Reptile Kingdom
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Tessin
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Whole PHOTO SERIES about my garden on my blog: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/western-green-lizard-lacer...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
AUDIO (if you want to hear the sounds of my garden in the early morning): www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfoCTqdAVCE
ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
Partly out of fear to bore the Flickr community with too many lizard photos, I thought it would make for a nice change - yet in keeping with the main theme of my gallery - to give interested nature and reptile fans the opportunity to get a sense of the lacerta bilineata habitat where I photographed all the animals on this page.
So this is the second of a (as yet planned) series of pictures (if people like them there will be more) that will show you where all the reptile "action" took place: my garden in the beautiful community of Monteggio in the Malcantone region of the Ticino, Switzerland.
The pictures were taken over a period of over a decade, so there were obviously some changes in the garden during that time, but If you focus on the palm tree - which has grown considerably over the years but is visible in all the photos I plan to upload - you get a sense of the geography of the place.
In summer, which is when this photo was taken, the micro-climate in this particular area of the Ticino can be almost tropical in the sense that it's hot and very humid with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain, and I often refer to my garden (half-)jokingly as my "little Swiss rainforest". I guess you can see how animals - particularly lacerta bilineata and other lizards - would feel at home in this "tropical paradise" of mine :-)
Apparently - as I learned in the comments here on Flickr - the occurrence of this particular lizard species is a very good indicator that an ecosystem is intact, and my family and I always took great care not to interfere too much in our garden and let nature roam as free as possible.
In return, over the years we were rewarded for this "calculated inaction" with a wide variety of species of plants, insects, lizards and snakes visiting - or by now residing permanently in - our little nature refuge, some of which I managed to capture on camera.
As mentioned before, if people like these photos or are interested in other flora and fauna from my private jungle, I'll upload one every once in a while between lizards, so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing more of these or if I should stick to just reptiles ;-)
As always, thank you so much for your interest and feedback, stay safe - and have a great week everyone!
Lacerta
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili...
If you're interested, you'll find a more detailed closeup here (it's the 8th photo from the top): www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (it's very brief but pretty unusual: a tiny wall lizard attacks two young great tits): www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQqkSsyrm7E
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: MY LONG AND ARDUOUS JOURNEY TO BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY
If you've set yourself the challenge of exclusively shooting the wildlife in your own back yard, you might find - as I did - that bird photography is really, really hard.
It's not that reptiles are easy to photograph either, mind - but at least the ones in my garden stay (for the most part) on the ground, and one can learn how to carefully approach them with a camera. They're also clearly egoists, which from a photographer's point of view is is a great character trait: if a lizard detects a human in its vicinity, it's only interested in saving its own skin, and it won't alarm its buddies.
But birds... oh man. Over the years, my feathered friends and I have developed a lovely routine that now defines our peaceful co-existence. As soon as I as much as open a window (let alone the door), I'm instantly greeted by an eruption of panicky fluttering and hysterical shouts from my garden: "SAVE YOUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND FLY FOR YOUR LIVES: THE HAIRLESS, PINK MONSTER IS COMING!!! (Yes, I speak bird, and I know that this is exactly what they are shouting 😉).
Needless to say, with the exception of the redstart I already showed here, all my efforts to get the kind of detailed shots I usually strive for with my nature photography ended in complete failure and utter disillusionment. I was ready to give up on stalking the winged misanthropes in my garden altogether, but then winter came - and changed everything.
One day this past January I observed my neighbor Signora P - a kind, elderly Italian lady - putting something on the low garden wall in front of my house. At first I thought she was just putting some treat there for her cat Romeo; the young tom patrols that wall constantly (it's his favorite spot in the garden, and during the warmer months he usually lurks in the thick foliage next to it to prey on lizards).
But once I detected a lot of movement on that wall through my window, I understood she had put a little pile of bread crumbs there; she was feeding the birds who soon arrived in flocks. This was certainly well-intended on my neighbor's part, but her noble action came with a catch, and I'm afraid quite literally.
When I took a stroll through my garden the next day I discovered a suspicious amount of feathers on the ground next to the wall. Romeo had apparently switched from his low-calorie summer diet (lizard) to more energy-rich meals consisting of "fowl" (it was winter after all, so from a nutritionist's point of view this made sense).
I would find fresh traces of Romeo's victims (mostly feathers, but also the odd wing) in my garden over the following days; so my first intuition that my neighbor was feeding her cat hadn't been that far off after all, as Romeo was now clearly being "served" fresh birds on a daily basis. And although the hungry visitors seemed to be aware of the danger and became slightly more prudent, they just couldn't resist the tasty snacks Signora P put on that wall - and neither could Romeo.
It was obvious that I had to act, but talking to my neighbor - who is as stubborn as she is kind - would have been futile, I knew that much. I pondered the matter long and hard - until a light bulb went off in my head. The idea was genius. If successful, what I had in mind would not only increase the birds' chances of surviving Romeo's appetite, but also greatly benefit my own photographic endeavors.
I started to enact my master plan the very next day by buying a giant bag of bird feed (consisting mainly of sunflower seeds) from the store. Then I dragged a huge piece of a tree trunk (approx. 120 cm in height) that we normally chop firewood on in the shed out into the garden and emptied almost half of the bag's content on top of it. Signora P's buffet for birds (and cats) was about to get some serious competition 😊.
My reasoning was as follows: not only would the birds be lured away from the fatally low garden wall to a place where they were safe from the cat - there was nothing around that tree trunk that provided cover for a predator, and the birds had a nice 360° view around it at all times - but I was also able to photograph them while hiding in the shed.
However, in order for my plan to work there was one little extra measure I had to take, and it was one that risked lowering my own life expectancy considerably once the owner of the property - my mom - discovered it. You see, our shed is completely windowless, so if I wanted to use it as a blind, I had no choice but to cut a hole into one of its wooden walls... which I promptly did (I figured all's fair in love - and photography 😉).
Granted, I have absolutely zero carpentering skills, and it showed. That hole was an ugly mess: the shed's wall seemed to have had an encounter with Jack Nicholson's ax-wielding lunatic character from the film 'The Shining'. Needless to say, I was incredibly proud of my work (I mean, come on: there now was a hole where before there wasn't a hole, and it was big enough for the lens of my camera to peek through, so it was mission accomplished as far as I was concerned).
Now all I had to do was wait for the birds to discover the tree trunk. In the meantime I started to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable confrontation with my mom and go through possible explanations for that splintering hole in the wall (it was either gonna be a rabid woodpecker attack or an emergency rescue mission with a feeding tube for a little kid that had accidentally locked himself inside the shed - both seemed valid options, though I slightly preferred the locked-in kid due to the involved drama and heroism 😉).
A whole day went by, and not a single bird visited the sunflower seeds. I had expected that it might take a few hours until the first of the ever curious great tits or blue tits would show up, but given how tiny my garden is, an entire day seemed excessive. Then another day came and went: the birds kept flocking to the bread crumbs on the wall, and my tree trunk kept collecting dust. To add injury to insult, a few fresh feathers on the ground were proof that Romeo was still feasting.
It was incredibly frustrating: I provided my winged guests with a much better view - plus a higher chance of surviving the cuisine - than Signora P's place; I risked (almost) certain death at the hands of my own mother (OK, the act of vandalism on the shed I had committed for my own benefit, but still), yet the birds kept ignoring me.
Then, after three days, just before sunset, I spotted a single blue tit on the tree trunk picking away at the sunflower seeds.
When I got up the next morning I immediately realized that the loud noise that accompanies each and every tit activity had shifted from the wall to the shed. At last the dam had broken: there was a flurry of movement around the tree trunk, and I counted at least 5 different species of birds feasting on the sunflower seeds.
From day 4 onward my plan worked beautifully: the birds now indeed mostly ignored Romeo's "snack wall" and kept to the tree trunk. And yes, I was able to play peeping tom from behind the shed's wall and photograph them!! 😊
Thus, dear readers, I finally managed to produce some acceptable bird photos, and I had even saved my feathered friends from a deadly foe in the process. All through winter and spring I took advantage of my new bird hide, and in late May I started mixing some cherries with the sunflower seeds. The idea was to attract a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), and as you can see, it worked!
It took me almost three weeks and more than a few tricks to capture that clever fella, but given how long I've been rambling here already, that's a story for another day. As for my mom, she still doesn't know about the hole in the wall, so please don't snitch! 😉.
I hope you like the photo and wish you all a wonderful weekend! Many greetings from Switzerland, and as always: let me know what you think in the comments 🙏 😊 ❤!
P.S. if anyone has their own funny tale about the obstacles we photographers are prepared to overcome for a desired photo, please write it in the comments: I love such stories 😊
This snake is way smaller than it looks in this image. I had to get as close as I could focus, just a couple cm away, so it would fill the frame. Ringnecks are incredibly docile too. It's surprising they can survive in the wild world they live in. I guess the same could be said for all of us.
Ce que les gens veulent dire par "les oiseaux sont des reptiles" est que les oiseaux sont plus proches des reptiles que d'un autre groupe. Ce qui est vrai dans un sens, mais quel genre de reptiles ? Ils seraient plus proches du crocodile. Selon certains sites de biologie...
Usually what people mean when they say "birds are reptiles" is that birds are more closely related to reptiles than anything else, and this is true in a way, but there are many types of reptiles. Birds are most closely related to crocodiles. According to ertain biology sites...
Alligator Everglades National Park Florida, USA.
No post-processing done to photo, only cropped. Nikon NEF (RAW) files available. NPP Straight Photography at noPhotoShopping.com
Photographed in the Pantanal, Brazil - From a vehicle, no cover
Please click twice on the image to view at the largest size
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From Wikipedia: The cocoi heron (Ardea cocoi) is a species of long-legged wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae found across South America. It has predominantly pale grey plumage with a darker grey crest. A carnivore, it hunts fish and crustaceans in shallow water.
Feeding: This heron feeds primarily on fish over 20 cm (8 in) long; with mammals, amphibians and sometimes insects also being consumed. Fish species consumed include whitemouth croaker, wolf fish, various Leporinus species up to 200 mm long and streaked prochilod. This heron has also been observed to feed on carrion and Callinectes blue crabs. In Colombia, chicks have also been observed being fed predominantly fish and less frequently with amphibians and crustaceans.
The cocoi heron catches prey by striking its head into the water and thrusting its bill to stab downwards. It may also tilt its head downward above the water so that only its bill is immersed. During feeding, the head and neck move rapidly while the body remains immobile. Feeding is usually diurnal and solitary, especially in Argentina, although in Chile, it is considered to be a largely nocturnal feeder, with diurnal roosting taking place in trees overlooking the water. In Venezuela, it has also been seen foraging in large groups. Where feeding is diurnal, there appears to be a peak in feeding activity at noon and a reduction at dusk.
The cocoi heron appears able to use alternative food sources by exploring foraging sites distant from its breeding colonies, since terrestrial rodents and reptiles and marine organisms have been found in the diet of individuals from freshwater colonies. Some colonies also reside near to estuarine coastland and individuals from these colonies are more reliant on marine prey. Foraging individuals often stay near to colonies and colony site choice has been found to be strongly linked to proximity to high-quality foraging habitats. The heron may also sometimes exploit dead whitemouth croaker discarded by recreational fisheries
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The sand lizard, seen in the forest :)
The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) is a lacertid lizard distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia. It does not occur in the Iberian peninsula or European Turkey.
As juveniles they are usually brown with two light brown lines on the top of the flanks, on the flanks they have light spots bordered by a dark colour. Male adults are usually green on the flanks and a brownish back with smaller black markings and lighter scales inside of these black markings, the tail is brown and hind limbs also. Females are more brown, on the flanks they have various dark markings also with a lighter dot or two inside of this dark patch. Sand Lizards can reach up to 25 cm (10 in) in length. This species can be found in a wide range of habitat types including meadows, heathland, coastal dunes, grassland, steppe, subalpine and alpine meadows, shrubland, hedgerows, open woodland, in alpine areas, traditionally managed agricultural land and rural gardens. It appears after hibernation in March in the North, in March - April in the South and at mountains.
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Jaszczurka zwinka spotkana w lesie :)
Jaszczurka zwinka (Lacerta agilis) – gatunek jaszczurki z rodziny jaszczurek właściwych. Występuje na większości kontynentu europejskiego poza jego południowymi krańcami. Na zachodzie granicą jej zasięgu jest środkowa Francja. Na północy spotkać ją można nawet w centrum Półwyspu Skandynawskiego. Jej wschodnie siedliska sięgają po środkową Rosję. Występuje również w Turcji i zachodniej Azji. Zwinka preferuje siedliska nizinne. Najczęściej można ją spotkać w niskiej trawie, wygrzewającą się w słońcu. Jest bardzo ciepłolubna. Maksymalna długość ciała w Polsce dochodzi do 25 cm. Samca można odróżnić od samicy po tym, że ma on zielonkawe podbrzusze, czasem nakrapiane drobnymi plamkami, zaś samica ma szary lub kremowy spód ciała. W okresie godowym, czyli w maju, samce przybierają intensywną zieloną barwę. Młode zwinki po wykluciu się, podobnie jak młode innych jaszczurek, są znacznie ciemniejsze niż osobniki dorosłe. Jej ogon jest nieco dłuższy od tułowia. W sytuacji zagrożenia zostaje odrzucony jako przynęta dla drapieżnika. Z czasem odrasta do pierwotnej długości.
In EXPLORE - 15 July 2020, # 80 :)
"The flowers are nice, but it's still the flies I prefer." Spring brings the return of the reptiles and this one was speeding through the wildflowers tracking it's flying morning breakfast. Mojave desert, CA.
One of two young iguanas that we spotted in the wetlands. This one had the morning light on its face.
Nice slowworm in my hand. I like these animals :)
Common slowworm (Anguis fragilis) also called a deaf adder, a blindworm is a legless lizard native to Eurasia. These reptiles are mostly active during the twilight and occasionally bask in the sun, but are more often found hiding beneath rocks and logs. They are carnivorous and, because they feed on slugs and worms, they can often be found in long grass and other damp environments. They grow about 50 cm long. The female often has a stripe along the spine and dark sides, while the male may have blue spots dorsally. Juveniles of both sexes are gold with dark brown bellies and sides with a dark stripe along the spine. Slowworms may also shed their tails (autotomy) as a defence mechanism, by breaking one of their tail vertebrae in half. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length. In Central Europe, slowworms are active from February to October and then fall into a winter sleep.
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Leśny padalec na mojej dłoni. Lubię te sympatyczne zwierzątka :)
Padalec zwyczajny (Anguis fragilis) – gatunek beznogiej jaszczurki z rodziny padalcowatych. Zasięg występowania obejmuje większą część Europy, sięgając Afryki i Azji. Padalec z wyglądu przypomina węża z powodu uwstecznienia kończyn. Przyjmuje różnorodne ubarwienie, na grzbiecie spotyka się zwykle odcienie brązu, na brzuchu czerń u samic i żółtawy deseń u samców. Głowa i ogon są bardzo słabo wyodrębnione od tułowia. Padalec osiąga długość ok. 50 cm. Dwie trzecie tej wartości zajmuje ogon, który może byc odrzucony w razie zagrożenia i potem ponownie odrasta. Gad poluje głównie na ślimaki nagie i dżdżownice, a także owady, zwłaszcza mało ruchliwe. Siedlisko padalca stanowią słoneczne polany, skraje lasów, zarośla czy butwiejące pnie drzew. Preferuje podłoże bogate w kryjówki, pełne splątanej roślinności. W Europie Środkowej padalce są aktywne od lutego do października, a potem zapadają w sen zimowy. W Polsce przebudzenie ze snu zimowego odbywa się w marcu albo w kwietniu. Od 8 października 2014 roku zwierzęta te podlegają w Polsce częściowej ochronie gatunkowej.