@joelsartore

Once thought to be the same species as Lau banded iguanas, research and analysis in 2008 determined that Fiji banded iguanas like this one are actually their own species. Found only on the Fijian islands, these lizards spend most of their time in the trees where they can easily forage for leaves, flowers, and fruit. Photo taken @sandiegozoo. #iguana #banded #bandediguana #fiji #island #endangered #endangeredspecies #reptile #lizard #animal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #portrait #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

Native to Madagascar, the lesser hedgehog tenrec is well-adapted for life in tropical dry forest areas. To beat the heat, these critters will spend the day resting in a shady spot like under a log or inside a hollow tree. As the heat dissipates, individuals will wake from their slumber and venture out in search of insects and small vertebrates to feed on. Photo taken @lincolnchildrenszoo. #hedgehog #tenrec #madagascar #animal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

Kitana and Dagny are rough-toothed dolphins @gulfworldpcb. These two came to the facility as rescues, after being stranded on the beach. While both were nursed back to health, neither were candidates for reintroduction. Rough-toothed dolphins look a little different than other species of dolphins that sport shorter snouts and rounder bulging foreheads. The genus this species belongs to, “Steno”, comes from the Greek word for narrow, referring to the animal’s distinct appendage. In addition to their long, slender noses, this species is also unique from other dolphins because of its teeth, which are rough due to numerous irregular ridges. #animal #dolphin #rough #toothed #dolphins #wildlife #aquatic #marinespecies #photography #wildlifephotography #animalphotography #oceananimal #mammal #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

In the wild, Brazilian porcupines spend almost all of their time up in the trees, sleeping, foraging, and interacting with other porcupines. Their long, muscular tails are used for grasping, helping them to maintain their balance as they navigate through the forest canopy. A nocturnal species, these porcupines will sleep for most of the day, becoming active between the hours of 4pm and 2am. Photo taken @lincolnchildrenszoo. #porcupine #brazilian #animal #mammal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #portrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

Can you spot the live Mexican fire leg tarantula amongst the sheddings of other tarantulas in this photo? As tarantulas grow, they shed their old exoskeletons, revealing new sensory and protective hairs that help individuals detect smells, tastes, and vibrations. Molting also helps to shed external parasites, keeping tarantulas healthy. Photo taken @vervebiotech. #tarantula #fireleg #mexican #shedding #molt #exoskeleton #animal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #portrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

As their name suggests, Chinese water dragons spend most of their time near a water source, taking up residence close to river banks, in rainforests, or in swampy areas. They are strong swimmers, and will take refuge in the water when they are nervous or frightened. If need be, they can hide from predators by submerging themselves underwater for up to 25 minutes! Photo taken @lincolnchildrenszoo. #waterdragon #water #dragon #chinese #asian #reptile #animal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

With their extraordinary colors and unique shapes, each of these nudibranchs are like stunning works of art. Around 3,000 species of these soft-bodied molluscs are known to science and are spread throughout tropical waters around the globe. No matter their size or shape, they all act the same - sliding around their habitat in search of food or another nudibranch to mate with. Photo taken @dejongmarinelife. #nudibranch #seaslug #mollusc #colorful #art #animal #wildlife #marinecreature #underwater #underwaterphotography #aquatic #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

Few species love trees as much as two-toed sloths do. This species does everything in the trees, from eating and sleeping to mating and giving birth. While they will move from tree to tree, individuals rarely stray far from the general area where they were born, traveling no more than 120 feet in a day. Trips to the ground are typically reserved for bathroom breaks, which only happen once a week. Photo taken @lincolnchildrenszoo. #sloth #twotoed #mammal #animal #wildlife #treelover #arboreal #photography #wildlifephotography #animalphotography #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

It's our sweet sixteen! Over a decade of adventures and 13,000 species later, the Photo Ark continues to grow. Be a part of the celebration - watch the clip and check out the “Photo Ark’s Sweet 16” link in my bio. #anniversary #celebrate #celebration #sixteen #sweetsixteen #party #animal #animals #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #video #PhotoArk

Masked palm civets like this one @zoonegara_malaysia have one of the widest geographic ranges of any civet subspecies. While the species is currently stable, it could one day be threatened by overharvesting and, while they can tolerate some habitat modification, it is likely that they cannot survive total deforestation. The masked palm civet is also a major species found in the mammal restaurant trade in southern China - taking too many of these animals out of the wild could eventually impact population numbers and threaten the species’ ability to recover. #Civet #masked #palmcivet #whiskers #animal #wildlife #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

An Australia native, the smooth knob-tailed gecko is more cold tolerant than other gecko species in the region, able to survive lower temperatures for extended periods of time. As a nocturnal hunter, this cold tolerance is advantageous, as it allows the gecko to move faster than its prey, which are species that slow considerably in the cold. However, even this gecko has its limits, and should temperatures drop significantly, it will forgo hunting in favor of taking shelter in a burrow. #gecko #knobtailed #smooth #Australia #bigeyes #smiling #nocturnal #cute #photography #wildlifephotography #studioportrait #animal #wildlife #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

These five-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs don’t realize it, but they carry the future of their species on their shoulders. In the wild, these tigers are faced with two major threats - habitat loss due to palm oil production and illegal snare poaching linked to the use of tiger body parts in traditional Asian medicine. Experts estimate that less than 400 tigers are now living in the remaining rainforests of Sumatra, which are severely fragmented. Photo taken @zooatl. #InternationalTigerDay #tiger #sumatran #cubs #cat #bigcat #feline #animal #mammal #wildlife #photography #wildlifephotography #animalphotography #studioportrait #endangered #cute #PhotoArk @insidenatgeo

Giraffes like this reticulated giraffe and Rothschild giraffe @rolling_hills_zoo are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. While the two species look very similar, you can tell them apart thanks to differences in their coat, with the reticulated giraffe sporting finer white lines in its pattern. Typically, these beautiful animals roam the open grasslands across Africa in small groups of about half a dozen. #worldgiraffeday #reticulated #rothschild #longnecks #vulnerable #endangered #africa #patterned #giraffe #animal #wildlife #mammal #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #photoark @insidenatgeo

Say hello to Bensar, a bald eagle @suttoncenter. The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America. As the national bird, the eagle’s look is iconic, with its distinctive brown body and white head and tail easily identifiable, even from a distance. This species once saw its numbers drop to 500 nesting pairs, but with people putting in decades of hard work, its population was able to recover. Today, the lower 48 states are home to over 5,000 nesting pairs! #americaneagleday #baldeagle #northamerica #nationalbird #endangeredspeciesact #bird #animal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #photoark @insidenatgeo

Some parents will stop at nothing to make sure their kids are well cared for, and African wild dog dads are a prime example of this. Their pups are extremely active and burn a significant number of calories every day, but are unable to eat solid food until they are around 10 weeks old. To ensure that they get the nutrients that they need to survive, their father will swallow their food and then regurgitate it, creating a soft mixture that the pups can consume. This feeding practice serves another purpose, too—since the pups have to rely on their fathers for food, it keeps them close to home, protecting them from potential predators. Picture taken @theomahazoo. #wilddog #fathersday #spotty #bigears #curious #longlegs #animal #mammal #wildlife #photography #animalphotography #wildlifephotography #photoark @insidenatgeo