View allAll Photos Tagged coldblooded
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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Summer Solstice
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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6/22
‘Always do what you are afraid to do.’
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
When I was a child, I would love to say that I was fearless, but that would be a lie. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s I was blessed with a childhood blanketed with adventure in a region teaming with kids who were always looking for something to throw a rock at or poke with a stick. Our proximity to the Ohio River provided immeasurable shenanigans and adventures. Being chased by snakes, muskrats and in a few cases angry old guys, I may well have come off as just another fearless, dirt covered kid of the day. That certainly was not the case as I was scared to death of heights and truly hated that about myself.
When God places your soul in the last generation that lived to climb trees and build really crappy, OSHA nightmare style treehouses and you are afraid of heights, you learn to joke, hide and adapt. There was a reason that I was always the “ground crew” in charge of finding dropped nails and handing up boards. I would always suck up the fear enough to climb up to the rickety newly constructed platform, look around and exclaim how great it was, then climb down as quickly as possible…never to return.
When I was about 11-12 years old my parents decided to build a large room addition on the back of our house. My father was a wonderful father in every aspect of the word. He did all the work himself as he was a jack of all trades. I can still see him with a hammer in his hand, a cigarette in this mouth and a pencil behind his ear working away. I can only remember him asking for help one time…the worse possible time for me…when it was time to shingle the roof.
As I watched my father and brother scurry up the ladder and onto the boarded roof like direct descendants of Tarzan, I stood below petrified. When dad asked me to start bringing up shingles, soiling myself became an option!
I only made it about 2/3rds of the way up the ladder before I froze in place and started shaking. I can still shut my eyes right now and see my father’s face, a mere 52 years later. The look of disappointment as he truly needed our help, was matched in his voice as he released me from my curse with the words “Just go inside and help your mother!” Just for reference, his look and tone perfectly matched the father (Darren McGavin) in “A Christmas Story” when Ralphie spills the lug nuts on the side of the road. Unlike Ralphie, I did not drop the F-bomb. However, when dad said to go help my mother, what I heard in my heart was “Get the hell off my ladder you little female sex organ!”
Isn’t it funny how what seems to be unkind words at the time can become THE most impactful, life changing words…a blessing of truth from a loved one to another. Never wanting to see his face in that light again coupled with just being tired of the fear lead me to start working on my problem that day. After dinner that evening when everyone was inside, I went out and climbed atop the small coral behind our garage. It was probably only 7-8 feet up, but it was my start. Within a week or so, I had graduated to the garage roof. Later that summer when no one was home, I conquered my Everest, the roof that started it all. As any corrective therapy goes, it took time, but when embarrassment outweighs fear, great things can happen!
Over the years that followed, I was blessed with hundreds of instances that never could have happened if I had allowed the fear to rule. From climbing our high school football field light poles in a thunderstorm to hang inappropriate sheet banners our senior year to countless high-altitude opportunities in my 20 years in the Navy. In the summer of 1992 (best guess) for Father’s Day, I asked my bride for a lone skydiving trip. She thought I was nuts, but a big part of my request was to put the final nail in the coffin of my fear of heights. When my jump master told me to “Exit the aircraft” for my jump, I did so without hesitation.
When my shoot popped open at 3000 ft, I had been instructed to immediately take the toggles and start to maneuver the parashoot. I decided it was much more important to take a few seconds to throw my arms in the air, Rocky style as the fear became that thing who would never be allowed to return.
Today, I seek out encounters that provide a fraction, maybe 1/100th of what was my fear of heights. I never feel more alive than when I am in the presence of something that can kill me. I long for the thrill of danger coupled with the blessing of being in the presence of might. Whether it is in the company of bears, bison, snakes or in this case a medium sized (8-9’) alligator, I love it!
Adventure before dementia includes the thrill of being in harm’s way.
And yes, I have Ralph Waldo Emerson and Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story' in the same tale!
This shot is from the archives and taken on the Juniper River, Florida on 09 October 2023.
Not always does the best settings give you the best picture, occasionally, mistakes deliver. This pic is one such example. I was shooting a bird and had forgotten to change the settings when I spotted the reptile. After seeing the first outcome, the remaining effort was focused on fine tuning the mistake to get the desired results.
Tenerife. Icod.
Mariposario del Drago
Please no invites to comment/award groups.
I will just click OK add it if you invite me anyway.
sisters
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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Thanks to every friend ! Greetings ! And wish you every lucky !
Santa Fe Island
Galapagos
Ecuador
South America
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.
Barrington Land Iguanas are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Lotus in the fog
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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Thanks to every friend ! Greetings ! And wish you every lucky !
6/21
just a few days ago...75 degrees blue skies and wildlife enjoying sunning on the banks of the canals...the last two days RAIN RAIN RAIN non stop and 45 degrees.! so dreary...hoping all are well...
Island Of Madagascar
Off The East Coast Of Africa
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
This is an image of a female parson’s chameleon was taken on a night walk with a guide and his spotlight.
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 laden 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.
The grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the ringed snake or 'water snake', is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.
The grass snake is typically dark green or brown in colour with a characteristic yellow collar behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake. The colour may also range from grey to black, with darker colours being more prevalent in colder regions, presumably owing to the thermal benefits of being dark in colour. The underside is whitish with irregular blocks of black, which are useful in recognizing individuals. In Great Britain, the grass snake is the largest reptile, reaching up to 190 centimetres (6 ft 3 in) total length, though such large specimens are rare. Females are considerably larger than males, typically reaching a size of 90–110 centimetres (2 ft 11 in–3 ft 7 in) when fully grown. Males are approximately 50 centimetres (20 in) shorter and significantly smaller in girth. Weight is about 240 grams (8 oz). Since the colour of its collar is often pale yellow to white in the Balkans region, the name for this snake in Serbo-Croatian language is belouška/bjelouška, which means white-eared snake.
The grass snake is widely distributed in mainland Europe, ranging from mid Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in Middle East and northwestern Africa. British grass snakes belong to the subspecies N. n. helvetica.
This species is one of only three snakes to occur in Great Britain, and is distributed throughout lowland areas of England and Wales; it is almost absent from Scotland and is not found in Ireland, which has no native snakes.
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic Reserve
Best Seen In Lightbox-
www.flickr.com/photos/42964440@N08/47317989821/in/photost...
Parson's chameleons are very stationary animals, and are not hard to photograph.
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.
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 female Northern Tenerife lizard, (Gallotia galloti eisentrauti), perched on a rock in the grounds of the Pyramids of Güímar archaeological and ethnographic centre.
A serene capture of a Ball Python (Python regius) coiled peacefully among natural textures. Native to West and Central Africa, this species is known for its docile temperament and mesmerizing patterns. In this shot, its earthy tones and glossy scales reflect the beauty and mystery of reptilian life. A perfect blend of camouflage and grace.
Lotus in a dream
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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Thanks to every friend ! Greetings ! And wish you every lucky !
I know that some want to see more of the bayou and so, this post is for you. Not the most inspiring place at the moment after the freeze because of all the frozen reeds and such, but this is the way I see it. This is a portion of the bayou that we don’t visit very often, and I must admit that it’s been 5 or 6 years since I’ve paddled up Armand Bayou this far. I’m glad I made the trip even though it’s not as interesting and gratifying as the trip up Horsepen Bayou. I managed to find the master of the area and he was quite an imposing presence. Every bit as large as anything on Horsepen Bayou and doing what gators do best and soaking up the sun.
The bayou isn’t the most beautiful place at this time of the year, but it is when you see most of the alligators trying to warm themselves after a cool evening. This alligator is in the 13-foot range and one MASSIVE lump of lump lizard. I’ll revisit him a bit later as he had no interest in leaving while I was shooting. I might add that this is at extremely low tide as well and that’s why you see so much mud in this shot. Photo taken on Armand Bayou.
A7R08184uls
. . on the subject of Explore!?
To me, Flickr is not about Explore, it is about the ability to share one's work and obtain feedback, to make lasting friendships and enjoy the camaraderie of others with a similar passion, to see the tremendous artistry of others' photography, and to learn and improve one's own photographic and artistic skills.
Nevertheless, c'mon, and be truthful, when one of our images gets into Explore! don't we all experience a frisson of pleasure, and the recognition that one of our pics was in that day's top 500 "interesting" photos?
But I cannot for the life of me figure out how "interestingness" works. I've read it is all about an algorythm which calculates views, ratio of faves to views and comments, speed at which which faves/comments were garnered, etc, all the statistical things that would indicate people have found a particular image "interesting". But it's more, the question is what?
Wait a mo' - this is no gripe and definitely not a complaint! I'm just curious to know your feelings on Explore, if you have any better understanding or idea how it defines "interestingness, and how it works. I'm assuming, like me, most of you will take Explore with a pinch of salt and regard it as simple "fun", but it is also fun to debate / understand it, too.
All that having been said . . . I was just filling out the "comment" box because I couldn't think of anything else for this image ;-D
The Spotted Turtle is a relatively small freshwater turtle. In adults, the carapace (upper part of the shell) generally measures less than 13 cm in length. This species can be recognized by its black carapace with orange-yellow spots.
The Spotted Turtle occurs only in eastern North America. Populations are located in southern Ontario and in the United States along the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Maine to central Florida, and westward from the south shores of the Great Lakes to northeastern Illinois.
These omnivores include in their diet aquatic insects, slugs, snails, crustaceans, tadpoles, dead fish, algae, and aquatic vegetation including cranberries.
The decline of the Spotted Turtle is attributable to multiple factors: excessive capture for illegal trade, habitat fragmentation and destruction, road mortality, predation by numerous species (particularly the raccoon), agriculture and pollution. The Spotted Turtle is particularly sensitive to habitat destruction and excessive collection in the spring when turtles aggregate for breeding and in the fall when they aggregate for hibernation. Due to its slow growth, the number of years it takes to reach maturity and the low survival rate of eggs and juveniles, the Spotted Turtle is particularly vulnerable to increased mortality and capture of adults and juveniles. Moreover, the Spotted Turtle is very sensitive to pollution and toxic products and succumbs rapidly to the degradation of water quality.