One of the colorful Banded Calico Snakes found near camp in Peru a few years back.
Banded Calico Snake
Tag: Amazon
South American Bushmaster in the Darkness
Out in the complete darkness of the full Amazonian canopy, a South American Bushmaster. It’s the largest and oldest of the New World Pitvipers, and a dream sighting for anyone into snakes. This photo is a flash misfire, but I like how it feels – this is a better idea of how this animal spends most of its time. Coiled in between buttresses and low vegetation, waiting for something to come through that won’t see it. Also a reminder to walk slowly, and be sure of every step.
Pygmy Marmosets in Their Tree
We were shown these amazing little primates, the smallest in the world; Western Pygmy Marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea). Each is only about the size of a hand, with the smallest we saw likely comfortable curling up in a donut. They stay in one tree and have a tiny home range, excavating holes in bark to get to the sap they eat. They were skittish but as they didn’t go far, relatively easier to photograph than other primates in my experience. Loreto, Peru.
Youlatos, D. (2009). Locomotion, postures, and habitat use by pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea). In P. Garber, A. Estrada, J. Bicca-Marques, E. Heymann, & K. Strier (Eds.), South American primates: Comparative perspectives in the study of behavior, ecology, and conservation (pp. 279–296). Springer. https://www.academia.edu/download/45603455/4_Youlatos_2009_Smallest_20Anthropoids.pdf
Squirrel Monkeys Watching Us
Tucuxi Jumping from the River
The Tucuxi (Sotolia fluviatalis) is one of a handful of dolphins living throughout the Amazon River complex. This is not the more famous Boto (Pink River Dolphin), but is often found swimming in groups alongside them.
This was one of a few in such a mixed group, surfacing here and there with some larger Boto and a few other Tucuxi. I lucked out with this shot, having spent the morning on a boat trying out some previously unused features in my camera that help to more quickly find and focus on fast-moving targets (birds). We were near the water photographing a snake, and I got a series of snaps in, and this one just decided to show off a bit. I was not expecting my favorite take-home from a trip to the Amazon to find reptiles and amphibians to be a mammal, but here we are.
Martin, A. R., & da Silva, V. M. F. (2004).
Home range and movements of Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Marine Mammal Science, 20(3), 535–552.
da Silva, V. M. F. (1994). Aspects of the ecology of the Amazonian dolphins Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis. Journal of Mammalogy, 75(2), 300–308.
Two Striped Forest Pitviper
A metallic green jewel of the Amazon – Two-Striped Forest Pitviper, from Peru a few years back.
Collared Tree Runner in Peru
Collared Treerunners (Plica plica) are one of the larger arboreal lizards seen occasionally hiking in Peru. At night they sleep in trees, mostly high and out of sight. But sometimes they are in the understory and can be photographed.
Crowned False Boa
A common and beautiful sight on night time walks in the Amazon, the Crowned False Boa. These are relatively small, usually around two feet in length, and aren’t biters. They eat lizards and other snakes, and the occasional frog, rodent, and bird. Usually when they’re seen, it’s moving through leaf litter on the ground as a flash of red half in and out of debris.
Smooth Fronted Caiman Up Close
My favorite crocodilian, the Smooth-Fronted Caiman. These little guys live in smaller streams and hills in the rainforest, and have a lot of attitude for such a little guy. This one had no trouble at all letting my camera lens know who’s boss when it got a little too close. Got the shot first, though 🙂
Crested Toad with Tiger Beetles
One of the many forms of the Rhinella margaritifera complex sharing a spot above ground with a cluster of tiger beetles. Life on the ground in the Amazon can be a dangerous place, so it’s not uncommon to find animals spending time on leaves. In this case, the toad may be both trying to stay safe, or being that danger to the beetles.
I’ve seen tiger beetles cluster like this on leaves, which looks quite a bit from above like the typical holes in large leaves like this chewed by other insects. If it weren’t for the toad, I’d have passed by without a second glance.
