diff --git a/Inst_eddies/Analysis/anim_eddy_contours.py b/Inst_eddies/Analysis/anim_eddy_contours.py
index d17e72b47f7c8a6e861edbe6d8322f08ca2bf97e..fa3c7d8b7baa02ad30ed7c03fe1f19f8b74e2f78 100755
--- a/Inst_eddies/Analysis/anim_eddy_contours.py
+++ b/Inst_eddies/Analysis/anim_eddy_contours.py
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("shpc_dir", help = "directory containing the "
                         "collection of shapefiles")
-    parser.add_argument("d_min", type = int)
-    parser.add_argument("d_max", type = int)
+    parser.add_argument("-d", "--dates", type = int, nargs = 2,
+                        metavar = ("d_min", "d_max"))
     parser.add_argument("-l", "--light", help = "lighter plot",
                         action = "store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-w", "--window", help = "choose a limited plot window",
@@ -79,15 +79,22 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     readers, d_init, ishape_last = util_eddies.open_shpc(args.shpc_dir)
     if ishape_last is None: sys.exit("Missing ishape_last.txt")
 
-    if not d_init <= args.d_min < args.d_max <= d_init + len(ishape_last) - 1:
-        sys.exit("Bad dates specified")
 
+    if args.dates:
+        d_min = args.dates[0]
+        d_max = args.dates[1]
+        
+        if not d_init <= d_min < d_max <= d_init + len(ishape_last) - 1:
+            sys.exit("Bad dates specified")
+    else:
+        d_min = d_init
+        d_max = d_init + len(ishape_last) - 1
     fig = plt.figure()
     projection = ccrs.PlateCarree()
     ax = plt.axes(projection = projection)
     ani = anim_eddies(fig, ax, d_init, ishape_last, readers,
-                      window = args.window, d_min = args.d_min,
-                      d_max = args.d_max, light = args.light)
+                      window = args.window, d_min = d_min,
+                      d_max = d_max, light = args.light)
     ani.save("eddy_contours.gif", writer  = "imagemagick")
 
     pygifsicle.gifsicle("eddy_contours.gif",  options = ["--no-loopcount"])
diff --git a/Inst_eddies/Analysis/tests.json b/Inst_eddies/Analysis/tests.json
index 29ba4b8a96ecc1d1c0cebb033bbf0f48288cde45..3e975ad0bda04d3b0b334e75adee61cf34bfd20c 100644
--- a/Inst_eddies/Analysis/tests.json
+++ b/Inst_eddies/Analysis/tests.json
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
 	"command":
 	[
 	    "$src_dir/Inst_eddies/Analysis/anim_eddy_contours.py",
-	    "$src_dir/Overlap/Tests/Input/Region_6_SHPC", "20454",
-	    "20455", "--light"
+	    "$src_dir/Overlap/Tests/Input/Region_6_SHPC", "--light"
 	]
     },
     {