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Caracol & Las Cuevas

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Today we completed our journey south-west through Cayo and into the Chiquibul rainforest. On our way to our home camp at Las Cuevas Research Station we took an anthropological detour through Mayan ruins. We were guided through the Caracol Archeological site and climbed up and in and down the ruins and tombs. Even though it was mostly overgrown and covered by years of sediment the pyramidal structures still stood and it was easy to image the bustling metropolis it was 2000 years ago. Hearing about the (hypothesized) reasons for its decline was ominous; overpopulation, agricultural collapse, drought… sound familiar?
Even though its citizens are long gone the city is still full of life. Almost everyone found an animal from their taxonomic group—bromeliads, philodendrons, birds, mammals, and a plethora of plants. The highlights included an edible red fruit (you suck on the seeds but don’t eat them, looks like gunk, tastes like papaya), toucans, a coati and a blue crowned mot-mot.
Sadly there were not any amphibians around for me to identify. The area was much too dry to be a suitable habitat. Amphibians require a damp habitat because they experience high evaporative water loss through their skin. Most also require water for reproduction. Caracal was in the forest but it was not dense enough to retain the moisture necessary for most amphibians. Here in the forest surrounding Las Cuevas should be a much more habitable medium and we can expect to see a variety of species in the next few days.

Caracol

Sophia Streeter

5-18

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Everything Goes Wrong (pt. 2)

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Mishaps and miscommunication have become somewhat regular on this trip, and today’s adventure was no exception. We were supposed to say our forlorn goodbyes to Las Cuevas and the Chiquibul at 7am this morning and set off for a day of archaeological exploration at the ATM Cave near San Ignacio. But in true TFB fashion, absolutely nothing went according to plan.

After several hours of suspense, it became evident that our van was nowhere near Las Cuevas. Instead of wasting away the morning though, we learned about the fascinating conservation issues surrounding endangered scarlet macaws in the Chiquibul and enjoyed a surprisingly tasty lunch of peanut butter and cheese sandwiches (see me for more details on said sandwich). Our trustworthy van and driver arrived only 5 hours after its scheduled arrival, and so we set off by noon for our next caving experience.

Alas, my hopes of spelunking were dashed; we skipped the ATM cave and instead enjoyed an afternoon of wifi, souvenirs, and fresh fruit juices of the Orange Gallery. Despite our misadventures, our day ended with an incredible nocturnal tour of the Belize Zoo.

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Morelet’s crocodile.

Among reptiles, we were shown both a Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) and an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). The American crocodile was substantially larger and had a much longer snout, although both were definitely creatures to avoid in the dead of night. We were also able to see a boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), which paled in comparison to the boa we saw on day 1, as well as a Central American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) and a yellow-jawed tommygoff (Bothrops asper). Given that we didn’t find many of these species in the forest, this was a great opportunity to see them up close.

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Ocelot jumping to catch meat.

And in case the reptiles weren’t charismatic enough, we also had the chance to see the different cat species found in Belize and a Baird’s tapir. If you were wondering, a hungry ocelot sounds a bit like an angry housecat, jaguars can be trained to do somersaults, and tapirs enjoy being fed carrots.

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Adios, Las Cuevas

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TFBs on the Monkey Tail Trail of the Chiquibul Forest.

Our final day at Las Cuevas began bright and early as always; we were out the door for our morning hike by 8am. We retraced our steps over 13 miles to collect our camera traps in record time, much more mentally prepared for the trail this time around. Though our picture count was low, we remained optimistic that our cameras had caught some animals (besides us). We also managed to spot what was most likely a Middle American ameiva (Ameiva festiva). I had never come across this lizard species before but was able to identify it using a field guide by its coloration. The lizard was about 12 cm long (which made it too long for an anole) and was a dark brown with white lines on its side broken into spots.

We had to wait until nightfall for the day’s real excitement: our camera trap analysis. The prospects seemed poor as we sifted through endless photos of ourselves or even of leaves flapping in the wind. But our first big find was a giant curassow, casually strolling past our camera in the middle of the road. Soon after, we discovered a picture of a Baird’s tapir, and the group cheered ecstatically at our first mammal sighting. Suspense rose as we tested the final camera; our expectations were low since it was placed in the center of a giant leaf-cutter ant nest. But to our surprise, the very last camera first held a photo of an indistinct rodent, which we guessed was an agouti. As we flipped through the final photos, the characteristic markings of a jungle cat suddenly appeared on the screen. Our final sighting was of an ocelot, one of the elusive large cat species of the Chiquibul.

Though our findings may have been few and far between, just the fact that we were able to capture such diverse species in four short days is incredible. And with that, a week in the Belizean rainforest is already done. Next stop: Glover’s Reef.

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“SNAAAKE!”

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For our second to last day at Las Cuevas, we wrapped up our arthropod experiment by collecting all the pitfall traps set along the Maya trail yesterday. The majority of the day was dedicated to data analysis and the presentation of our results; there’s nothing quite like having a poster session in the middle of the rainforest.

We also spent a good part of the day discussing illegal extraction from the Chiquibul and the problems with conservation in Belize. I never fully appreciated the intricacies of conservation biology until today. The Chiquibul’s greatest threat is illegal extraction of plants and animals by Guatemalans from villages along the nearby border. Yet the issue of conservation is much greater than that of sustaining the area’s ecology and incorporates complex economic and political landscapes, as well. 

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Central American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus).
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Central American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus).

Since our activities were primarily indoors, the day offered few opportunities for reptile sightings. However, I was excited at the prospect of our first night hike—the evening brings out a number of nocturnal species, transforming the Chiquibul into a completely different habitat than it is during the day. We managed to spot all kinds of creepy crawlies, including spiders the size of your face and a giant roach that emitted a sticky white substance. By the end of the hike, I had nearly given up on searching for reptiles in the leaf-litter and under fallen logs. But at the very end of the trail, we approached a sinkhole; as I peered down I heard a shout of “snaaaake!” I looked down to find the distinctive tri-color banded pattern of the Central American coral snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) all but a foot away from my boot. The snake was small but could clearly be identified as one of the most venomous snakes found in Central America. Just goes to show that you can never stop looking.

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The Art of Spelunking (Day 5)

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I never truly appreciated the feeling of being clean until today. There’s one thing about coming back hot and sweaty after a hike, but it’s quite a different feeling returning from an afternoon of spelunking covered in a fine mixture of mud and bat guano.

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View from inside Las Cuevas cave.
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Wrinkle-faced bat inside Las Cuevas cave.

But let’s backtrack. Today’s tasks began relatively lightly by wrapping up our (inconclusive) cecropia experiments. The day’s primary activity was the exploration of the cave from which Las Cuevas gets its name (and water). The 9-chambered cave is the center of an ancient Mayan ceremonial site, with each of the rooms representing one of the nine layers of the Mayan underworld. The cave holds numerous Mayan structures and pottery, and even what appeared to be a human femur. I doubt I’ll be picking up spelunking for recreation anytime soon, but our exploration gave me a newfound appreciation for cave biology. We found two species of bats within the cave system, as we crawled on hands and knees through narrow passageways that opened into large caverns. I thought I was clean until the cave’s final test: a tiny chamber with low oxygen content, housing a peccary skeleton. Let’s just say I was in great need of a hot bath after that adventure.

Finally, we set up an experiment to test nitrogen deficiency in arthropods of the rainforest canopy. Once again, we utilized extremely sophisticated technologies to create pitfall traps for arthropods in the canopy and forest floor, taking advantage of our most accessible nitrogen source: urine. I was thankfully spared from urine collection, but the afternoon was dedicated to setting up pitfall traps along the Maya trail (not named after yours truly). Though there were no sightings today, the leaf-litter our traps were set in are a prime habitat for venomous snakes; the forest floor was thoroughly checked for species like the yellow-jawed tommygoff (Bothrops asper) before setting traps. I did however spot several anole species along the Maya trail, all of which moved too quickly to be identified.

All in all, day 5 of EBIO 319 is best summed up by the following statement by Dr. Scott Solomon, “We’re exploring the mammalian excretory system!”

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An Ant’s Life (Day 4)

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We began our first real experiments bright and early this morning on the cecropia, or trumpet tree, which is known for its mutualistic relationship with Azteca ants. The hollow tree tunk provides shelter for the ants, and, in exchange, the ants defend against herbivores vying for the cecropia’s lobe-shaped leaves. Though cecropia’s mutalism with ants is incredibly effective, young cecropia trees are not yet colonized. How, then, do these juvenile trees protect themselves from herbivory?

We hypothesized that young cecropia use chemical defenses (like toxins or pheromones) to deter herbivores. Our pilot experiment involved collecting generalist herbivores, such as grasshoppers, and offering them both adult and juvenile cecropia leaves. We may not have the technology for chemical analysis here, but we do have sophisticated pieces of equipment like Tupperware and a butterfly net. We’ll see tomorrow if the insects opt to consume one leaf over the other, or even die after ingesting a toxic leaf.

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A mature leaf-cutter ant nest.

The day’s ant theme continued with an afternoon dedicated to the fascinating life history of leaf-cutter ants. We looked at three leaf-cutter ant nests ranging from 1 to 10+ years old, observing their intricate tunnel systems and foraging trails. I was most amazed by the anthropomorphic qualities of leaf-cutter ants; they essentially act as farmers by cultivating fungus for food. The afternoon’s primary goal was uncovering these fungus gardens, which can sustain colonies of millions of ants.

Our focus today made reptile sightings difficult, as snakes and lizards are unlikely to be found in the vicinity of a large ant’s nest. Though we walked many of the same trails as yesterday, I wasn’t able to spot any of the Sumichrast’s skinks found yesterday in the leaf litter. I actually found better luck indoors today, spotting another common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) running along the walls of our classroom.

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Smile for the Camera

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Today’s task seemed simple: form a hypothesis and set up 12 camera traps in the forest surrounding LCRS. 

Twelve hours later, our work is finally complete, but it was much easier said than done. After a 5:30am birdwatching session and a hot cup of tea, we set off to develop our experiment. We opted to test the impact of human pathways on local species richness and composition in the Chiquibul by setting up camera traps along roads and trails, as well as in natural clearings. In five days, we’ll collect these traps and see what diverse organisms they’ve managed to catch on film.

The morning’s hike seemed manageable on a map, but many hours and some (incredible) scarlet macaw sightings later, we had set up only half of our traps. By our 3pm lunch break, I had walked 7.8 miles or 16, 652 steps. Talk about a morning workout. 

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View from Bird Tower near LCRS.

Right before lunch, we ended our work at the Las Cuevas Bird Tower. The rickety tower stands at over 600 m of elevation, and the view is almost worth the steep hike up. (Note to entrepreneurs: the Bird Tower would be an ideal location for opening an ice cream stand).

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Sumichrast’s skink (Eumeces sumichrasti).

Despite sweat and blisters, we loaded up on lunch and set off on the Monkey Tail Trail to install the remaining traps in clearings and a natural stream. The main reptile for today was the Sumichrast’s skink (Eumeces sumichrasti), an orange and black lizard with a bright blue tail. I saw evolution in action when we caught a blue-tailed skink; the lizard quickly shed its skin and darted off, leaving the wriggling blue tail in our palms (and the rest of the animal out of sight). 

With our twelfth and final camera trap set in a mud wallow for a prospective tapir sighting, we finally trudged our way home. Though we were all exhausted and covered in sweat (and ticks, in some cases), I found some  peace in the pitch black of the forest. The trees of the canopy arched over the trail to form a tunnel, just like the trees at home on University Boulevard. And just as the blinking lights of the city lead me home at Rice, the twinkling eyes of spiders lit up the trail with pinpricks of yellow light, finally leading us back to Las Cuevas.

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A Visit to the Maya (by Maya)

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Though we’ve finally settled in the heart of the Chiquibul Forest, I may have been too hasty in my previous assessment of our luck on this trip.

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Silky anole (Anolis sericeus).

The morning began with little sleep, some unidentifiable (but delicious) fried bread, a blue-crowned motmot sighting, and our departure from the Crystal Paradise and San Ignacio. Just as we set off, I caught this silky anole (Anolis sericeus).

Our first stop was a step 2000 years back in history, to the ancient Mayan city of Ozhuitza at the Caracol Archaeological Site. The great city now stands in ruins, with only the largest structures of the ancient city center excavated today. I became a momentary archaeologist, traipsing through the remains of a metropolis that once housed 150,000 people. We climbed 43 meters with many, many steps to the top of Caracol’s “Sky Palace,” the tallest structure in Belize.

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Caracol Archaeological Site.

The day’s reptile sightings remained sparse compared to yesterday’s excitement; Caracol only yielded a few stray skinks, darting among the ruins. The morning’s greatest surprise was the sight of the odd hanging nests characteristic of the Montezuma’s oropendola. As we entered what can best be described as the suburbs of Ozhuitza, I caught a glimpse of the birds’ bright yellow tails. We watched the intricately woven nests swing like pendulums in the breeze to the tune of the oropendula’s strange mating call.

However, as soon as we left Caracol, the Mayan gods appear to have left our side. Our journey to the Chiquibul was cut short by an unanticipated lack of oil. In true field biologist fashion, we halted our journey outside a military checkpoint and seated ourselves on the dirt road for a lecture on the termite species of Belize. But in just a few short hours, two pickup trucks with a bed full of TFBs finally found their way to Las Cuevas Research Station. For the next five days, we’ll make our home here in the forest—hopefully, with a little more luck this time.

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“Inauspicious Beginnings”

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In the words of Dr. Scott Solomon, our group has reached Belize with “inauspicious beginnings.” Our journey began with a mix-up in buses, but eventual transportation brought us to Hobby airport for our departure. Alas, a water main break in the airport terminal proved unfortunate for the growling stomachs of biologists, but by mid-afternoon, our group of 16 had safely arrived in Belize City, Belize.

Our travels continued by van to the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo

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Body of boa constrictor.

District. The two-hour drive proved to be a great opportunity for “deer” sightings and views of the limestone karst of the Maya Mountains. A pit stop for snacks even yielded my first reptile sighting: a common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), an invasive species from Asia.

Our final destination was the tropical Crystal Paradise Resort in San Ignacio where we enjoyed a much-needed meal and birthday celebration. Misadventure followed with lost laptops and a dysfunctional projector, but even as I write this, the forest reveals even more of its wonders.

On a tip from a local, we uncovered a 7+ foot long boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) that has made its home here at the Crystal Paradise. The enormous snake slowly made its way down a tree just off the hotel’s balcony, amidst a chorus of chirping crickets and croaking frogs.

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Head of boa constrictor.

Maybe our beginnings weren’t so inauspicious after all.

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16 Hours To Go…

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In just 16 more hours, I’ll be on my way to my first-ever experience as a tropical field biologist. Though I’m nervous about my foray into the world of TFBs, I’m extremely excited to have this opportunity during my college career.

I hope to come back in two weeks with a better grasp of what it means to be a field researcher, and hopefully an inkling of whether or not I’d like to pursue ecology research in the future. I know I’ll return with a wealth of knowledge of the tropical ecosystems in Belize; I’m probably most excited for the random animal facts I will undoubtedly accrue on this trip and can use to annoy my friends/family in the future. (Did you know some parrotfish make cocoons out of mucus??)

Though I’ve spent the past several weeks knee-deep in research on the venomous snake species of Central America, snakes are the least of my worries right now (I’ll have my trusty rain boots to protect against them). Instead, I’m a bit nervous about immersing myself into the world of EBIO. I’ve never experienced research in the field, and I hope to keep up with all the organisms and topics we discuss. I’ve never been a fan of insect biology, but I hope this course can help me overcome some (irrational) phobias and learn to appreciate the importance of insects in rainforest ecology.

Though I’ve traveled to both reef and rainforest ecosystems before, I’ve never gone into a trip with this much knowledge of the flora and fauna. As I searched journal articles for my presentations, I found numerous studies conducted in places like Costa Rica, in sites that I had actually visited! On past vacations, I may have encountered some incredible wildlife without even realizing it; one paper told me that I might’ve even heard the odd call of the Montezuma Oropendola while visiting the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica! I’ve sincerely enjoyed uncovering facts like this in my preparations for this course. I’ve never been so knowledgeable about a country’s ecology before visiting, and this will help me make the most of my travels.

And finally, my greatest fear is that I’ll return to Houston without seeing any of the incredible species I’ve studied so far. Here’s hoping the next two weeks offer a tommygoff or even an ocelot sighting!