
http://static.flickr.com/50/164580568_c026543385.jpg

Sleeping Frog:
Found at my University's Botanical Garden, this sleeping Hyla crepitans was just begging for a pic ;)
http://static.flickr.com/121/280885257_f32362e7cd.jpg

Walking Stick:
Also found at the Botanical Garden, this devil-looking walking stick (Order Phasmatodea) didn't fool me!
http://static.flickr.com/83/280885258_f94b4928c7.jpg

All pics taken with my Canon S1 IS. All non-feathered creatures were shot with a Raynox DCR-250 Macro lens.

EDIT: Just added some info on the critters (Location, basic info, etc)

Dan

[OwlsAndApples]

Those pics are beautiful dllavaneras!!!
I love the hummer, really nice birds.
I'll try and dig out some of mine...

[pdpfilms]

What's the scale of the Onycophora? If that's any bigger than my hand, I'm going to be grossed out.

[iSaint]

Sure! Take your pick :) Slimy, scaly, feathery, smooth-skinned... Here are a few pics from my side of the world:

Hummer:
I found this little one resting on a tree branch while I was taking a walk around campus. It kept flying away, just to return to the same branch. Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Central de Venezuela
http://static.flickr.com/86/274343199_44fe0615a5.jpg

Toucan:
A member of the family Piciformes, we found this gorgeous bird while hiking a nearby mountain. Parque Nacional El Avila, Sabas Nieves, Caracas
http://static.flickr.com/88/280885249_8d0d405f0f.jpg

Onycophora:
Considered by some authors as a "missing link" (term used loosely) between the annelids and the arthropods, as these so-called velvet worms (Peripatus sp) have characteristics of both Phyla. This is the underside, with the mouth being the central opening. Those lateral openings aren't eyes, but mucous glands that secrete a very sticky goo, used to capture prey from a distance of up to 30 cm.
http://static.flickr.com/94/280885252_a0b3672f9e.jpg

Bothrops sp (Pit Viper):
Testing the limits of my absoulte crazyness, I lied on the ground at about 15 cm from this pit viper to take this pic. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! I know how to handle snakes, and a friend (who happens to be the snake keeper at a local terrarium) was keeping an eye out for me while I snapped some pics.
http://static.flickr.com/50/164580568_c026543385.jpg

Sleeping Frog:
Found at my University's Botanical Garden, this sleeping Hyla crepitans was just begging for a pic ;)
http://static.flickr.com/121/280885257_f32362e7cd.jpg

Walking Stick:
Also found at the Botanical Garden, this devil-looking walking stick (Order Phasmatodea) didn't fool me!
http://static.flickr.com/83/280885258_f94b4928c7.jpg

All pics taken with my Canon S1 IS. All non-feathered creatures were shot with a Raynox DCR-250 Macro lens.

EDIT: Just added some info on the critters (Location, basic info, etc)

Dan

Ok, you win.

Now, with all of your knowledge of the wild, can you tell this guy (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=2803174&postcount=361) that he doesn't have a snapping turtle? :D

[dllavaneras]

What's the scale of the Onycophora? If that's any bigger than my hand, I'm going to be grossed out.

Don't sweat, that little critter was about 6-7 cm long. The longest ones I've seen are about 15 cm long, and those are quite hard to find. They're amazing creatures, really!

Thanks for all the nice comments :) I'm looking forward to your pics, OwlsAndApples!

And iSaint, I'd have to see better pics of the turtle to be sure. He may be right, as a characteristic of the snapping turtles are three ridges (also called keels) that run from the front to the back of the carapace (the shell). There are such rudges on the turtle in the pic (albeit barely visible) On the other hand, snapping turtles have very large heads, and they cannot fully retract them into the shell (same goes for limbs), and the plastron is reduced (the plastron is the underside of the shell). Finally, snapping turtles have really long tails, almost as long as the shell itself. Try to see if the turtle satisfies these conditions. If it does, then he has a snapping turtle. If not (which would be my guess, as that turtle doesn't look much like a snapper), then it's probably a box turtle or a terrapin. Normally snapping turtles (Alligator Snapping Turtles in particular) are not much prettier than the Onycophora I showed above :P

Dan

EDIT: iSaint, I saw the rest of the thread with some other shots of Chomper. The three ridges are there, but I couldn't see if it had all the other characteristics. As for it's appetite for guppies, snappers aren't the only carnivorous turtles... Check out the Mata Mata, a contender with the alligator snapper for the weirdest/ugliest turtle ;-)

EDIT 2: Hey, didn't the owner of Chomper start this thread? I'd be happy to see some pics of Chomper to confirm :) The ridges are a very strong point in favor of a snapper, but I'd like to see the tail length and the plastron to be sure...

[srf4real]

I been trying to tell ya, it's a FLORIDA snapper!:rolleyes:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3323/chomper4kt9.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3264/chomper3kc7.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/2556/chomper2eo6.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3275/chomper1xa8.jpg

[dllavaneras]

I stand corrected :) We're not used to snappers down here, matamatas are much more common. And while living in the states I only saw an Alligator snapper, so Chomper didn't quite match the picture I had in my head. How long have you had him? (I'm assuming it's a male, from the shape of the plastron - not the best way to know, but it gives a clue) Is he hard to take care of? Last turtle I had went misteriously missing (and no, she wasn't taken to a farm where she could run and chase guppies ;))...

srf4real, any more nature pics you're willing to share? Most of mine are insect macros... I'd love to see what other people take pics of!

[iSaint]

I been trying to tell ya, it's a FLORIDA snapper!:rolleyes:



OK, ok, I'll leave you alone! :D ;)

[dogbone]

@dllavaneras, Nice worm.

Local blue tongue lizard.

http://xs308.xs.to/xs308/06430/blue-tongue.jpg

http://xs108.xs.to/xs108/06430/_DSC0018.jpg

[OwlsAndApples]

Knew I'd get round to it eventually! :D
Not much interesting wildlife here in Herts, but I do have some from abroad:

Coates Attack! - Costa Rica
http://static.flickr.com/102/282074807_ee74bfee7c.jpg

St Francis - Costa Rica
http://static.flickr.com/88/282075030_8dd480329c.jpg

Work Work Work Repeat - Costa Rica
http://static.flickr.com/82/215099117_63aee31797.jpg

All taken with an Olympus C310 P+S (though buying my first DSLR soon!!)

OwlsAndApples

[srf4real]

It strikes me how everyone else's 'local wildlife' seems like some exotic species I've never seen in person! I need to travel more.:o

Brown pelicans over the Atlantic ocean

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/6227/pelicansks6.jpg

Thirty minutes after the wood stork in post 1, I looked again and this guy had taken over the spot - I think he's a juvenile blue heron, not positive, though.

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/4603/juvenileog5.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/1870/heron2vw9.jpg

These are all practise shots with my new FZ 50; hope to start taking more better ones as time goes by...:)

[dllavaneras]

It strikes me how everyone else's 'local wildlife' seems like some exotic species I've never seen in person! I need to travel more.:o

It's all about location! Fortunately I live in the tropics, where the life form diversity is incredible! Also, when you have a macro lens, new life forms appear in your own backyard. Take a look!

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. This blue-green tarantula lives only in the Paraguaná region of Venezuela. No color alteration was necessary; these spiders are beautiful!
http://static.flickr.com/55/164240670_7425bdb807.jpg

Acrocinus longimanus. This "little" (body is 12 cm long and 6 cm wide. Antennae and front legs are about 14 cm long) guy could easily take Chomper in a biting competition. A friend of mine was unlucky enough to get bitten by one of these, and he still has the bite marks after 4 months.
http://static.flickr.com/46/164240674_448a4e170e.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/89/282173476_062531b1ff.jpg

A really "cute" fly ;) Member of the Tachinidae family
http://static.flickr.com/119/282176144_7933692691.jpg

A really peculiar spider. That's all I've got on this one!
http://static.flickr.com/119/282176147_76d9517aa4.jpg

And this is a turtle! No, really! Honest! It's a Matamata
http://static.flickr.com/86/282176141_47574e3418.jpg

Ever get up close and personal with a Harvestman aka "Daddy Long Legs"?
http://static.flickr.com/94/282173481_860e9fee46.jpg

And finally, a finalist in the "weird animal" category: An Homoptera, cousin of the cicada:
http://static.flickr.com/88/282173477_d31c8dd413.jpg

But it's true, srf4real, it wouldn't hurt to take a trip nearby, say the Amazon rainforest or Sumatra or something like that...
Well, you saw a glimpse of the animal diversity down here in Venezuela. What's the weirdest animals you've seen near your home?

[iSaint]

What's the weirdest animals you've seen near your home?

When I was in my first home living alone, I was awoken by a persistent clicking sound. It was a jumping beetle of some kind. Very cool and very interesting.

What is your profession dllavaneras? Your knowledge is amazing. My brother and his wife are both wildlife biologists in the panhandle of Florida. They may be partaking in a search for the Ivory Billed Woodpecker that has been sighted there in recent years.

[dllavaneras]

What is your profession dllavaneras? Your knowledge is amazing. (snip)

Wow, you're too kind! :o I'm not a professional yet, I'm studying Biology (7th semester). I love Zoology, specifically Entomology and Herpetology. I'm working as a scientific photographer at a medical entomology lab for the time being, something that's really going to take off (I hope!) after christmas when I get my new camera. Right now all my pics are taken with my 3.2 Mp Canon S1 IS. Aside from that, I'm a lab assistant for the Animal Biology lab (kind of a teacher's helper; I dissect animals, show the new students the immense animal diversity and stuff like that). As such, I'm expected to know at least a bit about all mayor Phyla.

I've still got soooo much to learn! Now thanks to you I can add "recognizing a snapping turtle" as something I know ;)

[pdpfilms]

Those are magnificent shots. I'd look into getting them published in journals or textbooks... much better than the photos I've seen published in the past.

And here are some from South Africa (buried deep in the Picture of the Day thread):

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60857&stc=1&d=1162149461

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60858&stc=1&d=1162149461

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60859&stc=1&d=1162149461

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60860&stc=1&d=1162149461

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60861&stc=1&d=1162149461

[pdpfilms]

....and some more...

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60862&stc=1&d=1162150135

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60863&stc=1&d=1162150135

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60864&stc=1&d=1162150135

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60865&stc=1&d=1162150135

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60867&stc=1&d=1162150274

[pdpfilms]

...and some more.

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60869&stc=1&d=1162151339

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60870&stc=1&d=1162151339

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60871&stc=1&d=1162151339

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60872&stc=1&d=1162151339

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60873&stc=1&d=1162151339

[crap freakboy]

Amazing thread...you just can't beat photographs of nature.
Dllavaneras, do you have a web site with more? Either way please post more everyone.

[greenmac]

Amazing thread...you just can't beat photographs of nature.
Dllavaneras, do you have a web site with more? Either way please post more everyone.

Totally agree. dllavaneras, what lens (macro) do you use?

[srf4real]

This ghost crab was playing hide and seek at the beach today.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9018/ghostcrabuz2.jpg

I love animals, they make me happy!:)

[iSaint]

This ghost crab was playing hide and seek at the beach today.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9018/ghostcrabuz2.jpg

I love animals, they make me happy!:)

Where is this paradise beach you live and do they need teachers? :)

[dllavaneras]

Totally agree. dllavaneras, what lens (macro) do you use?

Thanks for the comments, everyone!
@pdpfilms: I'm looking into getting them published as well! I'm begging the Biology Student Center at my faculty to start publishing their monthly paper again, so I can get my photos published there :) It's not much, but it's a start! BTW, your pics are awesome! I love the two giraffe silhouettes.

@crap freakboy: I do have a website (2 or 3, actually):
Macro a day (http://www.fotolog.com/nano_el_enano) and a spinoff (http://www.fotolog.com/living_details). Both are very, VERY basic sites. One pic a day (when I have the time) and room for 20 messages. Not much else...
My other site is one I haven't updated since spring, due to the lack of time :( I'll post the address as soon as I update it!

And finally, @greenmac: I use a Canon S1 IS with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro lens, mounted on a lensmate adapter (52 mm). Both were purchased form lensmate.com and they're one of my best investments yet!

[srf4real]

Where is this paradise beach you live and do they need teachers? :)

Melbourne, Florida: twenty minutes south of Cape Kennedy, ten south of Cocoa Beach - home of Kelly Slater, 8 time world champion surfer:rolleyes: (Ron Jon's Surf Shop), go east of Kissimmee (Walt Disney World) until you don't see any more land. That's the spot.:D

Yes teachers are in shortage! My wife teaches at a private school, the public schools don't pay very competitively compared to the cost of living in Florida... but then again, it's paradise!:) :) :)

Brevard County School District

[crap freakboy]

Enjoy it while it lasts. Probably be under water in 40 years.:(

[srf4real]

I see alot of Brown pelicans. I spent some time practising with my new camera this last Sunday.

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/6395/pelicanen9.jpg

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/2607/pelican2px2.jpg

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9461/pelican4xo6.jpg

and here's a sand piper, too.:)

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/2889/sandpiperqm5.jpg

[dllavaneras]

Congrats on your new cam :) Which one did you get?

I haven't been to the beach much, so I don't have many pelican pics. Just this one from last month on a trip to Cepe. I like that one is taking off, the second is just about to dive and the third is entering the water:
http://static.flickr.com/116/285085100_bcfd5aa140.jpg

While my main subjects for photos are arthropods and animals in general, I dabble a bit in other subjects in nature...

Sunset near my house:
http://static.flickr.com/116/285085104_51c05948e9_b.jpg

Waterfall about an hour away from my house (not bad for a 1/10 sec exposure... gotta love IS!)
http://static.flickr.com/108/274343203_27676f56b5.jpg

BTW, I was looking through my pics and I came across these two:

And you thought humans invented the mohawk? Ha! :p Nature did it first!
http://static.flickr.com/100/282176142_d9aae015c6.jpg

Yes, this is a coral snake. Yes, it's venomous. Yes, I'm insane!
http://static.flickr.com/50/164580567_e10f431e63.jpg

Looking forward to seeing more wildlife pics!

Dan

[iSaint]

Enjoy it while it lasts. Probably be under water in 40 years.:(

I'll be 80 and in a home miles inland, so I'll enjoy it while I can! :p

[srf4real]

Congrats on your new cam :) Which one did you get?

Dan

I got a Panasonic fz50. I thought I was going to go dslr like a Canon or something, then realized that I would be lugging huge lenses around and trying to change them in the sand and salt air environment where I spend most of my time... leaving them in my backpack unguarded while I take surf breaks, etc... so I got the best I could find compromise. I'm liking it, but still learning how to use it for good photos. It does good macro shots, I intend to hunt around my backyard for some interesting things this week to share!:)

[dllavaneras]

That's great, you'll get some good pics from it! I have a superzoom myself, and it's really worth it. Looking forward to those macros!

[srf4real]

Here's my little bug eater... not truly wild, but exotic!:o

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4509/elimk8.jpg

ISO 400
focal length 7.4mm
1/5 sec
:)

[dllavaneras]

Awesome critter! My mom would freak if I had a pet like that... the only pet I've had recently was Tito:

Tityus discrepans
http://static.flickr.com/55/106121326_9c934fe3b5_b.jpg

Apart from her, I haven't had time to have another pet... I really want to get a tarantula, but my family isn't too fond of my non-traditional pets.

Oh, I was studying in the same place I took the last hummingbird pic, and it came again and perched on exactly the same branch! I managed to get closer this time, and I used fill flash to get this: (scaled down to 66% of the original size)

Amazilia tobaci
http://static.flickr.com/120/289000335_416e7b3f26_o.jpg

And some people tell me that my 3 Mp camera is useless these days of 10 Mp cell phone cams... :D

I guess people on these forums don't take many nature pics, srf4real... they need to get out more ;) Any cool finds with your new toy?

EDIT: fixed a horrible typo...

[srf4real]

Those colors are beautiful! I caught an osprey eating breakfast in Tampa this weekend, wish I hadn't used the image stabilizer tho.:o

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3273/ospreyscatchoh0.jpg

[brett33]

There's some real nice stuff on here.

Have y'all seen the current contest going on on

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/nationalparks/votingcenter/index.htm

There's some real nice photos on that one too, both in the wildlife and landscape sections. I'm a bit biased in the wildlife section as the "Charging Alaskan Grizzly" was taken by a good friend of mine (and fellow Mac User), but some of the others are real nice too.

If y'all feel like it go ahead and vote for your favorite, voting ends tomorrow night, I believe. I just hope your favorite is the same as mine.

Some of the shots on this thread look nice enough to be in the competition, although, from the subject matter, I'm not entirely sure that they would fit in the US National Park theme.

[Abstract]

Here's one for warm-up, taken 1.5 years ago when walking with my ex-gf. :) I used my tiny point and shoot to get this shot, and it's as sharp as a tack (well, the original JPG is).

[srf4real]

Wow, what a freaky lizard, Abstract! Around on this side of the world these are the only lizards commonly found (besides alligators) - and they're exotics from South America taking over the native green cameleon's habitat.:(

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/6904/chameleonpb1.jpg

and here's a couple of bugs...

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/5849/ugabugfn2.jpg

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/8568/dragonflytl6.jpg

[Spectrum]

...and some more.


PDP, were these all shot with the 70-200mm VR? If so, it looks very flexible. I thought you'd need a longer zoom to get so close. Or did you add a teleconverter? Or judicious cropping? :)

I have the new 70-300 VR on order, I just don't have the cash for the 70-200...

[pdpfilms]

PDP, were these all shot with the 70-200mm VR? If so, it looks very flexible. I thought you'd need a longer zoom to get so close. Or did you add a teleconverter? Or judicious cropping? :)

I have the new 70-300 VR on order, I just don't have the cash for the 70-200...

Yeah, most of these were with the 70-200. If any other lens was used it was the 35-77. The reason that most of these pictures appear to be closer than the 70-200 allows is because they are... in many of these shots the animals were only 10-20 feet away.

[Spectrum]

Thanks for the info. Awesome to get so close in the wild.

Yeah, most of these were with the 70-200. If any other lens was used it was the 35-77. The reason that most of these pictures appear to be closer than the 70-200 allows is because they are... in many of these shots the animals were only 10-20 feet away.

[srf4real]

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4491/pod1116jj9.jpg

in Tampa, don't know... what is it?:confused: :)

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1056/pod11162ot3.jpg

also in Tampa.

[dllavaneras]

in Tampa, don't know... what is it?

It looks like an egret of some sort, but I can't be sure (birds are not exactly my stuff). Try playing with shadows/highlights in Photoshop to see if you can make out more detail.

I had a chance to take these pics a while back:

Female Cardisoma guanhumi
http://static.flickr.com/107/302724730_243f8012f7_o.jpg

A "small" Lepidoptera larva (17 cm long, almost 5 cm in diameter)
http://static.flickr.com/111/282173486_a1b44145c2_o.jpg

And finally, not one of your ordinary daddy-longlegs (Order Opiliones, suborder Laniatores, probably family Gonyleptoidea) I found it crawling around in my room (my mom's right, I should try to clean up once in a while!):

http://static.flickr.com/105/302724732_0b2e66477b_o.jpg

A close-up:
http://static.flickr.com/122/302724734_8bcaaceb51_o.jpg

[srf4real]

:eek: I wouldn't sleep in my room for a week if i found that spider in there!
Incredible detail, tho. :)

[dllavaneras]

Come on, it's not like it's big... it looks big with it's legs spread (it'd be about 15 cm this way), but the body is only 2 cm long. But it's not the prettiest thing you'll come across, I'll give you that!

It's not the worst thing I've found in my room, though. Where I live, I have to check my shoes for scorpions in the morning (even though I'm on a 5th floor), and it's not uncommon to see a gecko running across the ceiling.

No, it's not as bad as it seems; I haven't found a scorpion in my house in over 7 years, but it's better to be safe! And the opilion probably got lost, as I never find them inside. I do see a few of them in the backyard, so it might just have been looking for a warm place to hunt.

Any cool macros with your new cam? Most of my macros are shot with a macro lens adapted to my camera, hence the detail in the closeup (I just resized those pics for the web, the pics are about 3x bigger than that)

Looking forward to looking at more pics!

Dan

[tech4all]

Congrats on your new cam :) Which one did you get?

I haven't been to the beach much, so I don't have many pelican pics. Just this one from last month on a trip to Cepe. I like that one is taking off, the second is just about to dive and the third is entering the water:
<pic>

Nice shot. I agree, neat how you captured 3 pelicans in one frame all doing something different! :cool:

Here's my little bug eater... not truly wild, but exotic!:o

<pic>

Love that "portrait" shot. :)
Those colors are beautiful! I caught an osprey eating breakfast in Tampa this weekend, wish I hadn't used the image stabilizer tho.:o

<pic>

Why not? I thought image stabilization is something that would help?

[srf4real]

Why not? I thought image stabilization is something that would help?

Well I left my tripod at home and was shooting on the fly... the IS feature seemed to blur the edges worse than a little hand shake does. I'm not sure it's really a benefit to my pics so far (new Panasonic FZ50) I get better shots just lugging the tripod. I got surfers 200 yards away very clearly with tripod and IS off<here's one> (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=254025), yet this osprey was only 50 feet from me and I expected much clearer results.:(

or maybe it's cuz I hadn't had my morning coffee yet that day?:rolleyes:

[greenmac]

Some Ducks wondered onto my front lawn yesterday.

[spitfirejd]

Here's some pics I took in Africa a few years ago.

[dllavaneras]

Awesome shots, spitfirejd! Is that cheetah a cub?

I'm starting a small series about fauna in my Faculty, basically the spot where I spend most of my free time. I'd like to share a few of them:

Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
http://static.flickr.com/110/306485974_7d494393a4_o.jpg

A demonic squirrel :p
http://static.flickr.com/119/306489073_6e70de3be3_o.jpg

Dan

[spitfirejd]

[QUOTE=dllavaneras;3091686]Awesome shots, spitfirejd! Is that cheetah a cub?

Thanks, Dan. I wouldn't call the cheetah a cub, but "immature" would probably be the closest term...at least if it was a bird! :D

[dllavaneras]

Cub or not, great pics! How far away were you from these felines? What setup did you use?

Dan

[srf4real]

It was a nice day at the beach today.:)

[dllavaneras]

Well done! I don't think I could have gotten that close to a bird like that (they tend to be shy down here)

I have a few minutes, so I'll leave you in Macro Territory ;)

These are real killer ants. They're almost 2 cm big!
http://static.flickr.com/102/307246108_ef46367763_o.jpg

Female Argiope argentata
http://static.flickr.com/100/307246091_1cd7a30cee_o.jpg

One of my favorite pics, a Dragonfly mugshot (Order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera). Just resized, no cropping or PP
http://static.flickr.com/65/164240680_9d7107ab40_o.jpg

Finally, a small member of the Gekkonidae family on the flowers of a Heliconia caribaea
http://static.flickr.com/44/164240677_8cc79827c1_o.jpg

I look forward to more people sharing their pics! I bet you have some amazing stuff you'd like to share :P

[spitfirejd]

Cub or not, great pics! How far away were you from these felines? What setup did you use?

Dan

Both were taken in a game preserve in South Africa. The Cheetah was actually just on the other side of a fence. No danger there :p The lioness was lying within inches of an open Land Rover I was sitting in :eek: I literally could have leaned over the side and touched her...if I wanted to lose a hand! Both were shot with a little weatherproof 35mm Point-and-shoot on slide film. I was in SA to aid flood victims and didn't want to risk taking an SLR camera, plus I had enough gear to haul there. Thanks again for the positive comments.

[dllavaneras]

Both were shot with a little weatherproof 35mm Point-and-shoot on slide film.

Proving once again that it's not the equipment but the photographer :)
I'd like to get close to a big cat like that! Even cheetahs (the smallest of the big cats) should be intimidating, right?

[Phatpat]

Wow, I love nature. Thanks guys.

[dllavaneras]

Wow, I love nature. Thanks guys.

How about posting some pics, then? ;)

[Abstract]

Meh, here's some I've taken over the past 6 months. I really don't take many animal photos.

[srf4real]

Meh, here's some I've taken...
:cool: .

What is that big black bird? Looks like a mean crow on steroids! Your pelicans are different than ours on the western Atlantic side of the world, too.
Is that Rocco at the bottom-:p

[Phatpat]

How about posting some pics, then? ;)

I should be studying for finals, but here you go. A couple shots from the butterfly garden outside Iowa State University.

[dllavaneras]

What is that big black bird? Looks like a mean crow on steroids! Your pelicans are different than ours on the western Atlantic side of the world, too.

That black bird really looks menacing!
The pelicans are different, really different. Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), the ones found in America, are rather small, while the Australian Pelican (Pelicanus conspicillatus) is larger and white. Also, brown pelicans are the only ones that dive to feed. That's good for us if we want to catch them diving, right srf4real? ;)

Is that Rocco at the bottom
Whoa, I didn't even remember that show! Man, I'm getting old....

Phatpat, that butterfly garden looks like a wonderful place to take some macros! Good luck on your finals!

I'll leave you with a big ant trying to bite a friend's finger.

http://static.flickr.com/103/310772516_dad4720423_b.jpg

[Cybix]

some really great photo's in here guys, damn. Would love to get some full size copies of some of these! nice!

[Abstract]

Yeah, that black bird does look pretty menacing. Here's another photo I took of him. Better pose, but he blends in with his background more.


Oh, and oddly enough, I went out today to take photographs (I don't go out to photograph often enough) since I felt antsy to photograph something, and I got photos of more birds. Dang was I lucky. These guys fly fast and never seem to stop. ;)

I was photographing moving water (yes, water), keeping very still and not moving much in order to get a sharp photo. Then one of these birds just came down and sat beside me for like 5 seconds. I just took as many photos as possible (although at ISO 800 :rolleyes: ) because I knew I'd never have time to change settings, athough I'm quite quick at it.

Then I left the fountain, thinking that was as good as it was going to get today, and him and a buddy came back for a swim (it was hot outside). :)

Anyway, enjoy.

[srf4real]

Some kinda freaky spider hanging out... Shot in macro with a flashlight.

[dllavaneras]

I just took as many photos as possible (although at ISO 800 :rolleyes: )

That's exactly why I want a DSLR! If I take my pics at an ISO setting higher than 100, they just come out like a pic printed on sandpaper :(
Great shots, btw :)

EDIT: I couldn't resist trying out the attachments here on Macrumors. Here's my first try, a small butterfly that I saw with my girlfriend on friday. It had just fed, as you can see by the pollen grains on it's mouthparts. Resized, and processed with Noise Ninja (amazing little program, btw!).

[dllavaneras]

A small butterfly, same as the one above. Family Nymphalidae in the Order Lepidoptera. These are recognized because the have only 4 legs (the front pair is very reduced, and barely visible) This one is perfect for a desktop picture! I definitely love macros...

[phungy]

Alright man, there they are:
1) Chilean Rose Hair

Close up:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/rosie.JPG

On my hand:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/rosie2.JPG

Eating:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/rosie3.JPG

Wrapping up the crickets like a burrito:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/rosie4.JPG

On my hand again:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/rosie5.JPG

2) Sun Spider

Very flexible:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/sunspider.JPG

3) Antilles Pink Toe

Arboreal(sp?) Likes to cling on the walls:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/pinktoe.JPG

[phungy]

4) Costa Rican Red Rump

On top of a mini-tree:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/redrump.JPG

Molting:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/redrumpmolt.JPG

5) Black Emperor Scorpion

Camera pic: Clinging onto the lid:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/scorpion.JPG

6) Crickets!

See Ms. Cricket?
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/cricket.JPG

What happened to Ms. Cricket?
http://plaza.ufl.edu/phungy/pets/eaten.JPG


More pics available upon request :cool: :D

[iSaint]

Is the black bird a Raven (http://kaweahoaks.com/html/raven.html)?

[simie]

What a great thread - i like all the photos on here.

[srf4real]

Here's a chameleon on a Key lime tree. We played hide and seek for a while before I got him!:D

http://img447.imageshack.us/img447/6572/keylimelizardry1.jpg

[bankshot]

I don't get out to photograph wildlife nearly as often as I'd like, but here are a couple I've taken: ducks near Las Vegas and a butterfly in New Mexico.

http://files.byondhome.com/MikeH/duck_640.jpg

http://files.byondhome.com/MikeH/butterfly_640.jpg

My dad is much more of a wildlife photographer than me. He writes hiking and camping guidebooks as part of his business, so even in his 60s, he goes all over the Colorado mountains collecting data and photos. He's got a ton of different wildlife shots, but this one, shot from about 300 yards away, is one of my favorites. It won first place in some magazine's contest a few years ago:

http://files.byondhome.com/MikeH/backlit_bull_5_640.jpg

[phungy]

Here's a chameleon on a Key lime tree. We played hide and seek for a while before I got him!:D

http://img447.imageshack.us/img447/6572/keylimelizardry1.jpg

Sorry, but that's not a chameleon...

[srf4real]

Sorry, but that's not a chameleon...:rolleyes: ... man, what'sup with all the non Florididians trying to tell us what we have and what we don't. :confused:

Nobody believes this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=89406&page=10) is a snapper either, but, oh, well... just another day in paradise!

To be more specific, this is a baby (1/2 inches long) mexican chameleon that has invaded south Florida over the last twenty years and has decimated the native chameleon population because this is a larger, more agressive species about 6 inches in length when full grown.:)

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

[phungy]

I'm from FL :) Born and raised for over 22 years.

I like the photo nonetheless...just thought it was weird when you said it was a chameleon..

[srf4real]

I'm from FL :) Born and raised for over 22 years.


:o so sorry for calling you a yankee, phungy. So, you don't have these in Gainesville? I live in Melbourne. We used to have the little cute green ones that are really smooth, until these buggers came along... they change colors but not as cool as the natives, imop.:(

I played with some PSE brushes and made this one...:)

edit: and an adult on the fence post. I couldn't get him to blow up his huge red throat or whatever it's called.

[phungy]

I see them mainly in Sarasota (hometown). They're neat but my dog likes playing with them (and ends up killing them :confused: ).

[dllavaneras]

:rolleyes: ... man, what'sup with all the non Florididians trying to tell us what we have and what we don't. :confused:


Sorry, but I'm blowing the whistle on this one (and yes, I'm non Florididian :p )
True chameleons have their fingers fused, so they only appear to have 2 fingers. They also have a REALLY long tongue. There are other key features exclusive to true chameleons, but I won't go there (for now :rolleyes: )

What you took a picture of is an anole. Due to their limited (emphasized for a reason) ability to change color, they are sometimes called "American Chameleons". To be more precise, you took a picture of a Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei), which has pushed the native green (or Carolina) anole (Anolis carolinensis)population farther north due to intra-guild predation and competition for food, since their niche overlap is high.

You can look it up on a Herpetology textbook (under Iguanidae) as Anolis sagrei, or in older texts as Norops sagrei. You might like to look up this page (http://invasions.bio.utk.edu/invaders/sagrei.html) as well.

Nice pic, though ;)

EDIT: sorry if this sounded harsh... it wasn't my intention! :)

[phungy]

That is what its called. The name escaped my mind.

[srf4real]

I sit corrected.:o

Don't worry - I have alligator hide for skin; not sensitive at all, and I'd rather know the facts than think I'm right in error... just been callin 'em chameleons for 39 years now... older I get the more I learn.:) My wife is a scientist, knows all the latin names and such. I'm just a tree huggin surfer loving God's creation!:D :D :D

edit: oh, speaking of alligators...http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3600/gogatorsbg4.jpggot one in the canal out back.

[dllavaneras]

Wow, I'd love to have an alligator nearby! I'd take so many pictures of it... My mom would probably freak out, though.

I think I have a match for your gator:
An 8 foot long, 50 cm wide (diameter) female Eunectes murinus (that's an anaconda for those who have a life besides studying, unlike me :p )
She doesn't like to be held... learned that the hard way:eek:

[srf4real]

I think this egret was trying to run off all the other birds in the area but it looked like he was dancing!

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3549/snowyegretft9.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3887/gullegretsunsetbh0.jpg

[dllavaneras]

I'd love to be able to see egrets that close up! That won't happen until they clean up the dam nearby... great shot!

How's Chomper? He's probably the size of your hand by now

[srf4real]

I'd love to be able to see egrets that close up! That won't happen until they clean up the dam nearby... great shot!

How's Chomper? He's probably the size of your hand by now

The birds are fearless around here. Humans (fishermen) feed them often and they don't even flinch when I stalk up close to them. It's really quite distressing when trying to catch bait in a castnet, the pelicans mob the catch right away!

As for chomper, I haven't seen him for a while since returning him to the canal from where he came... he was polluting my fish tanks at an alarming rate and getting big enough to swallow his tank mates.:eek: I'm sure he's doing fine and I have seen his mother 'mama snapper' recently.:D

Here's another bird at the sanctuary in St. Augustine.:)

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/821/snowyegretoaks1ut8.jpg

[compuwar]

I stand corrected :) We're not used to snappers down here, matamatas are much more common. And while living in the states I only saw an Alligator snapper, so Chomper didn't quite match the picture I had in my head. How long have you had him? (I'm assuming it's a male, from the shape of the plastron - not the best way to know, but it gives a clue) Is he hard to take care of? Last turtle I had went misteriously missing (and no, she wasn't taken to a farm where she could run and chase guppies ;))...

srf4real, any more nature pics you're willing to share? Most of mine are insect macros... I'd love to see what other people take pics of!

You mean snappers like this one?

http://www.nikonians-images.com/galleries/data/500/77519DSC8832-6.jpg

[dllavaneras]

Exactly, those are the snappers I had in mind :)

Here's an Argiope argentata (female) that just catched a grasshopper

[compuwar]

Exactly, those are the snappers I had in mind :)

Here's an Argiope argentata (female) that just catched a grasshopper

I normally shoot birds, that snapper was hoping to catch one of these:

http://www.nikonians-images.com/galleries/data/500/77519DSC_8342x6.jpg

[srf4real]

And this guy's not preferential, he'll eat anything!:eek:

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8074/gatormd9.jpg

[dllavaneras]

Yikes! How big is that gator?

[devilot]

I dunno how I've missed this thread 'til now... Some really amazing shots. Wish I could shoot like y'all. :o

So in the summer, I went to a safari (http://www.safariwest.com/) in northern California (near Napa)... these are wild animals (for the most part) but it's a rather neat set-up they've got going on...

So this fella is a Greater Kudu:

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4205/kudufaceonyz0.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kudufaceonyz0.jpg)

A couple of waterbucks (I think)... the white ring that you might be able to see on the female's rear is a trait that all of these animals have (both males and females, young and old). It serves as a bit of an "emergency" rallying flag-- when there's a crisis or predator, the animals look for more of those "butt rings" and gather together forming a more formidable mass. Their other defense is that they produce a strong musk that most predators learn is not very tasty. ;)

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4267/coupleiq4.th.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coupleiq4.jpg)

Anyhow, our guide told us that this particular species, the East African Crowned Crane is believed to have existed for over 40 million years! I didn't care too much for the adult bird (it kept getting unnecessarily close to me, hee) but I got a huge kick out of the "baby" that tried to eat this poor woman's diamond ring, and then her jacket button.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/7061/nibbleih9.th.jpg (http://img106.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nibbleih9.jpg)

A couple other birds...

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/5220/drinkingparrottk5.th.jpg (http://img45.imageshack.us/my.php?image=drinkingparrottk5.jpg) http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9258/greenparrotse8.th.jpg (http://img230.imageshack.us/my.php?image=greenparrotse8.jpg)

Tortoise havin' a snack:

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5748/eatingtortoisepf8.th.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=eatingtortoisepf8.jpg)

This ostrich was so nosy! Stood well over 6 ft. tall and almost bit a little girl riding in the truck!

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5654/birdbrainzq6.th.jpg (http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=birdbrainzq6.jpg)

And this was just so irresistibly silly:

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7995/closeupye5.th.jpg (http://img245.imageshack.us/my.php?image=closeupye5.jpg)

[Apple Hobo]

These are a couple of my shots from the Florida Everglades.

http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=165&g2_serialNumber=4
More gators

http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=162&g2_serialNumber=5
Going fishing

Everglades Gallery (http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=155). I just got the site up and running, so there will eventually be lots more Florida wildlife. :)

[srf4real]

And this was just so irresistibly silly:
Awesome! I'd like to use the giraffe for my January 2007 desktop!:D


These are a couple of my shots from the Florida Everglades.
very nice.:) That gator I posted is a fifteen footer that lives at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.:o

[rfrankl]

:o so sorry for calling you a yankee, phungy. So, you don't have these in Gainesville? I live in Melbourne. We used to have the little cute green ones that are really smooth, until these buggers came along... they change colors but not as cool as the natives, imop.:(

I played with some PSE brushes and made this one...:)

edit: and an adult on the fence post. I couldn't get him to blow up his huge red throat or whatever it's called.

He is right...those are not chameleons. They are anoles. The ones that change green are not true chameleons either. The bigger lizards with the curly tails that you see more and more here in South Florida are actually from the Bahamas.

[SkAlex]

Here's one (poorly scanned) picture of a boobie (hehe) from a high school trip to the Galapagos Islands...

http://www.alexschepsman.com/boobie.jpg

And a shot of a butterfly I took when I was wandering off during a film shoot that I was producing... :o

http://www.alexschepsman.com/butterfly.jpg

[SkAlex]

Almost forgot about this shot of a grizzly from Alaska this summer...

http://www.alexschepsman.com/bear.jpg

[dllavaneras]

Amazing shots, everyone! Glad to see this thread alive again :)

Here's my contribution for today...
These Lepidoptera larvae are huge! 5 inches easy.

[srf4real]

The art of nature far exceeds the art of humans, imop!:D
Here's another big gator on the farm in St. Augustine...

[Yakamoto]

These are a couple of my shots from the Florida Everglades.

http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=165&g2_serialNumber=4
More gators

http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=162&g2_serialNumber=5
Going fishing

Everglades Gallery (http://fl-foto.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=155). I just got the site up and running, so there will eventually be lots more Florida wildlife. :)

Those are awesome shots:D
As are all the others posted on here. Very cool thread.:cool:

[Yakamoto]

Ok here are a few of mine. C&C welcome as always.
Taken 01/01/07 with D40
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-5.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-7.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-6.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-2.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-4.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o101/yakamotorc/Zoo-3.jpg

[compuwar]

Ok here are a few of mine. C&C welcome as always.
Taken 01/01/07 with D40


Interesting subjects, but the blown highlights bug me....

[Yakamoto]

Interesting subjects, but the blown highlights bug me....

Thanks... it was my first real day with the camera, and I forgot to lower the
e/v after playing with it the night before. Beginers mistake I guess :o

[mrkgoo]

What the hell, I hardly ever participate in these threads, but thought I'd dig some stuff up...

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7465/img2979nw0.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/4387/img3000to6.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7217/img3079xx4.jpg

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2619/img3136vd5.jpg

Ok, I admit, those were from the zoo. But these are real!

http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/9286/img2671bc4.jpg

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/7913/img3292go2.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/4158/img3308th1.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5618/img3348in2.jpg

[-hh]

http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2006/tanzania/elephant_grass(2386).jpg

Katavi NP, Tanzania


Our building is being rennovated, and my boss is going to be temporarily moving into a room with no windows. We're looking at printing out a 20" x 30" of this one to give him something to look at.


-hh

[srf4real]

Katavi NP, Tanzania


Our building is being rennovated, and my boss is going to be temporarily moving into a room with no windows. We're looking at printing out a 20" x 30" of this one to give him something to look at.


-hh

I would dig a wall sized mural of that huge dog!:D

This is a Florida pigeon... aka seagull in other parts of the world.

[-hh]

I would dig a wall sized mural of that huge dog!:D

This is a Florida pigeon... aka seagull in other parts of the world.

They're not called seagulls everywhere. My parents live on Delaware Bay, so they of course have to call them baygulls :D

Here's another couple of puppies...same trip, Ruaha National Park:

http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2006/tanzania/river(3655).jpg


Since we're trying to go for an 'outdoor' look, we've been having some debate over the question of if the image needs to show a skyline or not. The first elephant shot doesn't, but this does, etc.

I'll try to have a quick look through some other candidates this weekend and put up a new thread.

-hh

[-hh]

...


Forgot to mention - - for those who are counting, there's 12 elephants in the above shot: 4 in the left group and 8 in the right.


-hh

[iSaint]

http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2006/tanzania/elephant_grass(2386).jpg

Katavi NP, Tanzania


Our building is being rennovated, and my boss is going to be temporarily moving into a room with no windows. We're looking at printing out a 20" x 30" of this one to give him something to look at.


-hh

20 X 30? Make it cover the whole wall! That will be interesting!

[dllavaneras]

A dragonfly, taken with my trusty 3MP P&S

http://graphicshost.net/files/epitope/jutzznr4yylyjt4qnl32.jpg (http://graphicshost.net/)

[srf4real]

A dragonfly, taken with my trusty 3MP P&S
Wow. That is close. Did you have any lens converters on there, or you just mega talented! And how do you get that close to a dragonfly, let alone get it to sit still?

[dllavaneras]

Wow. That is close. Did you have any lens converters on there, or you just mega talented! And how do you get that close to a dragonfly, let alone get it to sit still?

I have a Raynox DCR-250 Macro lens attached to my Canon S1 :)
And Patience is the key!

[srf4real]

I know this is kind of a cheesy picture of a dolphin, but she was in the wild.:D
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5659/dolphinze3.jpg

I see them every day if it's glassy... early morning they swim by and sometimes show off in the waves. Timing and where to point the lens can be challenging as the dolphins only reveal themselves occasionaly and they've always moved somewhere else. :p

[iSaint]

I know this is kind of a cheesy picture of a dolphin, but she was in the wild.:D


I see them every day if it's glassy... early morning they swim by and sometimes show off in the waves. Timing and where to point the lens can be challenging as the dolphins only reveal themselves occasionaly and they've always moved somewhere else. :p

Do you/Have you had any close encounters?

[srf4real]

Have you had any close encounters?I get mixed feelings around the dolphins. On the one hand, they're arch-enemies with the sharks, so I feel more comfortable seeing the mammal version of the dorsal fin.;) On the other hand, I have paddled very close to a pod of them, and got the eery feeling that if they considered me a threat (their younguns were present) I could have a real problem!:eek: Truthfully, tho - never been any closer than this
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1166/picture2zf7.jpg
at Sea World.:p

[Clix Pix]

At Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

http://clixpix.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p362491457.jpg

http://clixpix.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p94627409.jpg

http://clixpix.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p197530096.jpg

http://clixpix.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p280181430.jpg

[dllavaneras]

Male Gonatodes sp

http://graphicshost.net/files/epitope/t3n2mygiuyzmyn1u0g2n.jpg (http://graphicshost.net/)

[m82palmer]

I throw in a few too. From SA back in November of last year.

http://www.michaelpalmer.info/images/photos/sa/3_white_rino.JPG

http://www.michaelpalmer.info/images/photos/sa/1_lion.JPG

http://www.michaelpalmer.info/images/photos/sa/5_vervet_monkeys_eating.jpg

http://www.michaelpalmer.info/images/photos/sa/7_dung_beetle.jpg

http://www.michaelpalmer.info/images/photos/sa/2_african_elephant.jpg