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Old "Blue"Eyes
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Old "Blue"Eyes

by Lucy VanSwearingen

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 2, 2018165 views7 comments
This is romance, prehistoric style!   The male is quite actively biting the female.  They rolled around all over the beach in
St. Thomas for about 10 minutes.  I don't know, whether she was trying to flee...or whether he just couldn't get a "good" bite/grip on her!  But, it was quite something to see!!! frownfrownfrown

He had the most intense blue-green eyes!  Maybe that was the attraction/ problem?  wink 
Afterwards, they did "cuddle" a while, so it must not have been sooo terrible for her sad

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Ry Birge on February 2, 2018 at 10:20 PM
Great picture Lucy! Love the contrast and colors. Great composition. Keep on clickin!
Registered on September 23, 2017, 118 Posts, 278 Comments
Comment posted by Ken Watkins on February 3, 2018 at 4:07 AM
Lucy,
Great colours in this one, plus a great "pose"devil
Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments
Comment posted by Ed Williams on February 5, 2018 at 1:05 AM
This is a really nice close up Lucy. Great detail, colors and high drama. Nice one.
Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments
Comment posted by Lon Sharp on February 7, 2018 at 3:53 PM
I like the drama of this, but must wonder how much it is changed in post processing from the original, given the all dark background and saturated colors.  Your descriptions made me smile broadly!  Composition is excellent.
Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments
Comment posted by Lucy VanSwearingen on February 8, 2018 at 6:06 PM
The photo isn't enhanced very much.  The BG had to be blackened out, as these two were, literally, rolling all over the beach!  over sandals, inner tubes, under lounge chairs, etc.  The original post had large black lounge legs behind them, which I darkened all the way.  I darkened the female and selectively burned the male's scales.  No other manipulations.

Needless to say, they caused quite a stir on this little St. Thomas beach frown

Here, I'm posting what we mostly saw....sand flying and somersaulting iguanas!   This photo is taken under my husband's feet...and on top of my sandals!  It took a while for them to move away from the people "toys", so I could isolate them in a photo with the sun showing off their colors.   And, yes, that is blood.  Seems like mating in iguanas is an active blood sport! frown
Crazy day!
Registered on May 23, 2009, 800 Posts, 2042 Comments
Comment posted by Nate Chappell on February 9, 2018 at 6:34 PM
Very cool close up Lucy!  Love that eye.  Are you sure that wasn't 2 males? I have often seen 2 male Marine Iguanas in such heated battles in the Galapagos.  devil
Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments
Comment posted by Lucy VanSwearingen on February 10, 2018 at 6:45 PM
Nate...I don't know if both were male or not...but, the same iguana always landed on top.   He kept trying to get a good grip on the other's neck.    And afterwards, they posed for a shot, that I named "Wanna cigarette?" sad with "his" arm resting over "her" shoulder, that looked like the old movies after a heated sex scene.  It's in my gallery from quite a while ago.

I would think 2 males would have parted company quickly after a fight.  But, these two "lingered"....   But, then, I know next to  nothing about iguana behavior.

 
Registered on May 23, 2009, 800 Posts, 2042 Comments