Readers’ wildlife photos

May 28, 2024 • 8:15 am

Today’s photos come from reader Mayaan Levy, who notes that all photos were taken with smartphones. Her captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking of them

These two photos were taken in the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods), in Spring 2024.

Shy Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra, I don’t know the exact subspecies) are creeping under the leaves as the weather warms up, marking the beginning of the spring.

 

The next seven photos were taken in the state of Nayarit in Mexico in January 2024.

Tourists and fries shrimp vendors beware! The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) are just waiting for you to take a selfie and drop your food.

Playful White-Nose Coatis (Nasua narica) are running around feasting on trash in La Tovara, Mexico.

Sporting a beautiful plumage, a Roseate Spoonbill (Platelea ajaja) is considering building a nest atop a jumble to corroded wires.

San Diego horned Lizards (Phrynosoma blainvillii) are keeping my husband company on his PCT journey.

18 thoughts on “Readers’ wildlife photos”

  1. Ah ha!

    “Tales from the Vienna Woods” (German: “Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald”
    Johann Strauss II
    1868

    en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_the_Vienna_Woods

  2. It looks like some wonderful encounters with some interesting critters.

    Those pelicans appear to be waiting patiently, unlike seagulls who just dive in for the food.

  3. The amphibian- and lizard photos are every bit as good as the best I could have taken with a $2,000 dslr. On the other hand, maybe the phone cost that much. Very good, anyway.

  4. The red on the face of one of the horned lizards is blood which they squirt as a defensive behavior I believe.

  6. Those brown pelicans can be down right impolite when they decide your lunch rightfully belongs to them.

    I really like that shot of the horned lizard. Makes me think of Yosemite Sam.

    Thanks!

  7. Good pictures! It has to be admitted that cell phone cameras do a great job.

  8. That’s my kinda horned toad. My thought about the red on that one fellow was that he’d been eating fruit on a nearby…? Here it would be a Saguaro or nopal, but I’m not familiar with the topography of that part of Mexico. Love the Coati. They’re described as being diurnal but, for some reason, the ones acclimated to Tucson, we only see at night and they’re almost always dumpster diving. Fun pictures.

    1. Horned lizards have no interest in fruit, and little interest in any insects but ants.
      I think Dennis is correct above: it’s eye-squirted blood. ‘Twas molested before that photo.

  10. Wonderful photos, Mayaan!
    “
    A remarkable bird is the pelican
    His beak can hold more than his belly can
    He can hold in his beak
    Enough food for a week
    And I ask myself how the hell he can🤓

  11. Thanks for those great photos, especially the horned lizards. It’s interesting to speculate about the evolutionary pressures that might have brought about that remarkable morphology.

  13. Thanks everyone for your kind comments 🙂 and nice to meet y’all.

    I think some clarifications will be of help:

    – Regarding cellphones: We are ultralight backpackers. Our idea of fun is walking 500 miles with everything we need on our backs (yeah, I get that it’s weird). Since every gram matters and cellphones are quite handy (any German speakers here?) devices that we also use for communication, information and occasionally navigation on cloudy nights, we also use them as cameras.
    The photos here were taken with iphone SE and pixel 3 (photos 1-9), and pixel 7 (horned lizards, photos 10-12).

    – Regarding the horned lizards: fascinating creatures! Their photos were actually taken in Southern California, where my husband is currently backpacking on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I get to stay home and write a paper :-/
    We have three defense mechanisms on display here:
    1. I would give them B+ for camouflage.
    2. The horns are used for neck protection as predators can grab from / bite the neck (think birds of prey).
    3. They do spray blood from their eyes! My husband didn’t get to see this in real time – the blood was dry. I believe many of their predators are nocturnal (think coyotes, kit foxes) so perhaps the blood is a souvenir from an altercation on the previous night?

    1. I don’t backpack anymore, but I’m glad to have my diminutive cellphone always available to take photos (often of insects and clouds). In fact, I still use a 2016-17 first-generation iPhone SE because there’s no longer an iPhone in that small size. Thanks for your own photos, which are very nice. Love the horned lizard. Sorry you can’t be on the trail with your husband.

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