View allAll Photos Tagged coldblooded
" It is the bright day that brings forth the adder ; and that craves wary walking. "
~ William Shakespeare ~
( from Julius Caesar )
I know that this isn't an adder , but I like the quote.
This is not a captive snake. It is a wild black rat snake that was
slithering around in my yard. I was about 5 foot long. Also, this
is not a crop, but I did resize it to post on flickr.
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic Reserve
Closeup of a female Parson's Chameleon I uploaded earlier. The previous image can be seen in the first comment
section.
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.
Male Common Darter dragonfly soaking up the heat being stored in the stones of the boardwalk.
365/222 - Year 11 Photo 3509
A 12-foot American alligator basks in the sun, covered in duckweed, showing the raw power and ancient presence of these apex reptiles. Photographed at ground level for an intimate, eye-to-eye perspective.
Belgium.
Antwerp National Zoo.
Antwerp Zoo (Dutch: ZOO Antwerpen) is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Palmarium Reserve
The male chameleon is more colorful than the female and has a bump on the nose. The males can come in a variety of colors.
Wikipedia-
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 they 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.
I ran across this copperhead laying along the side of the road today. I have been somewhat fascinated by snakes since I was a kid.... They really are beautiful in their own way. I used my 300mm lens with extension tubes to get this close up. If you happen to come across one don't try to handle it.... they are venomous!!! Have a great week!
A pod of American Alligator hatchlings soak in the sun amongst their siblings while still under the watchful eye of “mama” (just out of frame to the left).
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.
Apalone spinifera emoryi
South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center
South Padre Island, Texas
Cameron County
Island of Madagascar
Off The East Coast of Africa
Palmarium Reserve
Best Seen In Lightbox-
www.flickr.com/photos/42964440@N08/40335275103/in/photost...
The male panther chameleon is more colorful than the female and has a bump on the nose. The males can come in a variety of colors.
Wikipedia-
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 they 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. At the base of the tongue, a bone is shot forward, giving the tongue the initial momentum it needs to reach the prey quickly.
At the tip of this elastic tongue, a muscular, club-like structure covered in thick mucus forms a suction cup. Once the tip sticks to a prey item, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the panther chameleon's strong jaws crush it and it is consumed.
Large View On Black
Wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) head macro. Baltimore County, Maryland. January. Temps low 40's.
"...I'm not a vegetarian, but when they eat fruits and vegetables I feel more like I can kiss them and love them and hold them." Joan K. - Quotes from Xander and Mother Joan (2004)
"Crocodile Smile" by Patti Deters. This crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) was sunning itself by moving and swimming so slowly there was no wake or water ripples, allowing an almost perfect reflection in the still water of the small wetland pond. The textured skin can be seen in detail, and the mouth is partly open, revealing sharp teeth that add to its scary-looking smile. This cold-blooded reptile might have been stalking or hunting something we couldn't see - they don't generally eat anything larger than the size of their own head. Thank you for viewing this picture. If you like outdoor nature photography, you can purchase or just enjoy looking at more animals and other wildlife images at patti-deters.pixels.com/featured/crocodile-smile-patti-de....
Island Of Madagascar
Off The East Coast Of Africa
Berenty Reserve
Best Viewed In Lightbox -
www.flickr.com/photos/42964440@N08/32314528187/in/photost...
Madagascar is home to about half the world's 150 or so species of chameleons.
For more on chameleons in general visit - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleon
Wikipedia-
Furcifer verrucosus, also known as the warty chameleon, spiny chameleon or crocodile chameleon, is a species of small reptile endemic to Madagascar. It was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1829.
The warty chameleon is found only on the island of Madagascar including Manderano in the Tulear region. It occurs over much of the west part of the island and in drier parts of the south. It is seldom found in primary rainforest but favours arid disturbed land, including near the sea. It is a terrestrial species and also climbs around in low bushes. In hot weather it sometimes retreats into a sandy burrow to keep cool.
There are two subspecies, Furcifer v. verrucosus and Furcifer v. semicristatus, the latter being found mainly in the southernmost part of the island. This chameleon is closely related to Oustalet's chameleon Furcifer oustaleti (Malagasy giant chameleon), the pair forming a species complex, but each member of the group may be a cryptic species (two species indistinguishable in the field and currently believed to be a single species) and the exact taxonomical relationship between members of the group is unclear.
The warty chameleon feeds largely on insects which it catches with its long sticky tongue. The female lays one clutch of 30 to 60 eggs a year and these are incubated for about 200 days. They hatch into juvenile chameleons which may take six months to a year to become mature.
This woman adored her very large lizard, said it was the best one she'd ever had. The lizard was on exhibit, not up for adoption, and the owner was taking it for a walk.
A Eurycea cirrigera guarding her matured eggs. Her babies were laid in early December and is due to hatch soon in late January. Many have already hatched. Interestingly, this individual is already gravid and preparing to lay yet another brood.
This mating tempo is unusually fast for this nesting site, and is likely due to the abnormally warm December metro-Atlanta experienced in 2021.
Film: ASTIA [soft]
He might not have been blessed with external beauty, but he is blessed to be what he was created to be, a powerful snapping turtle.
Snapping turtles only live in fresh or brackish water. They prefer habitats with muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation because concealment is easier. This one right here lives in a small pond with another snapper of his size and they might be the reason why goslings and ducklings don't get to live past few first days of their lives.
Belgium.
Antwerp National Zoo.
Antwerp Zoo (Dutch: ZOO Antwerpen) is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.
Shipman, Virginia, USA. See my recent picture titled River Trail Pond for the general habitat (pond also had wood ducks and blue corporals). The location is at about 600 feet of elevation. The snake was at the marshy edge of the pond, and it's head was a little bigger than a square inch. I know nothing about snakes, so any ID help is appreciated.
'While walking Jasmine at the lake this afternoon I was pleasantly surprised to see so many garter snakes basking in the 60' sunshine.
I gently picked this one up to snap a shot w/ my macro. They would slither away when I'd crouch down for a close up. ...so had to "catch" one for a few seconds. ...s/he didn't seem to mind.
More pics in comments below.
While walking on a leisurely stroll, the Iguana decided to pay us a surprise visit. The best part - it was a camera friendly.
Island Of Madagascar
Off The East Coast Of Africa
Berenty Reserve
A warty chameleon on a low bush in the reserve.
Furcifer verrucosus, also known as the warty chameleon, spiny chameleon or crocodile chameleon, is a species of small reptile endemic to Madagascar. It was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1829.
The warty chameleon is found only on the island of Madagascar including Manderano in the Tulear region. It occurs over much of the west part of the island and in drier parts of the south. It is seldom found in primary rainforest but favours arid disturbed land, including near the sea. It is a terrestrial species and also climbs around in low bushes. In hot weather it sometimes retreats into a sandy burrow to keep cool.
There are two subspecies, Furcifer v. verrucosus and Furcifer v. semicristatus, the latter being found mainly in the southernmost part of the island. This chameleon is closely related to Oustalet's chameleon Furcifer oustaleti (Malagasy giant chameleon), the pair forming a species complex, but each member of the group may be a cryptic species (two species indistinguishable in the field and currently believed to be a single species) and the exact taxonomical relationship between members of the group is unclear.
The warty chameleon feeds largely on insects which it catches with its long sticky tongue. The female lays one clutch of 30 to 60 eggs a year and these are incubated for about 200 days. They hatch into juvenile chameleons which may take six months to a year to become mature. - source Wikipedia
Island Of Madagascar
Off The East Coast Of Africa
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Calumma brevicorne, the short-horned chameleon, is a species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar. The most distinctive features of the short-horned chameleon are its large, ear-like occipital lobes, and the short bony appendage that projects from the snout of the male.
C. brevicornis is endemic to Madagascar and has a broad latitudinal distribution in eastern Madagascar, between the Anosy Mountains in the south and the Tsaratanana Massif in the north. Also from the Analavory Plateau in the northwest, within a narrow elevation band between 810 and 1,000 m. The short-horned chameleon is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and lives in the forests around Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and Analamazaotra Special Reserve.
This species occurs within mid-altitude humid forest, where it is more commonly found in open vegetation associated with edges and disturbed areas. It is tolerant of some degree of habitat modification, and has been found in agricultural land where trees are present, in roadside vegetation, and in trees near buildings.
Very little is known about this species' ecology, but in captivity it is known to feed on a wide variety of insects. Females have been observed laying 10 to 30 eggs, around 40 days after mating. Calumma brevicorne eggs have been reported to be vulnerable to predation by invasive rats. – Wikipedia
A more detailed view of my curious wildlife friend.Can you see the bump on the top of his jaws,reminds me of a site on the barrel of a Rifle,don't your think?
These images were taken in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge,30,000 acres of nature encompassing three counties.
This was once a plantation that grew rice...talk about a scary job!!!
In 1987 the Florida legislature designated the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) as the official state reptile. Long an unofficial symbol of the state, the alligator originally symbolized Florida's extensive untamed wilderness and swamps. Alligators are found throughout Florida and in parts of other southeastern states. They prefer lakes, swamps, canals, and other wetland habitats.
Alligators eat fish, turtles, and a variety of other animals. In late June and early July, female alligators usually lay thirty to fifty eggs in mound-shaped nests made of reeds and other vegetation. Baby alligators hatch after an incubation period of about two months. When hatched, alligators are already fully developed and about eight inches long. Mature alligators usually range from six to twelve feet in length, with females rarely exceeding nine feet.
Because alligators are cold-blooded, we often see them sunning on logs or on banks near water. Gators can move surprisingly fast over short distances, and their powerful jaws and swinging tails make them dangerous to approach. Female alligators are particularly aggressive when guarding their nests. Alligators should not be fed, although we do feed them, on occasion, to Tourist.
Did You Know?
Although alligators have no vocal cords, males bellow loudly to attract mates and warn off other males by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars.
Since I live in Florida, I thought it only appropriate that I post an occasional Gator shot! This one was taken along "Alligator Alley at Circle B Bar Reserve. Polk County, Florida.
TTenerife.
Icod, the Butterfly Garden.
Mariposario del Drago.
www.mariposario.com/English/index.html
The Zebra Longwing or Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonia) is a species of butterfly belonging to the subfamily Heliconiinae of the Nymphalidae. It was declared the official butterfly for the state of Florida in the United States in 1996.