Wednesday, March 30, 2016

A Visit to the Reptile Zoo, part 2

Continued from yesterday -- a recap of a trip to Monroe to see the Reptile Zoo.

It was hard to get a good photo of the one chameleon on display as it kept hiding in the shadows and foliage -- this one at least shows the head:


This is a Caiman Lizard, looking fierce:


I loved the patterning on this Spiny-tailed Monitor:


Feeding time!  We got to watch several snakes get fed, as well as Barnabus the alligator.  Earlier in the day, Barnabus seemed quiet and calm:


Lunchtime spurred him to action, and I got a short video as well.



Because it wasn't too crowded at the zoo, the owner allowed us to do some sketching.  First I tackled this Black-and-White Tegu, but it moved and I wasn't able to do a good job, so left it unfinished.



Next I looked for a less active critter, and found this Frilled Dragon:


That turned out a little better, though I had trouble with the "frill" part, and ran out of room for the tail.

Naturally, they keep the temperature inside quite toasty, and I needed a break, so I went outside to sit at a picnic table in the parking lot.  The view across the road was not inspiring, just some old farm buildings beyond a railroad track, but I took 15 minutes to do a quick watercolor sketch anyway.


Then I went in and decided to draw Rocko the Rock Iguana, who posed ever so nicely for me without moving.


Even though I still ran out of room for the tail (a recurring problem!), I was very happy with how this drawing turned out.


An excellent outing all round!


1 comment:

  1. Great sketches even with shorter tails! This place is definitely on my to go list, along with the Mexican lunch mentioned yesterday. Road trip! Wish it was closer.

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