And a lizard
Click to enlarge.
Here’s a lizard I found at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in northern New Mexico on June 12th. Thanks to Pat Maher and Scott Bulgrin of the New Mexico Herpetological Society for identifying this as an eastern collared lizard, Crotaphytus collaris. You can read more about collared lizards at Wild Herps. You can get a much closer view of this one by clicking to enlarge the thumbnail below.
© 2017 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
That’s a good looking lizard. 🙂
avian101
August 19, 2017 at 11:01 AM
The photographer’s not bad either.
Steve Schwartzman
August 19, 2017 at 11:05 AM
Of course!
avian101
August 19, 2017 at 11:08 AM
what a beauty !!
gwenniesgardenworld
August 19, 2017 at 12:28 PM
I was fortunate that it stayed in place long enough for me to put on a long lens and gradually move closer, taking pictures as I went.
Steve Schwartzman
August 19, 2017 at 2:49 PM
I know how hard it is to take a picture of an animal or a bird, an insect !!!
gwenniesgardenworld
August 20, 2017 at 7:44 AM
I’ve failed many times in trying to photograph an animal. Fortunately this one obliged me and I was able to get plenty of pictures.
Steve Schwartzman
August 20, 2017 at 7:48 AM
Try taking a shot of a humming bird !!! or a butterfly !! Photographers need A LOT of patience !!
gwenniesgardenworld
August 20, 2017 at 7:52 AM
Don’t I know it. I’ve had much better results with butterflies than hummingbirds:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/tag/butterfly/
Steve Schwartzman
August 20, 2017 at 8:50 AM
😀
gwenniesgardenworld
August 20, 2017 at 9:16 AM
That’s a fine-looking specimen. I always wonder at the complexity of patterns. It’s interesting that this one has both brown spots on a white background and white spots on a brown background. It (and its friends on the linked page) do outshine the lizardy hordes running around my place, although I enjoy seeing the babies out and about. Two inch long lizards are almost unbearably cute.
Just so you know, there is a link between lizards and tomorrow’s eclipse. Imagination’s a wonderful thing.
shoreacres
August 20, 2017 at 8:35 AM
It is a fine-looking specimen. I lucked out.
You win the prize for “lizardy hordes”:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22lizardy+hordes%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
As for Lizard Man, I sense a hoax.
Steve Schwartzman
August 20, 2017 at 8:56 AM
Very handsome .. love those yellow legs
Julie@frogpondfarm
August 21, 2017 at 2:05 PM
That yellow was the main color in this lizard. The photographs in the linked article show some specimens with aquamarine coloring. I wish I’d seen at least one like that.
Steve Schwartzman
August 21, 2017 at 2:09 PM
A handsome lizard! Great photo, Steve!
Lavinia Ross
August 21, 2017 at 10:13 PM
Handsome indeed. This is one lizard that, unlike some others I’ve encountered, didn’t get away unportrayed.
Steve Schwartzman
August 22, 2017 at 12:00 AM
What a beautiful specimen! We only have small lizards here on the place, and not far from here the Wichita Mountains have the “mountain boomers” (actually collared lizards I think) which I find very beautiful and they actually seem to sit still and pose for the camera.
Littlesundog
September 5, 2017 at 7:14 AM
Have you taken advantage of that sitting still and posing for the camera to take some pictures?
Steve Schwartzman
September 6, 2017 at 8:39 AM
I did years ago… I have not taken the time to hike the Wichitas in many years. I do have some young nieces and nephews that might enjoy such an outing and you can be sure I will have my camera in case I find a poser! 😀
Littlesundog
September 7, 2017 at 6:40 AM
Fall is at hand: go for it.
Steve Schwartzman
September 7, 2017 at 11:17 PM
Handsome fellow, lizard and photographer both 🙂
melissabluefineart
October 12, 2017 at 12:23 PM
We both thank you.
Steve Schwartzman
October 12, 2017 at 3:49 PM
🙂 You’re welcome.
melissabluefineart
October 13, 2017 at 10:36 AM