Tag: monitor lizard

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Black backdrop!

Rock Monitors (or Rock Leguaan / Uxamu in isiZulu / Veldlikkewaan in Afrikaans) are very shy creatures who most of the time disappear into high grass or bushes as soon as one gets close enough to take a good pictures.

But the recent management fires helped with this ‘photo shoot’. The large lizard was walking along the road when I approached with my game viewer. It immediately tried to disappeared into the ‘grass’. As the area had been recently burned, there was no new grass yet.

The Rock Monitor stopped a few times on the black soil to glance back at me, providing me with the opportunity to get this picture.

Technical data: Canon R6 with EF lens f4.0/500mm | ISO 400 | 1/500sec | f4 | ev+/-0 | 500mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 25% of original image | hand-held

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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It is getting warmer …

… and one can see much more reptiles at Thanda. I took this picture around noon when I was driving back from dropping of guests.

This Monitor Lizard (an ectothermic species) was enjoying the sun on one of our main roads. As I approached he decided it was safer in the grass.

About endothermic and ectothermic animals:

There are five major groups of vertebrate animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). One of the differences between these groups is the way their body temperature is controlled.

Mammals and birds have a body temperature that stays about the same no matter what the temperature of their environment is. They are called endotherms. An endotherm is an animal that can control its internal body temperature. Endotherms are called “warm-blooded” animals.

The other three vertebrate groups are often called “cold-blooded” animals. This term is falling out of favor with scientists because it is misleading. They are called, instead, ectotherms.  The blood of fish, amphibians, and reptiles is often warm. Their body temperatures are always close to the temperature of their environment.

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