what would you buy of this two d7200 or d7500 the is 400$ between with 18-140 for small animals like snakes,spider,scorpions and later a 300mm like 55-300 or 70-300 for predators
i don't know how much better the D7500 is, but for a saving of $400, i'd suggest the D7200 is suitable for your needs
Here is a comparison between the two. Personally I would go for the D7200. Nikon D7500 vs D7200: What’s the Difference?
what did you end up buying? my suggestion would have been to buy the 7200 to save $400 and put it toward another lens. the other suggestion would have been to skip the 18-140 for small animals and insects and instead get the nikkor 85mm macro lens (or a comparable macro lens from a different lens manufacturer). a macro lens is going to be way more useful when photographing insects and other small animals since you can get much closer to the subject and get 1:1 reproduction.