Another early morning. Five am birdwatching was fun to listen to as I was dreaming, and I woke up briefly when Adrienne screamed, shocked to find her son’s toy pupa in the secret compartment of her coffee thermos. It’s hard to explain what makes some of the funnier things from this trip so funny. Maybe its the delirium setting in but hey, a good time is a good time. I guess you would have to be here.

You also have to be here to see the Scarlett Macaw (segue!!) which we did after breakfast this morning. I can’t say exactly where we saw them, because revealing their locations to poachers who prowl the internet could endanger the safety of the small population that lives in Belize. I can’t even post images of them. Needless to say, their amazing creatures. Look them up.

Before long, our day of ardor had begun. We set twelve camera traps in multiple areas and along corridors, both manmade and natural, to compare the impact of humans on species richness and community composition. The hike totaled thirteen miles by the end of the day. Two pairs of boxer-briefs and twelve hours later, we finished. Along the way I spotted this little fella.

Taenipoda eques, the Horse Lubber Grasshopper. This one’s a nymph, so no wings yet. These get pretty big though, commonly over four or five inches long. They are poisonous as well, like yesterday’s Abel’s Katydid, the yellow markings tell predators to avoid this morsel. When they are threatened they also release a noxious liquid foam that deters any truly committed attacker. I also can do this when it’s hot out.

Also included is a picture of a Leaf Mimic Katydid. Family: Tettiigoniidae. She looks like a dead leaf! Wow!

P.S. The title is because my pants are destroyed with sweat— somehow that has to do with Oppenheimer creating the atom bomb. Like I said the delirium is setting in and I think it’s time for bed.