Reptilian Encounter captures rare moment

Key points

• Retired photographer Richard Swansborough has been named a finalist in the Mono Awards for his photograph Reptilian Encounter. The image was taken on his Canowindra property and shows a Cunningham skink appearing to defend its young from an Eastern Brown snake.
• Swansborough believes it may be the first documented case of this behaviour. He said he keeps about 25 to 30 of the skinks on his land and has seen them confront brown snakes before.
• The 83-year-old, who has worked in photography for six decades, said capturing the moment was pure chance.