This Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) is found in parts of South America, mainly Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
It is not classified as an endangered species but it is hunted in the wild and its skin used for leather. I don't like the idea of creatures like this being killed just to become a fashion accessory.
I know that in Colombia, and I suspect other countries in that region, children will knock iguanas from the trees and sell them to Chinese restaurants where the tails are used to make soup. The iguanas are then released allowing their tails to grow back.
I said yesterday that I would be posting more images from my brief visit this week to Aberaeron, however today I had an opportunity to use my membership of Chester Zoo (thanks kids for my birthday gift) and spend a couple of hours taking photos. It was cold and grey so fortunately (for me) the zoo wasn't very busy which meant I had time to watch some of my favourite animals without lots of distractions.
I didn't tour the whole zoo, I will have plenty of opportunities to go back, but I spent some time watching the Red Pandas and some of the big cats. For today however I have chosen a shot of an animal I haven't photographed before; the Indian Rhinoceros also known as the greater one horned rhino. The zoo has some Black Rhino, a baby was born there in January this year but this is the Indian Rhino and it looks quite prehistoric with its heavy armoured hide. It's not pretty but I think it is magnificent.
