While in Tasmania in May, we visited the Devils @ Cradle wildlife park. Devils @ Cradle have a captive-breeding program, with 20 Devils on-site. They also monitor wild Devils in the Cradle Mountain area. When we visited, they had several female Devils which were thought to be pregnant.

This particular Tasmanian Devil is a small female named Charlotte.
I like this photo because it shows the Devil in the classic screaming posture, with her mouth wide open.

Charlotte the Tasmanian Devil

Devils @ Cradle, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Canon EOS 350D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO200

Tasmanian Devils have a reputation for making lots of noise, and the specimans at Devils @ Cradle were no exception. They screeched and screamed a great deal while we were there. Apparently the screaming is not really a show of agression - it is done to intimidate their enemies (including humans).

During a business trip to Calgary (Alberta, Canada) in June one year, I saw many mounds of dirt on the grass and around the paths in downtown Calgary. The locals told me these were created by the local gophers, but it took a few days before I saw a gopher in the flesh.

This photo was taken during a weekend visit to Banff and the surrounds in 2005, with my point-and-shoot Olympus C-770. The Olympus camera really helped my photographic progression, but also really frustrated me with some of its limitations, and thus helped me to make up my mind to buy a DSLR.

Watchful gopher

Banff, Alberta, Canada
Olympus C-770 UltraZoom @63mm, 1/200 sec, f/3.7, ISO100

While in Phuket recently, we visited the Phuket Monkey School. This is one of the monkeys at the school (note the chain around its neck).
I thought the duotone conversion adds to the gloomy feel of the photo, as the monkey waits for the next show to start.

waiting

Phuket Monkey School, Phuket, Thailand
Canon EOS 350D, 100mm f/2.8 macro @100mm, 1/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO200

A couple of photos taken at AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia), through the aquarium glass.
Despite the high ISO, I was pretty happy with these shots.

a shark speeding past

AQWA, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Western Australia
Canon EOS 350D, 17-85mm IS @44mm, 1/8 sec, f/5, ISO1600

One of the numbats at the Perth Zoo.

Numbat

Perth Zoo, Western Australia
Canon EOS 350D, 70-200mm f/4L @126mm, 1/320 sec, f/4, ISO100

A common garden snail found in my back yard.

garden snail in duotone

back yard, Western Australia
Canon EOS 350D, 100mm f/2.8 macro @100mm, 1/100 sec, f/8, ISO200

This little fellow was found on a huge log in a commemorative park in Jarrahdale, called the Centenary log. Apparently the log is there to commemorate 100 years of logging in the Jarrahdale area.

millipede on the Jarrahdale Centenary Log

Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Canon EOS 350D, 17-85mm IS @85mm, 1/30 sec, f/5.6, ISO100

Hungry Otters

Perth Zoo, Western Australia
Canon EOS 350D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/320 sec, f/4, ISO400