Wolf, Ocelot and the Lot

Holey Moley. These are some good looking animal portraits. I'm pretty partial to the wolf with the starry sky. I want that on a t-shirt. The ocelot ain't so bad either.

Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer (great job title) is behind all these lovelies. He had to get a federally permitted fly handler (strange job title) for the fly photo!  He's got a book out now called RARE: Portraits of America's Endangered Animals. I think I kind of want it.

Pretty Ocelot Eyes.

 

 You kind of scare me, grizzly bear. Look how big your head is! (But you are still very cute). I just feel like you might always be around where I camp. Let's keep a safe distance, ok? I'll give you honey, in a bear shaped container for you.

 St. Andrew Beach Mouse, you are pretty cute when you're sitting still, but apparently you don't do that much. Chill out. (P.S. Are your eyes all PUPIL or what?).

 You look so pretty and old, Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. You were the last one in your genetic line, and that makes me a little sad even though I didn't know you existed until today, and now you don't even exist. I missed you.

A federally permitted fly handler had to catch you and knock you out with CO2 gas to get this photo, did you know that, Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly? But I think the karate kid could've got you with chop sticks, he's pretty good. Also, you don't need to call yourself Flower-Loving, everyone loves flowers! Or is that a hint?

You're kind of giving me the hairy eyeball, California Condor, but yet you're still kind of pretty fascinating. Oh wait a minute, you actually look like a scrotum.

And YOU, Mexican Gray Wolf! You look like a cosmic peyote god set against those stars. I think we could be friends, you and me.

LOVE those photos.  (All found here)

Also, did you know the amphibians are dying at an alarming rate?  (This has nothing to do with the guy we knew when we were kids that would swallow frogs live and then later on puke them back up LIVE. No joke. He did that for real. We dared him for the whole summer.)