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Typhlopsgiant, by Brian Crnobrna (FFT Herpetofauna team coordinator)
A dual sighting.
There are some transects that are totally boring when you don’t find anything. On most transects you find a few common species and move on to the next. Then there are transects when you see truly unique and amazing animals. Still other transects are plagued with so many little problems that it threatens to derail the whole process. This transects was a mixture of the last two.
It started off with a couple normal observations for the plot: our control area at the Tambopata Research Center. The mosquitoes where bad enough that I actually put on the leather gloves I carry around to protect against the toothy bites of boas. (the mosies don’t stand a chance!) Then we were confounded by escaping specimens. I picked up some eye-shine off deep in the woods. My assistant Michael and I spent about ten minutes locating the shine, then following its source, then relocating the eyes only to get lost again – all to no avail. At this point we were nearing the end of the transect and I just wanted to finish it off and move on.
Within the last five meters of transect Michael took the lead ahead of me. We approached a large buttressed tree that marked the end of the line. Michael disappeared around the side of the buttress. In a low whispered tone he said, “giant armadillo.” At this point I’m happy because we get a chance to view one of the most elusive of the charismatic mega-vertebrates in the forest, but its worth noting that even at that point we had not finished the transect – we still had a couple meters left to go.
I make my way towards the beast that Michael has spotted digging out its burrow just off our plot. As I slowly tip-toe past the buttress trying not to make any noise, I see out of the corner of my eye some movement inside the buttress itself – something squirming out of the matrix of duff underneath the entire structure. On instinct I reach in and grab the snake-like creature – lucky I had my gloves on; it was amongst a mess of ants in a nest. Pulling out the specimen I lost all track of the previous events and simply yelled, “what is it!” This must have been quite the annoyance to Michael, who was whole-heartedly stuck into sneaking up on a wild giant armadillo.
Still, I somehow convinced him that it was a reptile or amphibian of some kind, and he joined me in rejoicing on the capture: a rare and secretive blind snake of the genus Typhlops. These guys have no external eyes and spend almost all of their time underground where they devour unwitting ants and termites. On the rare occasions when they venture above ground they are rather clumsy and confusing to would be predators, who they will aggressively stab with the pointed tip of their tails. What would have driven this individual to the surface in this instance may have been the giant clawed behemoth which we had previously sighted, for despite all our herpetologist’s revelry in capturing one of the elusive subterranean species of the Amazon, the giant armadillo carried on with its business digging at the base of the same tree less than five meters away from us.
Fauna Forever meets Lifeworks to Improve Ecotourism for Local Amazon Community, by James Mailer and Dave Johnston
Asociación Fauna Forever, together with Lifeworks, an organisation which creates opportunities for teenagers from around the world to volunteer abroad, teamed up at the end of July (2010) with two main aims: to help young students experience the beauty and at times harsh reality of life in the Amazon and also, to help one particular local community on the Tambopata river, Baltimore, rebuild the ceiling of their school/community centre, as well as a rundown bird-hide managed by one of the community families, the Ramirez’s, located at one of the most vibrant parrot and macaw clay-licks in Tambopata – an attractive activity for visiting ecotourists. Ecotourism can provide a good income for anyone living in accessible parts of the Amazon rainforest, and if built with the right set of guidelines and ethical approach can become a sustainable practice for a community. This is also great news for the local environment because a job (or an entire family’s living in this case) in ecotourism will have far less of an impact on the environment than a job in gold mining, logging or hunting. Using land for ecotourism also means that the surrounding forest is expected to have a healthy abundance of wildlife and thus good ecotourism depends on a good level of forest protection.
Final piece of the Trans-Amazonica Highway
With these goals in mind Lifeworks met Fauna Forever (FF) in Puerto Maldonaldo (PEM); home to the FF team, capital of the Madre de Dios region of Peru, and just a short 30 minute flight from Cusco. More about the location: http://www.faunaforever.org/location.html
Dave and James, the FF representatives, welcomed Lifeworks coordinators Dan, Hilary and Willem, with their group of 18 students from the US, to the tiny jungle town. The students were between 13 and 17 years old.
Up the Tambopata River
The journey began with a whistle-stop tour of PEM including a supermarket stop, forest fruit ice-creams and a few interesting sights, the most poignant being the bridge that is currently being constructed over the Madre de Dios river. The bridge is the final piece of the new Trans-amazonica highway (http://www.bicusa.org/en/index.aspx) connecting the east coast of Brazil with the west coast of Peru and more so providing overland trade between Brazil and China. The traffic expected when this bridge is completed will create a wave of activity along the entire stretch of the highway with projections indicating that over a 30 year period 30 miles (50 kilometers) of rainforest will be destroyed each side of the highway as it cuts through pristine rainforest during the large majority of its stretch.
Rustic Bathrooms
The group then set off from the Tambopata River port on a boat to Baltimore (http://www.baltimoreperu.org.pe/ingles/principal.htm) and after a breathtaking 4 hour journey upriver arrived at the El Gato guest house, pleasantly situated up the top of a tall river bank on the confluence of the El Gato and Tambopata rivers. The entire community is comprised of 22 inhabitants although the group was located at the home of the Ramirez family of 5. This was a long way from home for the students, without any luxuries such as hot water, windows, electricity or modern toilets. It was impressive to see how well most of them adopted their new environment with intrigue, while slowly submersing their mindset into ‘the wild’.
Juvenile Amazon Tree Boa
The most amazing part of the trip for many of the students was ‘the night walk’. Each evening the group filed slowly through the darkness behind Dave, with their flashlights swooping in all directions, encountering an array of creatures including an amazon tree boa, a tree runner, a southern tamandua, whiptail-scorpion spiders, caiman, dung beetles, owls, stick insects, bullet ants, leaf cutter ants, scorpions, tarantulas and much more. Holding a blunt-headed tree snake was a highlight, especially for those who had not wanted see a snake at all during their time in the jungle.
Building the Bird Hide
During the two full days at the community the students worked hard to ensure that the bird-hide was well constructed and that the ceiling of the school was completed. The group split into two which encouraged some friendly rivalry, mainly among the coordinators. Everyone did extremely well on both projects as they alternated day to day, especially considering the hot, humid, and mosquito ridden conditions! The difficulties all washed away very quickly with a swim in the El Gato waterfall at the end of each day, a perfect reward for everyone after much hard work. While washing and relaxation were the priorities of our daily swims, mud fights made staying clean difficult. When you can’t beat them though, you simply have to join in!
Putting Up the New School Ceiling
On the fourth day the group woke before light and said a sad farewell to delicious home-cooked meals by Mama Teresa, the sound of the waterfall, the star drenched nights, the fruit trees, our friend the Trumpeter bird, and all the sandflies! Off we travelled to Explorer’s Inn (www.explorersinn.com) which is situated downriver at the confluence of the La Torre and Tambapota. The trip was a fresh three hour ride through the new day’s tranquil sunrays breaking through the trees. Explorers Inn was built in 1975 and was the first ecolodge built within the Tambapota region. The students enjoyed the improved comfort and were able to relax after working at Baltimore. After an interesting butterfly talk by FF’s insect team coordinator, Ashley Anne Wick, there was a long walk to Lake Cocacocha, paddling around on two catamaran-style boats and getting up close and personal with some hefty black caiman which provided a fun-filled afternoon for all. The day was finished with a final night walk lead by FF’s herpetofauna team coordinator, Brian Crnobrna, and his ‘mad herper’ FF volunteer, Madison Wise, who both pointed out a couple of very pretty tree frogs.
It's Been a Hard Day's Work!
The next day, after another early rise and a visit to the Explorer’s Inn parrot clay-lick, the group headed back to Puerto Maldonado to catch their flight to Cusco. There was just one final surprise waiting on the river bank. Some people (Dave) live years in the rainforest without seeing a big cat, but the group was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a Puma on their final boat ride to town. Dave, unfortunately, was fast asleep and sat up too late to see it!
It had been a jam-packed few days of adventure, excitement and learning. Perhaps it will help to inspire some of the students to continue on, to learn more about the areas that interested them on the trip such as photography, anthropology, science or ecology. The curiosity and desire to learn about the rainforest shown by the students was the real beauty of this trip, and was a pleasure to witness. Time will tell how much the journey influenced the students and if they will perhaps choose to follow a path inline with our very own here in the Amazon, but we think one thing is for sure, that the hard work they put in to helping the local community, coupled with long walks and boat rides in the depths of the mighty Amazon rainforest, will stay with them forever.
The Group
Newly shed Cicada
Ceiling's Up!
Chilling Out at El Gato.
My time in the Amazon, by Ian Rowbotham (FFT Volunteer)
My time in the Amazon solidified a life-long passion for conservation, and serves as a foundational experience that I can draw from for energy and direction in the future. On lighter terms, it was also an absolute blast and although the time flew by faster than I would have hoped, I could spend days reflecting on the memories from Peru. From waking up to the sound of howler monkeys overhead while sleeping in a hammock at an oxbow lake to chasing a giant anteater through the jungle, they’re difficult to put into words and impossible to think of without smiling.
Beyond the pure epic-ness of the Amazon, volunteering with FFT gave a first-hand view of the application of conservation. While studying it in a classroom and postulating about its dire need and potential across the globe, actually seeing the obstacles, hurdles, and tribulations involved with its implementation puts it in an entirely different light. The ruthless power of the gold miners and the infuriating complacency of the corrupt officials turns even the most well meaning projects into battles, while poverty forces local populations into putting up with dangerous, destructive, and often avoidable activities. Uniting the desires of conservationists with the needs of the inhabitants is essential, and experiencing this war of trade-offs where entire ecosystems are at stake up close will drive me in pursuit of future solutions. The work of FFT is a necessity in the path to sustainable conservation, and offers an invaluable opportunity for those planning a future in the field.
An interview with researcher Mary Dinsmore, by Laura Wells (FFT Intern)
28-08-2010. Laura Wells (Fauna Forever intern) interviewed Mary Dinsmore, a researcher stationed at the Amazon Conservation Association’s research station in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon, named CICRA:
Name: Mary Dinsmore
From: Omaha, Nebraska
Laura: Hi Mary!
Mary: Hi Laura!
Laura: We’d love to share a little info about you and your work on our Fauna Forever blog. Could you tell us a bit about yourself.
Mary: Sure. I attended the University of Portland, Oregon, where I attained two bachelors degrees – one in Environmental Science, and the other in Arts and Political Science. I graduated in 2009, after which I worked on a couple of behavioural projects. I’m really interested in conservation of species, and so, I did an internship at the zoo, where I worked on a project on the behaviour of elephants.
Laura: Madre de Dios is quite far from Oregon?
Mary: Yes, I wanted to gain field experience, particularly to do with primates, and found a position to be an assistant of Mini Watsa, who is currently doing research here for a PhD. I had travelled to Ecuador before and loved it, so I was really excited to come to Peru.
Laura: How long have you been at CICRA?
Mary: Two months now.
Laura: OK, and how long do you plan to stay?
Mary: Only a few days more unfortunately – I leave on the 30th of August.
Laura: Could you tell us a little more about the objectives of Mini’s project?
Mary: Mini is looking at the relationship between genetic chimerism and alloparenting behaviour in saddleback tamarins (Saguinus fuscicolis)., with an emphasis on general population genetics and group structure of this species at CICRA. Chimerism is a condition created by the horizontal transfer of genes from siblings to each other, resulting in the birth of twin offspring that are genetic mosaics or each other, and that share over 50% of their genes with each other. The effects of this condition on primate behaviour are as yet unstudied and hard to decipher. Therefore, we are focused on a specific aspect of their behaviour and look at the treatment of twins by their biological parents and the other adults in the group, and vice versa
Laura: Fascinating! Do you need to monitor the tamarins’ behaviour every day?
Mary: There are thirty individuals that have been tagged (one shown above), within five groups – two of these are groups with twins. I go into the field with another person and a radio tracker, which I use to find the monkeys that we have tagged. The radio-tracker beeps when we get close to one of the tagged monkeys – the beeps sound closer together as we get closer to the tamarins. Once we find the monkeys, we turn on a GPS and use it to track where they go. When we are following them, we focus largely on the twins; one of us records what the monkeys do using a technique called focaling and the other writes. We are looking for certain things like food sharing between twins, mating, when the twins are rejected food, catching bugs or insects, as well as the food that they eat. Every 10 minutes we do a scan and write down exactly what the twins are doing. We do this every day for anything between 4 and 10 hours. Also, we search for new groups using playbacks of long calls – if we find new groups we will observe them for about 2 hours, to try to figure out the sexes of the individuals and the number of young. Finally, we tag trees that the monkeys eat from or sleep in, to try to figure out why the tree is important and what types of fruits and sap come from that tree. In total we have tagged 900 trees.
Laura: That sounds like a busy schedule! What have you learned so far?
Mary: We haven’t reached the stage where we can draw conclusions from our data yet, as Mini is in the process of analysing all the data that we have collected.
Laura: So, when will do you expect Mini’s project to be complete?
Mary: It will be at least a year, but maybe a year and a half, due to the sheer volume of data that we are collecting.
Laura: It sounds like a mountain of data! Mini will be publishing all of it hopefully?
Mary: Yes, but Mini isn’t sure when that will be as it depends on how long the data analysis takes.
Laura: We look forward to that! Where do you think we might find it once it’s published?
Mary: I’m not sure yet, but it’s coming from the University of Washington, Saint Louis.
Laura: Great, thank you Mary. One final important question; what do you consider to be the biggest threat to the rainforest?
Mary: The impacts of humans, specifically mining, deforestation, and a lack of political influence.
Laura: And what actions do you think are required to solve the problem?
Mary: Education of local people and stricter government regulations, especially for activities such as mining.
Laura: Thanks for your time Mary. We look forward to seeing Mini and her hard-working team’s work published soon.
Mary: Thanks Laura!
For more information about Mini Watsa and her research, visit www.primatesperu.com.
A behavioural study of Pristimantis & Phyllomedusa, by William Howell (FFT Volunteer)
Hi there, Will from UEA again.
When I decided to make the journey to Peru and volunteer with FFT a big influence came from hearing about the support they offer to students conducting final year research projects.
Being offered the opportunity to collect data for my dissertation in such a remarkable and unique study location, with the help and support of experts in the field was simply too good a prospect to pass up. So firstly, I would like to thank all of the FFT team for their support and tutoring over my time in Tambopata, especially Brian who helped open my eyes to a world of possibilities in studying herpetology and from who, I learned so much.
I first became interested in the Amazon and particularly tree frogs after studying them in my 4th year of school and ever since then I have always wanted to go to the Amazon and see the many beautiful and inspirational frogs as well as other anurans that live there! Given that I am heading into my final year in higher education it seemed the perfect opportunity to relate my degree course to a group of animals that I am truly passionate about.
My dissertation will set out to assess the influences of various environmental factors on the behaviour of two genus of frog namely Pristimantis & Phyllomedusa. The ultimate aim of this thesis is to expand upon the ideas already put forward by many herpetologists and other animal scientists about the effect of the lunar cycle on animal activity, and will also seek to assess the relationship between amphibian activity and levels of relative humidity along with air temperature.
The following is just a brief extract from my proposal highlighting the project’s main aims.
‘The majority of our understanding of these animals is based around behaviour and morphology, with the works of Wente and Phillips and those of Gerhardt et al. being at the forefront. These researchers and others have looked extensively at mating behaviour, the variety and seasonal changes in morphology of amphibians, and in more recent years the impacts of habitat fragmentation and the prevalence of a fungal disease Chytridiomycosis.
This research project seeks to examine both male calling and morphology of Pristimantis (shown above) & Phyllomedusa, two genus that have not been widely studied from a behavioural-ecological perspective, to expand on the knowledge we have already and to determine if there are any relationships to be found between phenotypic morphology and mating success. It is also my intention to analyse and expand on that which is already known about the influence of the lunar cycle, humidity and temperature on the activity of these species. The more that can be learnt and understood about these animals the more can be done to preserve them in the wild.’
The data collection methods for this project were simple but reliable, using a Dictaphone to record vocalisations and a hygrometer to record humidity; I recorded frog calls during the evening from about 17:30 onwards. Over the course of the phase I managed to collect well over 20 hours of data to analyse back in the UK.
With the help of Brian and some equipment from the FFT herp bin, I was able to construct a small open-air enclosure for a male Phyllomedusa palliata (shown above). So I could study the process of colour change in the individual between day and night, and also to examine the behaviour when introduced to another male presenting either conspecific colouration or heterospecific colouration. The aim of this smaller study is to delve a bit deeper into behavioural ecology when assessing the importance of colouration or colour signalling as an indicator of being a conspecific or heterospecific male. There has been a great deal of research into colour signalling, and the ability to change colour, a paper by Chaney et al. (Facultative Mimicry: Cues for colour change and colour change accuracy in coral reef fish.) examines the instigating factors behind colour change and covers the reasons for colour change in the bluestripped fangblennie. With papers such as this and others, I am hoping to pull together the broader ideas behind behavioural ecology and contribute to a better understanding of the behaviours present in these animals.
Will’s in the process of analysing his data, but he’s promised to update us on his findings as soon as he can, so keep an eye out!
Herp haunts of the Amazon, by Brian Crnobrna (FFT Herpetofauna Coordinator)
To answer the most simple of questions regarding Amazon herping, I want to take this blog to outline all the places one should look in order to find reptiles and amphibians. It is the most common question I receive, since many people are understandably overwhelmed by the rainforest habitat, and despite all the things that appear before them they don’t know which ones they are most likely to see a herp on or in.
My most likely first answer will be “the surface of leaves,” which isn’t a very helpful answer considering how many leaves there are, but it’s true. The best way to herp in the Amazon is to go out at night and throw some light on nearby leaves, the ones that are up off the ground in the understory. In this way you’ll find some frogs before too long. When I say “the surfaces of leaves” I could stand to be a bit more specific, but there might not be much more to this trick. Leaves that have a smooth surface on top, free of hairs or spines meant to drive off invaders, are the best, and big round ones are the most visible. Sometimes the frog sits in the middle of the leaf, where it may take a water conservation posture that makes it look like a green blob, especially during the day. Or it may be situated more towards the base of the leaf where stability is greatest; depending on what the frog is doing at the time. You can observe enough bugs on leaf surfaces to make a strong argument that the frog is hunting when it’s sitting in the middle of a leaf. However, a couple other options are that it’s thermoregulating–that the particular microclimate and temperature of the leaf is providing the frog with the heat is needs–or that is in reproductive behaviour–that the leaf is giving the frog a good position to broadcast its call far and wide.
Tree frogs of the genus Dendropsophus are what you’re likely to see in this way, and in so doing you’ll be taking stock of most of the amphibian species in the forest, when you include the occasional rain frog, toad, or monkey frog that shares the habit. Additionally, you will occasionally encounter a lizard or snake on a leaf at night. These are a certain subsection of species, which sleep in seemingly obvious places. Predator avoidance is the leading theory on why this is. Also, the abrupt loss of heat from the setting sun may leave some lizards out cold and needing to sleep on random leaves. Here, they are ideal prey for one of the most common snakes in the forest: Immantodes cenchoa, the chunk headed tree snake. Look for these and other snake species sprawled out between branches or weaving their way up trunks or vines.
The way a snake gets from the ground to the canopy in a forest is illustrative of the interconnectivity of the habitat. In observing such animals you can see how the forest structure gives way to varied microhabitats that may all contain different species. Going beyond the first set of leaves presented to you, it’s easy to spot a large Osteocephalus tree frog as it uses its astonishing agility to run up a palm trunk and into the canopy. During the day on the trunks of larger trees you may find lizards like Plica plica that have a specific microhabitat preference for such spaces. Beyond that though, in the main canopy of the forest itself you’ll be hard pressed to find anything without climbing gear. Not only are things too far away when they’re forty meters above you, they often have cryptic coloration such that viewing them from below makes them wash out against the sky, and viewing them from above makes them blend in with the ground. This is the “bicolored” strategy of species like Phylomedusa palliata and the beautiful Xenoxybelis vine snake, which adds another green level to its color pattern so it can hide in vines and leaves as well.
Opposite the canopy level is the ground, which you may find is just as diverse and multidimensional. Ground-dwelling herp species range from the large whiptail lizards that run across the ground, to frogs that hop around the leaf litter, to the small specialized frogs and lizards that spend time just underneath the litter layer, to the snakes and other bizarre creatures that freely travel below the soil surface. These animals will always be able to survive better in areas where the leaf litter is thick and full of prey, like ants, termites, and small crickets. But they will always be easier to see in areas where the leaf litter is sparse and they can’t hide as easily. There may be more to this, since I regularly observe animals laying on bare soil both on and off trials. Even animals that make their living in the leaf litter will occasionally reach their peak active temperature, after warming up and eating their fill of insects. At this point they may just as well seek out cooler environments like bare soil or puddles. This is why I always search areas of bare soil, not only because they may attract overheated herps, but also because they often are a sign of invertebrate activity–the prey source of most reptiles and amphibians. By far the most worthwhile bare soil area to search is the leaf cutter ant nest, which is not only teeming with various prey items, but also provides habitat for a variety of animals whom the ants allow to live in their space. The ants are busy collecting and storing leaves. Inside the nest the leaves ferment and grow fungus. The decomposition involved becomes a heat source in of itself, even during the coldest nights in the forest. Heat seeking animals are not only aware of this; some reptiles will even lay their eggs in or near leaf cutter nests to incubate them. This works alongside the obvious abundance of underground space in which snakes and frogs can live, provided the ants don’t kick them out.
The final place to mention is the prize that comes with working in tropical rainforest environments. The presence of very large trees in concordance with often thin and weak draining soils means many plants do their best to stay standing by widening out their base of support. In many tree species this takes the form of buttress roots. Named for the architectural structure that supports church arches and the like, buttress roots generally take a triangular form running from the main trunk of a tree out to areas of ground surrounding it. More often than not, the buttress roots become a tangled mess with numerous folds and fissures, the structure of which presents many obstacles and opportunities to the animal community. The many enclosed spaces created by the tree buttress may serve as perfect living spaces for herps, and long running roots can become natural walls, which can collect dispersing animals.
The positive attributes for finding animals inside the buttress are obvious, but the total effect is observable from a slightly different perspective. The quintessential place to find a snake would be curled up against the side of a tree buttress, but the times that that actually occurs can be counted on one hand. While multiple reptiles may be living inside the buttress, they will generally stay deep within the structure where they are completely out of sight. The time when we can encounter them is when they are out and active in the forest. Inside and against the buttress is nowhere near as valuable as within the range of the buttress’ intensifying effect. Herpetologists have found that the number of observations of animals goes up when you’re within ten meters of a buttress. So to increase your chances of finding something it will still be a good idea to walk around the tree buttress, but looking outside the buttress at the multiple stems and leaf litter areas that lie close to it will be more productive than going straight in.
Only 984 hours to remember the rest of my life, by Madison Wise (FFT Volunteer)
The Amazon region of Madre de Dios is home to a little over a hundred different species of amphibians, so for me, coming here and being a part of this program has been a life-long dream finally birthed into fruition. If there was a way of putting into words the ecstaticm I feel every day, having a chance to participate in the workings, co-habitat in the same environments, and actually witness the presence of some of the most captivating animals is a jaw dropping, awe-inspiring experience that I am hoping to remember every moment of.
My education has been primarily focused on herpetofauna with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Chemistry, and having a strong interest in amphibians since I was seven years old motivated me strongly to come to this region with one of the highest biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles. The FFT program gives people access to these areas and gives everyone a chance to manifest a similar love and appreciation for the fauna with or without similar interests and drives.
My interests being so strong were well met with the friendly froggy faces I so dearly adore. Even in the dry season I have been witness to some of the species I dared to dream meeting in the wild, among them, the Yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulate), Coral Pipesnake (Anilius scytale scytale) (shown above), Crested forest toad (Bufo margaritifer complex), Pale striped poison frog (Epipedobates hahneli), Three-stripped poison frog (Epipedobates trivittatus), Short nosed treefrog (Hyla brevifrons), Convict tree frog (Hyla calcarata), my personal favourite the Clown tree frog (Hyla leucophyllata), and a Barred monkey frog (Phyllomedusa tomopterna) (shown below), also worth mentioning, I stumbled across a never before seen red phased Atractus flammigerus and laid witness to a Common Mussurana (Clelia clelia clelia) eating an Amazon blunt headed tree snake (Imantodes lentiferus) only feet away from an on-looking Amazon egg-eating snake (Drepanoids anomalus)!
The people of Fauna Forever are equally captivating with their cooperative leadership, accommodating guidance and enthusiastic companionship. There are still 14 more days left in the phase, and I look forward to every minute that I can share this environment with these beloved creatures and will be returning with a new found enthusiasm, direction and motivation to continue making efforts of conservation and preservation because as it is possible to see firsthand, one person really can make a difference.
Reglas de transito en el monte? Escrito por Sofia Rubio (FFT Mammal Coordinator)
Reglas de transito en el monte? Hace unos día cuando trabajábamos en uno de los transectos un red-broquet deer (venado colorado) casi choca conmigo, salió a toda carrera cuando estaba a penas a unos centímetros de nosotras, ah sí!, el “mammals team” ahora es enteramente femenino.
La noche de ojos brillantes. La caminata nocturna de ayer estuvo super vimos a un nine-banded armadillo buscar su comida entre la hojarasca, un curioso paca?? caminando por la trocha de turistas, que grandes y brillantes ojos anaranjados (cuando los alumbras con la linterna) me pregunto cómo se verán los ojos de un jaguar en la noche!!!! Finalmente cruzaron la trocha, por encima de nosotros, por los arboles, 4 ojos más pequeños pero muy brillantes, un par de ruidosos y buenos trepadores olingos.
De vuelta a esta casa. Hacía tiempo que el casillero de avistamientos de spider monkey (maquisapa) dice diciembre del 2009, y antes de eso hacía muchos años que no los veíamos por aquí, esperamos que cada vez sea más común encontrarlos por esta zona.
Amazon Fun, by Laura Wells (FFT Intern)
Hi all!
I’m the new intern here at Fauna Forever Tambopata. My Name’s Laura Wells and I’m a 3rd year Environmental Science student from England, doing a year in industry as part of my course.
On Friday night I left Cusco, where I’ve been learning Spanish for 2 weeks, and took an overnight bus through the mountains. It was such a long journey and so frustrating that it was dark – I could see that there would be amazing views if it had been light. The stars, however, were stunning – they were just so bright against a sky with absolutely no light pollution and I saw the southern cross. 🙂 I arrived in Puerto Maldonado on Saturday at about half six in the morning and I’ve got to say waking up to see the cloud forests in the mist while the sun was rising was a perfect start to my time here. Dave picked me up and took me to the house, which is a little basic but it’s pretty cool. Here are a few observations, not complaints, about how the house may be different from what you or I are used to. There’s no hot water and we only have water for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening. The internet is possibly the slowest connection I have known and there are 5 of us that fight over it. There’s no glass in the windows so the noise from the street is pretty loud and it’s so damn dusty and hot. Of course, it’s a different way of life to back home, but I’m a little used to it from some travelling I’ve been doing recently – but but BUT everyone I have met from the team so far is really cool and it should be fun living with them all. There’s Dave – Marketing Manager, Kim – Project manager, George – who runs Fotoforever (Fauna forever Tambopata’s sister project.) Finally, there’s James who doesn’t really work for Fauna Forever but he’s a mean cook and he helps us all out. Puerto Maldonado is nice too, it’s small but seems like you can get almost anything you need if you look hard enough, and there’s some awesome food here too.
My first job is to get this blog up to date and keep it that way. So watch this space for blogs from me, the team and volunteers, as well as other interesting thought leaders, organisations and local parties that are all relevant to what Fauna Forever is about and what’s going on with us. My second job is to get a Facebook fan page up and running, so please join that, and as well as being able to keep up to date with us, the first 1000 members will be entered into a very exciting competition!
So, now you know a little bit about who I am and what I’ll be doing. All in all I’m really excited about my time here with Fauna Forever Tambopata. I’m also very excited to be off to the Jungle today! Kim and I are going to Explorer’s Inn to meet up with the volunteers, some of who are from the same university as me – UEA (The University of East Anglia). So it’ll be cool to meet and catch up with all the volunteers and bring them back to Puerto Maldonado. So that’s it for now but I’ll tell you all about my jungle experiences and what’s happening here when I get back 🙂
Fauna Forever 
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