Posts in Category: animals
In the Water Apple tree
Mantled Howler Monkey: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Eventually the troop of Howlers moved over us to the Water Apple tree at the back corner of Victor’s photo glade, just where the property slopes down to the Puerto Viejo river. Water Apples attract both birds and wildlife when they ripen. I hear mixed reports from humans as to the taste, but some apparently quite like them. The Howlers certainly did. However Howlers often seem to take a bite out of the fruit and then drop it. I am not sure what that is all about. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Pensive
Mantled Howler Monkey: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — On my last morning with Victor at Tico Rainforest B&B, we got to enjoy a troop of Howler monkeys working the lower canopy in Victor’s little photo glade in the rainforest. There were at least 20 individuals. Photography against the canopy is a challenge, but I had lots of opportunities. They were aware of me, down there on the ground below them, but not worried about me at all. These are three males. They always look to me to be deep in thought, and not very happy about the state of world…or at least their little patch of rainforest. But then, I know better than to project myself on to the facial features of any other species…these guys could be expressing delight for all I know. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Splendid!
Splendid Leaf Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I posted a photo of this Splendid Leaf Frog while I was still in Costa Rica in December and told the story of Frog Heaven’s efforts to entice the frog back to their property after it’s nesting tree blew down. They discovered that for it to thrive it needs an elevated spawning pool that has been “poisoned” for other frogs by the secretions of the host tree. No really, poisoned. The tree releases a toxic compound into the water that kills the tadpoles of other species of frogs, but not the tadpoles of the Splendid Leaf Frog. (I am not sure what the frogs do for the tree in return…if anything.) At any rate, Frog Heaven installed 50 gallon drums well off the ground and put cut branches of saplings of the host tree to soak in the water…and the Splendid Leaf Frog has returned. And Splendid it is. Just look at those colors. Taken by the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 327mm equivalent. Aperture mode with my macro modifications. f11, -1.7 EV, ISO 12800. Processed in Photomator.
Smoky no more
Savage’s Thin-toed Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This used to the Smoky Jungle Frog…just way better than Savage’s Thin-toed Frog. Way better! Therefore I will continue to call it the Smoky Jungle Frog, thank you just the same! Fascinating creature by any name. We found this one right beside the trail at Frog Heaven, not at all bothered by our flashlights. I love the natural look of the light from my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 327mm equivalent. My macro modifications to Aperture preferred mode. f16 at 25600 ISO. Processed in Photomator. (Gotta love the colors at this high ISO on the a6700.)
Glass Frog
Fleischmann’s Glass-Frog (I think): Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I asked our guide at Frog Heaven to find me a glass frog. Glass frogs are a family of frogs with semi-transparent skins so that you can actually see the organs inside. He came back with the smallest, tiniest glass frog I have ever see. Cute. This guy was less than 1/2 inch tall. The best I can do on an id is Fleischmann’s…which is likely as they are pretty common in Costa Rica. Just generally much bigger. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 120mm equivalent. Aperture preferred program (my macro modifications) at f16, -2.7EV, ISO 25600 at 1/15th. In the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Tripod. Processed in Photomator.
Tenters
Brown Tent-making Bats: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I have seen the White Honduran Tent-making Bats several times in Costa Rica…on just about every trip for the past 10 years…but this was my first encounter with their brown cousins. Both are leaf-nosed bats, and both eat away at the spine of broad leaves until the leaves fold over to make a “tent” where they roost during daylight. It is not easy to get a photo as you have to get down low enough to see up under the leaves and use a flashlight for light. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 217mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. This is another shot at ISO 25600. 🙂
Green on green
Green Basilisk: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Not an uncommon lizard of the rainforest, but an uncommonly close view of one, and a daylight view at that. Our guide at Pierella found it for us while looking for Red-eyed Leaf Frogs in a damp spot in the forest. This is the Jesus lizard, so called because it appears to walk on the water…or run at least…it’s specially adapted feet and light weight not breaking the surface tension. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 477 and 231mm equivalents. (Like I said, a close view. :} Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Oh brother.
Mantled Howler Monkey: Caño Negro Wetlands Reserve, Costa Rica, December 2024 — We cannot leave Caño Negro without visiting our tree brothers, the Mantled Howlers that move along the edges of the waterways, often looking out over the water, apparently contemplating life in the rainforest. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
not-Green Iguana
Green Iguana: Caño Negro Wetlands Reserve, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The Green Iguana is only green when it is young. As adults they are various shades of bronzy brown and dull orange. This is, I think, a big adult male, lounging in the foliage along one of the many channels in the Caño Negro wetlands. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 246 and 600mm equivalents. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Costa Rica! Two toed (not!)
Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth: Tico Rainforest B&B, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — The two sloths found in Costa Rica, Hoffman’s Two-toed, and the Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth. are not actually closely related…they descend from two different ancestors, but are very similar in both appearance and behavior. The Two-toed is the slightly bigger and slightly more active of the two, but that is not saying much when talking about sloths. They both eat a low energy, hard to digest, diet of leaves. And, of course, they both have 3 toes…but the Hoffman’s has only 2 fingers. This Two-toed was resting in a tree about 25 feet up, just at the edge of Victor’s little patch of second growth at Tico Rainforest B&B. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.