Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer)
Any day you manage to see a clubtail species is a good day in Sean’s book. He recently found this male Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer), and subsequently saw another trying to capture some Ebony Jewelwings along a forested stream. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreFer-de-lance (Bothrops asper)
Lurking in the shadows of the rainforest, the Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) reigns supreme. Always finding dynamic areas to coil up and find a prey species, this individual was waiting on a fallen log in a stream corridor. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreLeaf-litter Toads (Rhinella alata)
These Leaf-litter Toads (Rhinella alata) were along a stream bank yesterday in Chagres National Park in Panama. It was great to see this species that can sometimes blend in well with the leaf litter. They also remind me of another toad Twan and I will be checking in on this week – the Atelopus limosus, as it will be the fourth year we will be doing work with a population deep in the Cocobolo Nature Reserve in Panama. Sean Graesser RTPI Affiliate
Read MoreFrog Friday Parenting
Thank Goodness it’s Frog Friday again! Although every day is frog day in my book, I have to admit that I am particularly excited about next Frog Friday because I will be heading down to Panama again to expand our ongoing research on the endangered amphibians found in Cocobolo Nature Reserve. So many questions to answer… Why did some species survive the mass extinctions that ravaged other sites in Panama? How did selective decline of some species in the preserve affect the balance between surviving species? Are there ways to safely re-introduce some of the ex-situ backup...
Read MoreSnowy Wetlands
If you can manage to discover any open wetlands in January where water still flows you may be in a store for a treat when it comes to some of the hidden birds in and around this habitat. Natural springs may run even when the temperature is well below freezing. Some streams find a way to keep warm and draw in wildlife, too. The tiny Winter Wren can be found in a place like this, hopping from rock to rock. One may turn up a very well hidden American Woodcock using the exposed earth to search for earthworms. Ruby-crowned Kinglets may be feeding at eye-level as they hope for insects in the air...
Read More
