Tag Archives: reptile

Apr 22 2024
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Happy skink

Sunday 21st April 2024, 3.15pm (day 4,623)

Happy skink, 21/4/24

This chap definitely looks happy, and I know why — because it has just wolfed down a huge dragonfly that was about the same size. The whole thing, apart from a discarded wing or two, went down in about ten seconds. Had I been quicker with the camera (which was a few yards from me at the time as I’d just got out of the swimming pool) you might have seen the feeding, but it was happy to hang around and wait for me to do its close-ups.

Biology note: the defining characteristic of the skink (as opposed to other types of lizard) is apparently their stumpy little front legs, obvious on this shot. This is the second skink to appear on here down the years, after the one I saw in Saigon in 2019.

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Nov 30 2021
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Jonathan — world’s oldest living land animal

Sunday 28th November 2021, 3.10pm (day 3,748)

Jonathan is a giant tortoise, originally from the Seychelles but resident at Plantation House in St Helena since the 1880s. It is not known exactly how old he is but there is good documentation that he is at least 189 years old, and possibly older. This makes him the oldest land animal on the whole planet, at least among those for which there is evidence.

I was thinking at first, it’s a shame that he doesn’t know he’s a record breaker. But — you know — he looks like such a cool dude, that I think he probably does.

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Jul 15 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Swamp monster

Saturday 14th July 2012, 3.45pm (day 324)

Aliigator, 14-7-12

On no other day so far have I wanted more to put two photos up here instead of just one, because I had two quite distinct but equally memorable events to document today. However, I took the decision that the Running of the Bulls event, while funny and highly photogenic, just repeated the general ‘portrait’ theme that has so far dominated this visit to New Orleans – which I have decided is definitely the best place I have been to in the USA. Those who want to see pictures from it (and it’s worth seeing) could visit my Facebook album.

This, on the other hand, was an almost unrepeatable encounter, out in the Honey Island swamp (tour courtesy of Cajun Encounters, who did a good job). This beast was at least 11 feet (3.5m) long, and was quite awesome to behold: particularly this close. Quite amazing. You suddenly feel you are a member of a quite ephemeral species, really.

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