Photographer Mark Cowan stumbled upon an unusual sight… A caiman wearing a crown of butterflies while travelling through the Amazon. He studies reptile & amphibian diversity at the University of Michigan.
The phenomenon itself isn’t particularly unusual, salt is critical to the survival of many creatures like butterflies and bees who sometimes drink tears from reptiles in regions where the mineral is insufficient. What made this sight so unusual was seeing the butterflies organize themselves into three different species groups atop the caiman’s head.
Cowan’s photograph received special commendation from the 2016 Royal Society Publishing photography competition, you can see the rest of this year’s finalists here.
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