# Costa Rica December 2006



## Michael Jacobi (Dec 20, 2006)

I returned to Nashville last night after a 15 day expedition to study the tarantulas of Costa Rica along with tarantula researcher and arachnohistorian Andrew M. Smith and fellow Brits, brothers Paul & Mark Carpenter. We located and photographed 14 species of theraphosid spider. Today I will make some processing lab very happy with over 20 rolls of film and scan some images to post here. I also shot about 6 hours of video. The trip will be chronicled in two ways: a special edition of _ARACHNOCULTURE_ magazine some time in January and a DVD entitled "COSTA RICAN TARANTULA ADVENTURE: In the footsteps of Valerio" to be released in Spring. Please check back here in a day or two for some teaser photos.

Best regards, Michael


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## Philth (Dec 20, 2006)

How Cool Michael, 

I cant wait to see:drool: 

Later, Tom


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## eman (Dec 20, 2006)

Very cool indeed! Did you locate any undescribed species? 

Cheers, 

Eman


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## Michael Jacobi (Dec 24, 2006)

Won't get my processed film back until early this week, but I found one roll hiding in my bag that I took to a one hour lab. Here's a couple of non-arachnids to start it off:













The monkey is a baby Geoffroy's spider monkey (_Ateles geoffroyi_). The first person to correctly identify the snake [by scientific name] wins a year subscription to _ARACHNOCULTURE_ magazine.

More soon...


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## Michael Jacobi (Dec 24, 2006)

Here's another of the snake. This time held by BTS Chairman and our expedition leader, Andrew M. Smith.








...very interesting... this photo of Andrew is my post number 666...


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## Canth (Dec 24, 2006)

Nice pics! 

I'm gonna guess...Trimorphodon biscutatus


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## Michael Jacobi (Dec 25, 2006)

Canth said:


> Nice pics!
> 
> I'm gonna guess...Trimorphodon biscutatus


*We have a winner!* Don't tell Andrew though... I never told him it was a rear-fanged snake  

Although, the lyresnakes in the western US are typically 2-3' and max out at 4', you can see that the Central American subspecies, _Trimorphodon biscutatus quadruplex_, gets a bit longer. Awesome find. This snake was found by Paul Carpenter who went to "have a waz" behind a buttressed tree and screamed "Michael! Snake!". I ran over and told him it was a fer-de-lance because, well, I'm cruel that way. I then reached down to where it was coiled on the ground in the shade between the buttresses and pulled it out, much to Paul's further astonishment. It was a large male in a shed. After removing the engorged tick it had on its neck, I placed him back where he was. Paul urinated elsewhere.

Email me for your free subscription - exoticfauna@gmail.com.

Best regards, Michael


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## Canth (Dec 25, 2006)

> We have a winner! Don't tell Andrew though... I never told him it was a rear-fanged snake





> This snake was found by Paul Carpenter who went to "have a waz" behind a buttressed tree and screamed "Michael! Snake!". I ran over and told him it was a fer-de-lance because, well, I'm cruel that way.


LOL! How mean 

I was doing a lot of picture matching over the net when I got a friend of mine who's been to Costa Rica a couple times to look at the pic and help me out a bit. Turns out he was a big help  He also invite me to go with him this summer but I'm not sure I'll be able to, being a minor and all. So we'll see how that works!


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## Crotalus (Dec 26, 2006)

Sounds like a great trip! Now, post some more pictures!


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## common spider (Dec 31, 2006)

More pics please.......:drool:


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## Michael Jacobi (Jan 4, 2007)

Tired of pilchards and crackers, Andrew Smith seeks to procure us lunch armed only with an ice axe.


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## Michael Jacobi (Jan 4, 2007)

Pick the American  Clue: He's the _lovely_ bloke!


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## syndicate (Jan 4, 2007)

Michael Jacobi said:


> Tired of pilchards and crackers, Andrew Smith seeks to procure us lunch armed only with an ice axe.


omg haha!to funnny.looks like u guys had a great time.id love to travel there one day


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## Michael Jacobi (Jan 4, 2007)

One of Costa Rica's lovely ladies...


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## Michael Jacobi (May 31, 2012)

Just clicked on Quick Links > Subscribed Threads to view something recent and only this old post of mine came up. Ah, the days when I spent hours each day on AB ... Now I'm a 

Sad to see that many of the photo links are now broken, but thought I'd inform the new crop of AB devotees (lol, I don't even know who most of the moderators are these days) of my _ARACHNOCULTURE _online edition and the web version of my "In Search of Costa Rican Tarantulas". It is E-Zine #7 and is 30 webpages of text and photos. It, and a bunch of other arachnid articles that were originally published in the print _ARACHNOCULTURE_, are available online at http://exoticfauna.com/arachnoculture.html.


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## Michael Jacobi (Jun 2, 2012)

I have added a new preface to the online version of "In Search of Costa Rican Tarantulas". For those interested in reading my story of tarantula collecting in Costa Rica as part of a four-man team led by Andrew Smith, please click here.


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