Out on a limb

Agamid lizard (Calotes sp)

Agumbe, Kerala, India

Agumbe is one of the wettest places on earth and at the time of my visit almost 8 meters (300 inches) of rain had fallen so far in the monsoon, with several weeks of the monsoon still ahead.

Here the rain comes in waves, with a break in the clouds, then a downpour, then a break, and on and on it goes. One might think this is a challenge to critters other than frogs and fish, but this area is extremely diverse in life, and walking around in the rain is truly incredible as there is life everywhere. And when the rain stops for a while, all the insects come out, adding another array of incredible shapes and colors.

This lizard was sitting on the tip of a branch in the forest, yet it was not easy to see it as it is so well camouflaged. Once I did see it I could slowly move in closer to admire this beauty. Here I am looking up to include the green of the canopy which matches parts of the lizard’s body, and the other colorations matches that of the branch.
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