Show us your amphibians and reptiles from around the world...

[Game Warden]

Please include species details, when and where taken, tech specs and any other pertinent details about the sighting. Thanks, Matt.

[Whyone?]

I was fortunate to spend a week in the rain-forests of Costa Rica recently (Osa Penninsula, on the Pacific Coast) and spent most evenings out and about with a camera, flash and torch. It was quite a challenge taking pictures in abject darkness, generally in the pouring rain, but the frogs were spectacular, I am not sure I have done then justice, but here are a few of my favourites. Pictures taken with Canon 5D mkIII, canon EF 100 f/2.8 and a Canon Speedlight EXII flash with a cobbled together diffuser (disposable plastic drinks cup stuffed with tissue paper!

Gladiator frog:

2R4C5512 by Whyone, on Flickr

Smokey Jungle frog (big fellows these!)

2R4C4883 by Whyone, on Flickr

Red-eyed green tree frog:

2R4C4880 by Whyone, on Flickr

2R4C5493 by Whyone, on Flickr

2R4C5484 by Whyone, on Flickr

Baby red-eyed green tree frogs!

2R4C4985 by Whyone, on Flickr

Cat-eyed snake looking for baby red-eyed green tree frogs:

2R4C5849 by Whyone, on Flickr

Hourglass frog:

2R4C5832 by Whyone, on Flickr

Bufo toad...best not to lick these chaps as they are very, very poisonous.....

2R4C5922 by Whyone, on Flickr

Green and black poison dart frog:

2R4C5889 by Whyone, on Flickr

[Game Warden]

They have come out very well with cobbled together kit.

[JohnR]

Gorgeous colours.

[graynomad]

You gotta love frogs, very nice photos Whyone.

[Sangeeta]

Beautiful, beautiful images!

[Sverker]

Here is a video from Franklin Canyon i Hollywood, California. Red-eared slider turtles are common pets, but these ones are wild (maybe introduced).Quite funny little creatures ...

 

[graynomad]

How cute, and funny as hell.

 

His mates are no help at all so he throws one off and it's on for young and old. Love it.

[Atdahl]

@@Whyone?, fantastic photos. I have many from the Osa as well and you have done a great job with those night shots in not so easy conditions!

Edited November 10, 2013 by Atdahl

[Atdahl]

Herps are a bit of a passion. Lizards, frogs, toads, you name it. But, nothing gets my heart pumping like a snake encounter...

 

 

Green Tree Snake, Gallon Jug, Belize. After a failed trip to a nearby lake (due to heavy rain and getting our lodge truck stuck in the mud) our reward was seeing the magnificent snake crossing the road on the way back to Chan Chich:

 

 

Black-skinned Parrot Snake, Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador:

 

 

Boa Constrictor, Bosque del Cabo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica:

 

 

A tiny little Coral Snake, Chan Chich Belize:

 

 

Fer-de-lance, Bosque del Cabo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Talk about heart pumping. Try finding one of these a few feet away in the the pitch black of the night in the rain forest.

 

 

Green Anaconda. Taken from the stairs to our room at Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador:

 

Yes, I like the cose-ups . Tiger Rat Snake, Bosque del Cabo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

 

Imagine this fellow being plopped on your breakfast table. That's what the naturalist at Bosque del Cabo, did to wake us up a bit. This particular type of snake loves to curl up in a ball and didn't even uncurl when moved to a nearby tree for photos. Orange-banded Snail Eater:

 

And finally, a US snake. Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, along the road to Madera Canyon, Arizona:

[michael-ibk]

I´m just like Indiana Jones - when it comes to snakes. But these pics are great!

[Game Warden]

@@Whyone? those pics really ought to be in a book. Fantastic detail.

[Whyone?]

Thanks @Gamewarden

 

I do have a number of them printed on canvas in my study at home.

 

@@Atdahl - nice snakes! So you have spent time with Phillip at BdC - he is very good company isn't he?!

 

One evening at BdC it was raining hard and my wife and son decided they had had enough of photographing frogs, snakes and spiders (I know, I can't understand this either). Anyway, they headed off back to Casa Miromar, about 1km away. When I finally caught up with them they asked if I had seen the big snake across the path. I hadn't, but quizzed them on it. Apparently it had kept rearing up, and seemed to be attracted to the light from their torches. Eventually they turned their torches off and stepped over it.

 

Following a good description of its colour and a quick sketch of its head shape, it is quite clear it was a fer de lance!!!!

 

My emotions were very mixed - obviously very relieved nothing nasty had happened, but very frustrated that I didn't get to see it!

Edited November 11, 2013 by Whyone?

[Atdahl]

@@Whyone?, yes Philip is great. Such a wealth of knowledge. We've been to Costa Rica 4 times and have only gone to BdC. That's how much we love that place (still no puma sightings though.. )

 

That is a great/scary Fer-de-lance story. Glad that it ended well. Do you have Costa Rica trip report posted somewhere? I would love to see it.

 

Alan

[Whyone?]

@@Atdahl you are a lucky man - whilst we have visited Costa Rica on two occasions, we have only been to BdC once - for a week back in 2012. It is a magical place and on our list of places to return too. One afternoon outside Casa Miromar, gazing down to the Pacific 300 or so ft below, a whale swam by! I look forward to Philip's blogs - well written, and wonderful photographs. It was an absolute joy to go out with him because not only was he able to answer all of our wildlife questions, but he could also give me photography tips!

 

I haven't written up our visit, though there are various photos scattered about ST. How about yourself? Any reports you are able to point me at?

[Whyone?]

My collection of snake photo's is sadly limited.

 

This little drama played out in our garden (deepest, darkest West Sussex) a summer or two ago but does include a reptile (grass snake) and an amphibian (common frog), so couldn't be more 'on topic!:

And this young rock python sunning itself at the base of a tree in Mana pools:

[graynomad]

Poor little frog, and they just sit there and take it, even if the end result is the same wouldn't you beat the crap out of the snake? Maybe in this case he was already poisoned but I've seen the same with other predators.

 

Nice shots BTW. Love the last one, maybe it would be better if you yanked his head a bit higher

[Whyone?]

I know what you mean @greynomad.

 

The unfortunate frog wasn't poisoned - grass snakes are non-venomous. He just sat there stoic and unflustered as the grass snake ate him. As you say, a title bit of kicking and screaming wouldn't have gone amiss. But then maybe his way was more dignified?!

 

Regarding the python - yes, he could have played ball and lifted his head and smiled for the camera. However, his brilliantly camouflaged eye is in my picture.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Whyone?

[Atdahl]

@@Whyone? - Great series of photos. I plan to add a BdC trip report to the forum out here soon

 

How about we add some more lizards to this topic...

 

Basilisk, Chan Chich, Belize:

 

Western Fence Lizard, Pinnacles National Monument, California:

 

Texas Horned Lizard, Portal, Arizona. I was soooo happy we found one of these guys. They are so cool!

 

Greater Earless Lizard. Doesn't it look like like I "interrupted" something...

 

Housekeeping at Bosque del Cabo, Costa Rica:

 

Hernandez Helmeted Basilisk, Chan Chich, Belize:

 

Golfo Dulce Anolis, BdC, Costa Rica

 

And finally, a Four-striped Ameiva looking for geckos, Bdc, Costa Rica:

[graynomad]

Nice shots, lizards make really good subjects and it looks like Costa Rica has it's fair share of colourful ones.

[Atdahl]

It's tough to compete with the outstanding frog shots by @@Whyone?. Here are a few different species frogs and toads:

 

Masked Smilisca, Osa Peninsula Costa Rica. At night, a few of these frogs would come out around the pool and bar. This one was hanging out on a bar stool:

 

 

Marine Toad (Cane Toad), Osa Peninsula Costa Rica. Used a hand held off camera flash for this one (my wife LOVES being my assistant... )

 

 

Red-eyed Tree Frogs playing "leap frog" (as described by a father to his son that were standing next to us...) Osa Peninsula Costa Rica:

 

 

Amazonian Poison Dart Frog, Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador:

 

 

Gladiator Frog, Osa Peninsula Costa Rica:

 

 

Rough-skinned Dirt Frog, Osa Peninsula Costa Rica:

 

 

Great Plains Toad, Portal, Arizona:

 

 

Mexican Spade Food, Portal, Arizona:

 

 

Gulf Coast Toad, Chan Chich Belize:

 

 

And finally, a dual species shot. Speckled Racer snacking on some poor frog or toad, Chan Chich, Belize:

[graynomad]

Good shots, and nicely-balance flash as well. I shoot all close-up/macro with flash these days, it makes life a lot easier.

[davidedric]

Not sure if these really count as Wildlife... Iguana, photographed on the Florida Keys. They are living free, but are not native to Florida. Still, they are impressive beasts, and I think in monochrome has a pleasing prehistoric look to them.

 

 

 

 

 

[Whyone?]

A green Iguana 'at home' in Costa Rica (Osa Penninsula)

2R4C6564 by Whyone, on Flickr

Young croc (also Costa Rica)

2R4C6544 by Whyone, on Flickr

Older Croc, same river, with a dicky nose:

2R4C6616 by Whyone, on Flickr

Croc detail:

2R4C6613 by Whyone, on Flickr

[graynomad]

Awwww, isn't that little croc cute, the big one, not so much

 

I can hardly ever decide between B&W and colour pics when I do a B&W version, always there are features about both that appeal and there's not a clear winner. In this case above however I think the B&W version is better as well.