Searching for Monkeys in the Night

October 1st, 2012:

On my walk home after not finding any monkeys, I took my time, admired the fireflies (or luciérnagas, decided to name the bat that lives outside my room this), peered through the forest canopy with my new Maglite XL50 looking for critters and listening to multiple species of frogs sing loudly. Once I finally made it to the campground I spotted a large South American (I think) opossum. I took a few more steps and the sky full of brilliant stars caught my eye! I hadn't seen a clear night like this in a while. This really surprised me as the last few days had been more or less overcast all day and night even when not raining. This was a truly starry-night. As I kept walking along the main road, I was about to pass Janzen's yard when I heard capuchin alarm calls! What luck! I've been looking for this group of monkeys for two weeks. Little buggers are quite unpredictable these days.

Tropical King Snake

I was just reading away in my hammock this morning and decided I wanted more coffee. I, of course, was in barefeet as I disembarked my hammock computer in one hand empty smoothy glass in the other, then stepping over my hammock to slip on my shoes on the other side I turned around only to see a tropical king snake -maybe a foot away from mine- slither from the porch onto the forest floor and disappear into the grasses. I got enough of a glimpse to notice that the black stripes sandwiched the yellow stripes not yellow on black, so I knew it was a coral mimic and not the real thing! Coral snakes are quite venomous, whereas king snakes are relatively harmless yet they mimic the colouration of a coral snake to ward-off predators who don't know the difference.

Here is a picture of another time I saw a tropical king snake in the wee hours of the morning (you can see it is dark in this picture!). These snakes are very difficult to capture on film -they're so fast! But you can see the black on yellow stripes here.

My work

I'm sitting here in front of my computer, two books and a scientific journal -all of which are open- and I hear capuchin lost calls in the distance. It sounds like Seria, a frequently lost female in one of the capuchin study groups who is old and senile. I wondered if I should drop everything and run into the forest hoping I catch up her just so I can census that group? Then I wondered, how many people sit in front of their work and their computer wondering if they should stop what they're doing to chase after monkeys?

This photo is Mrs. Weasley, not Seria. I don't have any good photos of Seria, probably because she's hideous. You probably didn't think a monkey could be hideous, but you haven't seen Seria.

The Late Wet Season has arrived

The forest is changing once again. Finally I am seeing the changes from the early to the late rainy season that I have heard of for so many years. The rivers are flowing, the forest is teaming with GREEN and all of my clothes and belongings smell of mould -I love it all!

Sitting on the mouldy couch, reading papers, writing, constructing presentations, I hear evidence for monkeys nearby. The audible evidence is water falling from branches the spider monkeys are using to swing from tree to tree! The photo I have here was taken from the monument on top of a hill looking south. I captured one of the spider monkeys hanging from the tree staring out at the view. Man, I'm going to miss casually seeing those guys as well as most other living things in this jungle as I sit on the couch doing work...

I'm back...for now

OK, lots to tell, little time. I have been away from the blog for a number of reasons for which I will leave until another post perhaps. Since my last post I have been to Guatemala, Tortuguero, Ometepe, Canada, England, and back to Costa Rica again. I am currently living on my own in Santa Rosa chasing monkeys when I'm not analyzing data and writing my masters thesis. I could not wish for a more perfect write-up setting than alone in the jungle (in a house, for logistical reasons). I saw an ocelot the other day and could see a number of things as soon as I wake up in the morning and open my bedroom door, such as tinamous, anoles and "venados" or deer. Right now, as it is nighttime, my front porch is lit by moonlight of the Disney-movie variety opaqued by hazy clouds, but large, half crescent and horizontally posed steaming through the mist. The frequency of insect songs is high and constant but punctuated by calling nightjars. I can't believe I eventually have to leave this place.

I hope to provide you with details of my adventures in the near future.