Photoblog-animals News

Cave snake catching and eating a bat in flight. Photo by Rhett A Butler, 2006. Taman Negara, Malaysia.

Coquerel's sifakas grooming in Madagascar. Photo by Rhett A. Butler 2010. Madagascar is in the midst of an appalling logging crisis driven by greed and politics. Here's a proposal for…

African Wild Dog in the Serengeti. Photo by Uwe Skrzypczak. Wildlife photographer Uwe Skrzypczak sent photos of wild dogs (also known as painted dogs from the field. The shots are…

Lion with kill in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2007 Why top predators matter: an in-depth look at new research (02/02/2010) Few species have faced such vitriolic…

Defensive ostrich in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2007

Sumatran tiger in captivity. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2005 Indonesia has a new plan to save the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger, reports the AFP: sell captive-born tigers as pets.…

Purple-striped jellyfish (Chrysaira colorata). All photos taken in captivity by Rhett A. Butler 2007-2008. As the world's oceans become degraded from overfishing, pollution, and absorption of atmospheric CO2, less complex…

Gray Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus). Photo by Rhett A. Butler 2009. New research supports the long-held belief that Madagascar's mammals populated the island by rafting on clumps of vegetation across…

Humpback breaching in Alaska's Inside Passage. Photos by Rhett A. Butler 2007. It is still unclear why whales breach. Theories range from social signaling (danger, dominance, courting), stunning prey, to…

Baby orangutan in Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Rhett A. Butler 2008. Orangutans vs palm oil in Malaysia: setting the record straight The Malaysian palm oil industry has been broadly accused…

Blue transparent (Ithomia pellucida). The Blue transparent (Ithomia pellucida) in the Colombian Amazon outside of Leticia. More pictures of butterflies and moths in Colombia.

Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus). The Hyacinth Macaw of central South America is the world's largest parrot (in terms of length--the Kakapo of New Zealand is heavier). The species, which is…

Crowned lemur in Ankarana. Photo taken by Rhett A. Butler in October 2009. Madagascar's rainforests get death notice In what is being called an "awful" and "horrible" move for for…

This is an insect nymph I spotted in Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar. I have no idea what it is. The photo doesn't do it justice: the colors were incredible.

Red ruffed lemur from the Masoala Peninsula. This endangered red ruffed lemur is endemic to Masoala, where much of the current rosewood logging in Madagascar is occurring. The more widespread…

Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex). Photo taken by Rhett A. Butler in 2006 Uganda's wetland ecosystems are increasingly under pressure from industrial agriculture and plantation development. Local protests have thwarted several projects…

Costa Rica Over the past couple of years I have unintentionally encountered an incredible diversity of leafhoppers, small insects that most people probably don't notice despite their incredible coloration. Beyond…

Orangutan in Central Kalimantan. Photo taken in May 2009 by Rhett A. Butler A substantial population of endangered orangutans could be at risk if a planned road and bridge project…

Black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). Photo taken in October 2009 by Rhett A. Butler The Black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) lives in Madagascar's eastern rainforests. Surveys of village residents near…

Mother and baby Panamanian golden toads in a secure captive breeding facility. Photo taken in 2006 by Rhett A. Butler Harlequin toads (Atelopus sp) have been decimated by the outbreak…

Sloth in Peru. Photo by Rhett A. Butler (1996) Best wishes for 2010!

Gladiator tree frog (Hyla rosenbergi), Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica The Gladiator tree frog (Hyla rosenbergi) is named for the fighting behavior of males among some populations. The male Gladiator tree…

Fishermen in Laos Great hornbill in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Male panther chameleon near Maroantsetra, Madagascar The male panther chameleons found near Maroantsetra, Madagascar are known for their striking red-and-green coloration, especially during the breeding season when they are competing…

Owl butterfly (Caligo idomeneus) The Owl butterfly (Caligo idomeneus) is a large tropical butterfly characterized by eye-spots which are meant to startle or confuse predators, providing an opportunity for escape.…

Lion cubs in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. While lions may seem abundant when one visits a national park in Kenya, Tanzania, or South Africa, Africa's lion population has plunged by…

Black Howler Monkey in the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize. With males averaging 25 pounds and females 14 pounds, the Yucatan Black Howler (Alouatta pigra) is the largest of the…

Male panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) in Madagascar. Major banks and shipping companies are facilitating the destruction of Madagascar's species-rich rainforests, but ultimately it is consumers in China, the United States,…

Giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor). The giant monkey frog of Peru is known for its mind-altering skin secretions. Shamans in the Amazon rain forest have used this species in hunting…

An orphaned gorilla near Loango National Park in Gabon. The baby gorilla was being treated for a cold at a rehabilitation facility on Evengue island, near Loango National Park. It…