Cyril was in heaven when he found the rare male marbled newt in this small pond on a spring day with good light, clear water and few predators around. As the newt paused just below the surface amongst the stems ‘like a dinosaur in a meadow,’ Cyril captured this golden portrait.
Marbled newts, although common across the border in Spain, are the rarest amphibian in the region of Burgundy, France, where they are locally endangered. During the breeding season, the male displays its distinctive, striped crest that stands tall and smooth along the length of its mottled back.
France
Cyril has been a professional photographer for 20 years. His first encounter with the Borneo orang-utan influenced him to give pride of place to primates in his work. He now also focuses on amphibians such as frogs jumping on snow in the Alps, giant salamanders in Japan and goliath frogs in Cameroon. He also enjoys working on wildlife around his home, trying to make exotic, very common species.
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