From upstream

Hynobius retardatus
Ezo salamander
蝦夷山椒魚(エゾサンショウウオ)

Photograph by Baikada (ばいかだ)
*CANON EOS 1D Mark III*

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サンショウウオの生態写真をきれいに撮るのは非常に難しい。
It is very difficult to take salamander’s habits photograph beautifully.

サンショウウオは夜行性のうえ隠遁性が強い。そして見られる時期(産卵期)はほとんど水の中、泥の中。
The salamander is nocturnal, and has seclusion characteristics. And time (the breeding season) to be seen with them, most of them in water  and in mud.

フラッシュを焚かず、昼間に撮れるサンショウウオの生態写真は、卵嚢に群がるオスが関の山。
The habits photograph of the salamander that can take it in daytime is a male that crowds the egg capsule.

この個体は、水底の泥の中から掬いだしたオス。写真を撮ってリリースするとほとんどの個体が身近にある物の下にもぐる。この個体はたまたま沢伝いに下流に向かって歩いた。身に接するものが無いせいか、非常に落ち着かない表情に見える。
「早く隠れたい!」
This individual is a male that scooped it from in mud in the bottom of the water. When I took this photograph and released him, he went downstream along a swamp and walked. Most individuals crawl into an imminent thing. The expression that is not settled down very much shows it probably because there is not a thing close against the body. “I want to hide early and early !”

冷水に来るようなサンショウウオを手で持っていると弱る。触るときは手を冷水に漬けたりしながら温度を抑える。手が冷たくて痛くて、撮影を止めることも多い。
When we have salamanders by hand, they weaken. I lower the temperature while soaking a hand in cold water when I touch it. Since a hand is cold and hurts, I stop photography on the way in many cases.

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