alanhill
10-31-2006, 5:53 PM
I went to Chester Zoo again on Sunday. It was my eighth visit with my D70 in the past 18 months. For the first time the zoo's most unusual animals were showing themselves out of their burrows. I don't know if it was because there was sunlight streaming into their enclosure or the heating had been turned on or they were hungry or, just possibly, there was a little courtship going on.
Anyway six of the tuataras were visible in their enclosure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b045.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b028.jpg
The male and one of the females basking.
The window is behind the enclosure, so I had to experiment with my SP800 flashgun (with the diffuser and bouncing the light) to balance the sunlight and the artificial lighting overhead.
Everyone walking past said 'Look at the lizards'. But they are not lizards. Unfortunately I was standing in front of the sign explaining that tuataras are the only surviving rhynchocephalians: their ancestors were around long before the dinosaurs! These reptiles are found on just a few islands near New Zealand. Chester and three zoos in the USA are the only places they can be seen outside their homeland - and they are mainly nocturnal, so they aren't exactly easy to see even in these zoos.
A few minutes later one of the females approached the male's burrow. The sun had dipped a little, so I could shoot without the flash. I felt I was lucky to get the opportunity to take these photos.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b108.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b089.jpg
Alan
BTW, I see that this is my 2000th post here. I hope that some of them have amused and educated you a little :)
Anyway six of the tuataras were visible in their enclosure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b045.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b028.jpg
The male and one of the females basking.
The window is behind the enclosure, so I had to experiment with my SP800 flashgun (with the diffuser and bouncing the light) to balance the sunlight and the artificial lighting overhead.
Everyone walking past said 'Look at the lizards'. But they are not lizards. Unfortunately I was standing in front of the sign explaining that tuataras are the only surviving rhynchocephalians: their ancestors were around long before the dinosaurs! These reptiles are found on just a few islands near New Zealand. Chester and three zoos in the USA are the only places they can be seen outside their homeland - and they are mainly nocturnal, so they aren't exactly easy to see even in these zoos.
A few minutes later one of the females approached the male's burrow. The sun had dipped a little, so I could shoot without the flash. I felt I was lucky to get the opportunity to take these photos.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b108.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/alanhill/ZooWorkedUp/Chester08b089.jpg
Alan
BTW, I see that this is my 2000th post here. I hope that some of them have amused and educated you a little :)