Never smile at a….

Spectacled Cayman, originally uploaded by andyskelton.

What is not really reflected on my Flickr account or this blog is how much I love reptiles, specifically Snakes and Crocodilia and at any opportunity I try and make a beeline for them. These Spectacled Cayman are smaller examples of this ancient species but no less impressive to photograph. For once, rather than the normal dormant, are-they-alive-or-aren’t-they exhibits, these 8 creatures were moving around their expansive environment, frequently getting in and out of the water.

There’s something primeval about getting up so close to any of these animals, the feeling of both fear and excitement in equal measures, even despite the glass partition dividing us. For real excitement, though, nothing has compared (so far) to the photograph I took of a 7ft Salt Water Crocodile in Australia that was 6 inches away from the lens separated only by a wire fence that was testimony to many side swipes from the inhabitants.

As with any photos, I still hope to improve on these perhaps take a trip down the Amazon to see them for real. In the meantime, never mind what the song says I still like to Smile at a Crocodile.

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