Sneak peek of weekend trip & Three-legged Japalura while Barbet-Observing

I had returned from my weekend trip on the east coast of Taiwan, which is mountaineous and rural - compare to the flat and more urbanized west coast. However, the views are quite beautiful and are the ones you'd expect living on a tropical island.

In the end, the typhoon never crossed path with us during the weekend, so our trip was held under the beautiful blue skies.

The lack of animals observed really dampened my mood. But that was before seeing this huge and beautiful Acefias selene in broad daylight!

Another amazing-looking animal was this Gasteracantha sauteri with a beautiful design on its back!

Anyways, I will put up more photos from the trip when I am done organizing them (same goes for my trips from Fushan and Sun Moon Lake). For now, enjoy the photos from today at work.

Since the fledgling is growing up so fast, the parents only feed it once an hour. Bottom left is the adult male barbet guarding the nest after we took a peek inside his home.

While barbet-observing today (this nest has one fledgling hatched about two weeks ago; however, it has already grown its green feathers when using the endoscope - supporting the idea that smaller clutch size leads to faster-developing youngs), a special-looking lizard caught my attention.

At first look, it is just a common Swinhoe's Japalura. However, after a closer look, I realized that it is missing its right arm.

It must be an old wound since everything looks healed, but it must provide some difficulties for an arboreal lizard like it.

Nevertheless, it seems to be in good health and quite agile without a part of the upper support.

Giving me a wink. Such a interesting fella.
.