View allAll Photos Tagged coldblooded
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Palmarium Reserve
The panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is a species of chameleon found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome.
Panther chameleons are zygodactylous: on each foot, the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot a tongs-like appearance. These specialized feet allow the panther chameleon a tight grip on narrow branches.
Their eyes are the most distinctive among the reptiles and function like a gun turret. The upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously; their eyes move independently from each other. It in effect gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision around their bodies.
Panther chameleons have very long tongues which are capable of rapidly extending out of the mouth. The tongue extends at around 26 body lengths per second. The tongue hits the prey in about 0.0030 sec. – Wikipedia
Galapagos Islands
Off The Coast Of Equador
South America
Santa Fe Island
The Barrington Land Iguana or Santa Fe Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus) is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family. It is one of three species of Conolophus. It is endemic to Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos.
The Barrington Land Iguana is similar in every detail to the Galapagos Land Iguana except that the Barrington Island Iguana is paler yellow in color with a longer more tapered snout and more pronounced dorsal spines. The Barrington Land Iguana grows to a length of three feet with a body weight of up to twenty-five pounds.
Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun basking on volcanic rock and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the island's finches; the birds remove parasites and ticks providing relief to the iguana and food for the birds.
Barrington Land iguanas are primarily herbivorous, however some individuals have shown that they are opportunistic carnivores supplementing their diet with insects, centipedes and carrion. Because fresh water is scarce on the islands it inhabits, the Land Iguana obtains the majority of its moisture from the prickly-pear cactus that makes up 80% of its diet: fruit, flowers, pads, and even spines. During the rainy season it will drink from available standing pools of water and feast on yellow flowers of the Genus Portulaca. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. - Source Wikipedia
Happy Father's Day
Painted turtle in the marshes at Scarborough Bluffs, Ontario, Canada
"The turtle eats aquatic vegetation, algae, and small water creatures including insects, crustaceans, and fish. Painted turtles primarily feed while in water and are able to locate and subdue prey even in heavily clouded conditions. Although they are frequently consumed as eggs or hatchlings by rodents, canines, and snakes, the adult turtles' hard shells protect them from most predators. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies."
from www.inaturalist.org
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic Reserve
Wikipedia-
The Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii) is a large species of chameleon that is endemic to isolated pockets of humid primary forest in eastern and northern Madagascar.
A long-lived species, C. parsonii may not reach sexual maturity until they are 3 - 5 years of age and may live to be more than 20 years old. C. parsonii are native to the primary rainforests of the elevated eastern area of Madagascar, up to an altitude of about 7,000 feet. However, their range extends all the way down to the eastern coast, where trade winds bring moisture ladden air to the land.
Parson's are very stationary animals. Adults may go for long periods without moving except to eat, drink, mate or deficate. They also do not spend much time basking, like many other true chameleons. They will, however, sit in the sun for short periods and slightly flatten one side of their body toward the sun. These sunning sessions are rarely more than 10 - 15 minutes long and usually take place early in the morning as soon as sun is available.
Near threatened according to the IUCN red list. The loss of humid forest, mainly through conversion from slash-and-burn agriculture but also due to logging, is a threat to this species. Much of the habitat of this species is extremely fragmented, and small forest fragments are unlikely to be viable to ensure persistence of this large chameleon that occurs at low densities.
A sunbathing lizard, likely the Canary Island lizard (Gallotia galloti), pauses on a gravel path in Tenerife. Its vibrant yellow spots and detailed skin textures highlight the island’s rich reptilian biodiversity, perfectly blending into the volcanic and rocky landscape of the Canaries.
Florida’s most prolific iguana is the most substantial of all invasive species. The Green Iguana grows over 5 feet and can weigh up to 15 pounds. These iguanas are shades of emerald green with large spikes running down their back and tail. Green Iguanas also have a large dewlap (or neck flap) for regulating their body temperature. They present their dewlap to potential mates during courtship.
The Green Iguana’s tail is its primary weapon. It’s capable of whipping other animals when threatened. When ensnared, an iguana can detach its tail and grow another one. Green Iguanas also have another unique defense system, a third eye. On the forehead, they have a primitive pineal gland. The gland is not capable of forming images like the other two. They use their parietal eye to sense changes in light and track predators above.
Green Iguanas are herbivores. However, their diet in Florida does not provide enough water to regulate their body temperatures. As a result, the iguanas tear through plant matter, leaving little behind.
Green Iguanas are prolific breeders. Females are capable of laying 45 eggs in every clutch. With few natural predators, most of their young reach reproductive maturity.
Green Iguanas are native to Central and South America. The iguanas first established populations in the Florida Keys. It’s thought the green iguanas first hitched a ride on South American fruit ships. In the following years, careless pet owners released the iguanas into the wild.
-- Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff) --
‧ Camera - Nikon D5200 (handheld)
‧ Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
‧ ISO – 100
‧ Aperture – f/11
‧ Exposure – 1/80 second
‧ Focal Length – 190mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Next in my reptiles/amphibians series is this young alligator found in Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.
Alligators are fascinating creatures.
Along with other crocodilians, they have undergone very little evolutionary change since the time of the dinosaurs. American alligators appeared about 84 million years ago, and their ancestors evolved more than 200 million years ago. The only older reptiles are turtles and tortoises.
Alligators have about 75 teeth in their mouths at any one time, but as the teeth wear down or break off, they are replaced. As a result, many can have about 3,000 teeth over the course of their lives.
Alligators can go without eating for several months, depending on their size and the temperature of their environment. Adult alligators can typically survive for up to two years without food.
At about 1 metre in length, this snake was easy to see on the highway. After a couple pictures, I encouraged it to cross the road, and not sit and sun on it.
8 Inch American Alligator basks in the sun near the boardwalk at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. Typically, mother is very close by, so photographing must be done cautiously.
Butterfly Garden Berkenhof.
Kwadendamme, Zeeland, The Netherlands.
Papilio demoleus.
www.vlindertuindeberkenhof.nl/
Please no invites to mandatory comment/award/sweeperactive/comment or ban groups unless requested by myself
To admins of of those groups: I will just click OK add it if you take no notice and invite me anyway.
my most interesting on black: www.fluidr.com/photos/lindadevolder/interesting>
This picture appears in the galleries Mariposas and butterflies
After a desperate attempt to pull itself out the the water, the Dragonfly's energy runs out and nature takes it toll.
I posted a shot of this character a few days ago, but it was just a head shot, and so here is the entire beast. This one is roughly 11 feet long and very capable of doing some serious damage. Someone asked if you could recognize them as they get older, but I’m not on the bayou enough to give them all names. I would say that there are only about 5 or 6 of them than I would recognize, but there are only certain traits that distinguish them apart. Size, missing eye, deformed jaws and such are the only way for me to tell them apart. Gary and I (my photo buddy cohort in crime) managed to spot Big Boy this past Friday and hopefully I was able to get a shot of him amongst the weeds on the bank of the bayou. I’ll post him if I got him.
Am woefully behind after a busy weekend but will try to catch up as well, but it’s a busy week as well with several things going. Just give me time and I’ll eventually get there.
A7R03870uls
Found this during my visit in FRIM Kepong, Malaysia. THANKS TO ALL FLICKR FRIENDS FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SUPPORT AND AWARDS
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be embedded or used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Bruce Finocchio.
Another desert dweller, third in the series.
From Wikipedia:
"The Great Basin collared lizard is endemic to the Western United States, and is found in California, most of Nevada, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, and the western regions of Utah and Arizona. It is usually found in rocky regions of arid deserts, and is most common in desert scrub and desert wash habitats. It is widely distributed throughout the Mojave, Sonoran, and southeastern Great Basin deserts."
This little guy was blending in nicely to his habitat near Lees Ferry, AZ.
Galapagos Islands
Off The Coast Of Equador
Santa Fe Island
The Barrington Land Iguana or Santa Fe Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus) is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family. It is one of three species of Conolophus. It is endemic to Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos.
The Barrington Land Iguana is similar in every detail to the Galapagos Land Iguana except that the Barrington Island Iguana is paler yellow in color with a longer more tapered snout and more pronounced dorsal spines. The Barrington Land Iguana grows to a length of three feet with a body weight of up to twenty-five pounds.
Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun basking on volcanic rock and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the island's finches; the birds remove parasites and ticks providing relief to the iguana and food for the birds.
Barrington Land iguanas are primarily herbivorous, however some individuals have shown that they are opportunistic carnivores supplementing their diet with insects, centipedes and carrion. Because fresh water is scarce on the islands it inhabits, the Land Iguana obtains the majority of its moisture from the prickly-pear cactus that makes up 80% of its diet: fruit, flowers, pads, and even spines. During the rainy season it will drink from available standing pools of water and feast on yellow flowers of the Genus Portulaca. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. - Source Wikipedia
Northern Arizona. This is similar to an image I posted a few months ago, but from a different perspective.
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic Reserve
The Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii) is a large species of chameleon that is endemic to isolated pockets of humid primary forest in eastern and northern Madagascar.
A long-lived species, C. parsonii may not reach sexual maturity until they are 3 - 5 years of age and may live to be more than 20 years old. C. parsonii are native to the primary rainforests of the elevated eastern area of Madagascar, up to an altitude of about 7,000 feet. However, their range extends all the way down to the eastern coast, where trade winds bring moisture ladden air to the land.
Parson's are very stationary animals. Adults may go for long periods without moving except to eat, drink, mate or deficate. They also do not spend much time basking, like many other true chameleons. They will, however, sit in the sun for short periods and slightly flatten one side of their body toward the sun. These sunning sessions are rarely more than 10 - 15 minutes long and usually take place early in the morning as soon as sun is available.
Near threatened according to the IUCN red list. The loss of humid forest, mainly through conversion from slash-and-burn agriculture but also due to logging, is a threat to this species. Much of the habitat of this species is extremely fragmented, and small forest fragments are unlikely to be viable to ensure persistence of this large chameleon that occurs at low densities. – Wikipedia
Cold blooded critters are starting to show themselves. With some help sometimes - I had to dig to find this one. They seem to prefer being under cover. After a few quick pictures I replaced this guy’s hiding spot. These are lungless salamanders and essentially breathe through their skin so important not to handle them.
A very curious young American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) swims up to me as I lay on the bank of the water at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA.
Large adult spotted pre-storm basking on gravel road in an Atlanta prairie. Light drizzle, moisture, and low barometric systems are all harbingers of snake activity... as many roadcruising herpers can attest to.
Photoshoots can often produce some pretty interesting encounters.....
My good friend Holly Cawfield posted an image of one of her encounters that urged me to share this one.
A recent trip to a place we visit each Spring brings cause to share an important tip: Don't bring/eat lunch while photographing a rookery.
This particular rookery is pretty slim on inhabitants this year as many of the trees have fallen/died from some past torrential storms.
Result - fewer mating pairs.....fewer nests.......fewer baby chicks.
So, I'm guessing the alligators there are a bit hungrier than usual.
Had this 7-footer "quickly" emerge out of the water right in front of us & take over our position after he obviously smelled our food.
Fortunately, I was able to remove our wagon full of lens bags, cameras, wallets, truck keys, and the food in time......but, didn't quite have the chance to grab one of the cameras & tripod.
We didn't mind yielding our turf for a while.....the real worry was that he'd eventually turn and swing that big tail around & knock over my equipment.
I found a long pole nearby and knocked the lawn chair away as to hopefully clear more room for him to move away and leave. As it turns out, it worked and he eventually returned to the water without any harm.
Guess we've all had at least one unwanted experience/guest while out photographing Nature.......right?
What's your story?
Thank Y'all for visiting & sharing your thoughts....
Have a great weekend !
A grass snake (Natrix helvetica), soaking up the sunshine on the surface of a pond at Tophill Low nature reserve in East Yorkshire.
Santa Cruz Island
Galapagos
South America
Wikipedia -- The Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is one of three species of the genus Conolophus. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), in the dry lowlands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza.
Charles Darwin described the Galapagos land iguana as "ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance." The Galapagos land iguana grows to a length of 3 to 5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) with a body weight of up to 25 lb (11 kg), depending upon which island they are from. Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun by basking on volcanic rock, and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with birds; the birds remove parasites and ticks, providing relief to the iguanas and food for the birds.
Land iguanas are primarily herbivorous; however, some individuals have shown that they are opportunistic carnivores supplementing their diet with insects, centipedes and carrion. Because fresh water is scarce on the islands it inhabits, the Galapagos land iguana obtains the majority of its moisture from the prickly-pear cactus that makes up 80% of its diet: fruit, flowers, pads, and even spines. During the rainy season it will drink from available standing pools of water and feast on yellow flowers of the genus Portulaca.
It is estimated that the Galapagos land iguana has a 50 to 60-year lifespan.
Rabida Island
Galapagos
Ecuador
South America
Closeup of a land iguana on Rabida Island. During the time I visited the island, some of the iguanas were shedding their skin like this one.
Wikipedia -- The Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is one of three species of the genus Conolophus. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), in the dry lowlands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza.
Charles Darwin described the Galapagos land iguana as "ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance." The Galapagos land iguana grows to a length of 3 to 5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) with a body weight of up to 25 lb (11 kg), depending upon which island they are from. Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun by basking on volcanic rock, and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with birds; the birds remove parasites and ticks, providing relief to the iguanas and food for the birds.
Land iguanas are primarily herbivorous; however, some individuals have shown that they are opportunistic carnivores supplementing their diet with insects, centipedes and carrion. Because fresh water is scarce on the islands it inhabits, the Galapagos land iguana obtains the majority of its moisture from the prickly-pear cactus that makes up 80% of its diet: fruit, flowers, pads, and even spines. During the rainy season it will drink from available standing pools of water and feast on yellow flowers of the genus Portulaca.
It is estimated that the Galapagos land iguana has a 50 to 60-year lifespan.
Giant plated lizard - Sabi Sands reserve - Gerrhosaurus validus.
These can grow to more than 2 feet long - this one was about 18 inches. Watchful but tolerant of me.
Iguanas are some of the largest lizards found in the Americas, with their whiplike tail making up about half of that length. Like other reptiles, iguanas are cold-blooded, egg-laying animals with an excellent ability to adapt to their environment.
The roots of lotus are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The plant normally grows up to a height of about 150 cm and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters, but some unverified reports place the height as high as over 5 meters. The leaves may be as large as 60 cm in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter.
Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range just as humans and other warmblooded animals do. Dr. Roger S. Seymour and Dr. Paul Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a temperature of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), even when the air temperature dropped to 10 °C (50 °F).
They suspect the flowers may be doing this to attract coldblooded insect pollinators. The study, published in the journal Nature, is the latest discovery in the field of thermoregulation, heat-producing, plants. Two other species known to be able to regulate their temperature include Symplocarpus foetidus and Philodendron selloum.
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