Off the scale

Not many people count reptiles or amphibians as their favourite animals. Scaly, cold – and not what you’d call cute – they also have a dangerous reputation. But for Dutch photographer Matthijs Kuijpers, that’s exactly what drew him to these creatures. His fascination has transformed into a lifelong mission to show another side to them. Once you dig a little deeper, it’s clear that, despite not being used as the poster animals for conservation or biodiversity, they are absolutely incredible.

I spoke to Matthijs when he was at his home in the Netherlands, a brief period in between the trips he embarks on several times a year in order to discover and photograph these captivating creatures. He began photographing the animals when he was just 15 years old, and now 30 years later has the largest collection of reptile and amphibian photographs by an individual photographer – some museum collections may contain more, but they will have been captured by several different people.

Of course, the first step to adding a new photo to his collection is researching