In January, I went to the Peruvian Amazon with Margarita Tours. The purpose of this trip was primarily to photograph reptiles. The tour leaders, however, were all too happy to assist those of us who wanted to look at other animals as well. I spent a great deal of time birding, photographing butterflies and searching for other exciting invertebrates.
Here is a link to the website of Margarita Tours:
http://www.amazon-ecotours.com/
Our tour visited two of the research stations affiliated with Margarita Tours. The first stop was Madre Selva which was located about 12 hours down river from Iquitos. Here are a few pics of the journey to Madre Selva.
A new boat, the "Nenita", operated by Margarita Tours:
... buildup of a big storm in the afternoon while heading down river:
... later it cleared and the river was as reflective as a mirror:
We turned south into the Rio Orosa, one of the myriad of tributaries of the Amazon. Madre Selva is located a few kms upstream.
Dining hall at Madre Selva:
Dormitory at Madre Selva:
Madre Selva was covered with old secondary forest. The original forest must have been cut long ago since the canopy was closed and the forest understorey was open. Antbirds and other forest interior birds were abundant and diverse.
Our second stop was at Santa Cruz, a recent acquisition by Project Amazonas. This site was only about an hour by fast water taxi from Iquitos. Santa Cruz was accessed by the Rio Napo, another tributary of the Amazon.
The forest here was cut much more recently than at Madre Selva. Many areas were dense and impenetrable. There were small patches of primary forest along some of the drainages but in general, birdlife was not so diverse. It was good for reptiles and invertebrates.
The infrastructure here was much more basic than at Madre Selva.
This report will cover the arachnids encountered on the trip. I would be grateful for identifications as I know little about these creatures.
Harvestman with extremely long legs:
Harvestman of some sort? I love the strange pattern and shape.
Another that had been killed by a fungus. Skeletons like this are not all that uncommon. It seems that there is a fungus that attacks and consumes the inverts. When finished, all that is left is the exoskeleton and portions of the dried fungus.
Web-casting Spider. I saw a few of these amazing creatures at both Madre Selva and Santa Cruz.
Tarantula. This one was hunting in a banana plantation.
A real monster, the largest arachnid that I have ever encountered. It was heavy enough to be heard as it ran across the floor of the photo lab.
Jewel Spider? Amazing body form. Does anyone know why these animals have this form? Is it somehow disruptive so that it is not recognized by predators?
Another Jewel? Pretty but not as elaborate as the species above:
... big and nicely coloured:
... big and "relaxed":
Is this some sort of Wolf Spider? It was defensive and it jumped onto my boot when I disturbed it.
Wolf Spider?
This was the largest spider (non-tarantula) that I have ever seen! Someone called it a "Banana Spider". Does anyone recognize it?
I saw a few scorpions like this at night. They were usually sitting quietly, head downwards, on small tree trunks within a meter of the ground.
I saw these Tail-less Whip Scorpions every night in the forest. They were usually on fallen logs or on the trunks of big trees.
Sunset on the Rio Orosa:
Thanks for the help,
David
Here is a link to the website of Margarita Tours:
http://www.amazon-ecotours.com/
Our tour visited two of the research stations affiliated with Margarita Tours. The first stop was Madre Selva which was located about 12 hours down river from Iquitos. Here are a few pics of the journey to Madre Selva.
A new boat, the "Nenita", operated by Margarita Tours:
... buildup of a big storm in the afternoon while heading down river:
... later it cleared and the river was as reflective as a mirror:
We turned south into the Rio Orosa, one of the myriad of tributaries of the Amazon. Madre Selva is located a few kms upstream.
Dining hall at Madre Selva:
Dormitory at Madre Selva:
Madre Selva was covered with old secondary forest. The original forest must have been cut long ago since the canopy was closed and the forest understorey was open. Antbirds and other forest interior birds were abundant and diverse.
Our second stop was at Santa Cruz, a recent acquisition by Project Amazonas. This site was only about an hour by fast water taxi from Iquitos. Santa Cruz was accessed by the Rio Napo, another tributary of the Amazon.
The forest here was cut much more recently than at Madre Selva. Many areas were dense and impenetrable. There were small patches of primary forest along some of the drainages but in general, birdlife was not so diverse. It was good for reptiles and invertebrates.
The infrastructure here was much more basic than at Madre Selva.
This report will cover the arachnids encountered on the trip. I would be grateful for identifications as I know little about these creatures.
Harvestman with extremely long legs:
Harvestman of some sort? I love the strange pattern and shape.
Another that had been killed by a fungus. Skeletons like this are not all that uncommon. It seems that there is a fungus that attacks and consumes the inverts. When finished, all that is left is the exoskeleton and portions of the dried fungus.
Web-casting Spider. I saw a few of these amazing creatures at both Madre Selva and Santa Cruz.
Tarantula. This one was hunting in a banana plantation.
A real monster, the largest arachnid that I have ever encountered. It was heavy enough to be heard as it ran across the floor of the photo lab.
Jewel Spider? Amazing body form. Does anyone know why these animals have this form? Is it somehow disruptive so that it is not recognized by predators?
Another Jewel? Pretty but not as elaborate as the species above:
... big and nicely coloured:
... big and "relaxed":
Is this some sort of Wolf Spider? It was defensive and it jumped onto my boot when I disturbed it.
Wolf Spider?
This was the largest spider (non-tarantula) that I have ever seen! Someone called it a "Banana Spider". Does anyone recognize it?
I saw a few scorpions like this at night. They were usually sitting quietly, head downwards, on small tree trunks within a meter of the ground.
I saw these Tail-less Whip Scorpions every night in the forest. They were usually on fallen logs or on the trunks of big trees.
Sunset on the Rio Orosa:
Thanks for the help,
David
