Fauna

February 11, 2013

We’ve made it through day 11 in the field- and are now past the halfway point. It has been amazing to be out in the jungle every day. The number of things I have seen is incredible. Today I was within a foot of a big male basilisk before I realized it was on the ground in front of me and I was barely able to stop before stepping on it. A basilisk looks kind of like an iguana with a headpiece and sails along the back. It’s also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, because they usually live along rivers and when they feel threatened can run away across the water! I also saw an agouti eating fruit on the trail. Even though it knew we were right there, it still just picked up an almendro fruit in its front paws and ate it like corn on the cob. I swear I’ve smelled big cat markings and wild pigs, and we have caught both on remote camera traps!

tamandua

Yesterday we saw a tamandua, which is related to a giant anteater but climbs trees. It is a beautiful and bizarre animal. All of my lists- mammals, birds, and reptiles- are growing longer, but more slowly now. While the rainforest is full of wildlife, it isn’t as easy to see as many animals as quickly as one might  imagine. At times it’s loud with monkey calls and bird song, but really much of the time it is quiet. You have to be fortunate to stumble upon an animal, be there in the right place at the right time when it is crossing the path in front of you or rustling the bushes within binocular sight. The fact that we have been able to see so much is incredible- and probably an indication of a healthy forest. But there are plenty of small, quiet amazing things. All the insect diversity- butterflies, damselflies, and dragonflies are charismatic, but there are thousands of other species out there that are fascinating. Leaf cutter ants?! Amazing! They harvest leaves not to eat directly, but to grow colonies of fungus which they do eat. These guys are farmers, and on a massive scale. There are tens of thousands of individuals in the colony, and each does his job cutting and transporting leaves back to their colossal ant cities on runways that they have cleared through the forest, simply by walking back and forth so many times. These are a fairly common sight in the forest, and after a couple of days you start to take them for granted. But it is a shame when people are disappointed when they don’t see much on a day hike. Even the humble ant, when taken in context, is fascinating and it is such a privilege to be out here and able to see and experience what so few people have the opportunity to do. 

Leaf cutter ant "city"