Rare and strange cold-blooded creatures captured in striking detail

Images seek to challenge attitudes about misunderstood species

Photographer Matthijs Kuijpers has spent nearly 30 years in pursuit of the world’s most remote cold-blooded creatures and is now set to release a book featuring the most rare and bizarre of those that he has encountered.

Of the 72 reptile and amphibian species that feature, Mr Kuijpers found that most are unduly feared by humans – and he wants to challenge those attitudes.

He argues that far from being threatening, these creatures are vulnerable and their survival is under threat from climate change, habitat loss and poaching.

Mr Kuijpers has chosen to capture each animal against a plain, black background in order to record them in their simplest form.

Since his first trip to Madagascar 27 years ago, he has visited every continent and photographed more than 1,500 species.

His first book, Cold Instinct, will be released in Autumn 2019.