Tag Archives: Toucan

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Day 4: Doing P Tests (kinda)

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Day 4 started by being asked to find the differences in nitrogen limitations on the forest floor and in the canopy. We wanted to make a trap that insects could be attracted to and fall and get stuck in. That means we needed some nitrogenous liquid. One might think finding this is simple, and it was, BUT it’s not pretty. We used our pee in vials, hung them on trees and dug the vials into the ground, and are now waiting to see what is attracted in each location. While it is not a glamorous lab, the look on everyone’s faces when we were told to pee in vials that would be used in the project was hilarious. 

  

(Nitrogen experiment setup diagram)

(Swinging like Tarzan on a water vine!)

After lunch, we set up a second experiment where we tested how the colonization of the cecropia tree with ants vs an uncolonized young cecropia tree varies in defense mechanisms (chemical and physical). Cecropia trees and ants have a mutualistic relationship where ants form their colony in this tree in exchange for protecting the tree from herbivores. We wanted to know if leaves would potentially be thicker, gross, or poisonous before having the ants  colonize the tree. We tested this by collecting herbivorous insects in boxes and adding leaves from colonized and uncolonized trees to see which got eaten more. 

(Inside of colonized cecropia tree; looks like a ant high rise apartment building)

While hiking to collect the insects and leaves, I saw a large brown skink (lizard) that I have not identified yet. It was about 8 inches and had a long tail. I also saw a silky anole while hiking for setting up the nitrogen lab. Both were on the side of the trail in the shade. 

The last two exciting notes about today are potentially the most exciting. First, I got a great look at a toucan in the tree right out front of Las Cuevas! It was not too close, but I used my binoculars and saw the red tail and the large yellow beak very clearly. 

Additionally, I heard something loud making screaming sounds from inside the jungle after it got dark. I have been made aware that one animal is known for making a screaming noise, and that is the puma. Hopefully our camera traps catch a picture of it walking by! 

See yall soon!

Claire C

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Toucans, Pee Tubes, and Ants – A Day in the Forest

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Today’s bird highlight: a toucan! It didn’t stick around for long—just a quick flash of color as it flew off—but still exciting to catch a glimpse of one in the wild. My taxonomic group is birds, so I’m always keeping an eye (and ear) out for them. I’m really hoping to get more chances to go birdwatching soon and see a wider variety of species. Just catching that brief glimpse of the toucan made me want more—I’m especially curious to spot some hummingbirds or maybe a trogon next time.

We tackled two different projects today. The first one focused on how nitrogen availability might affect invertebrates living in the canopy compared to those on the forest floor. To test this, we set up tubes filled with either water or nitrogen (yes, our pee!) both in trees and in the soil, with each station spaced 50 feet apart. Hopefully, this will help us understand if nutrient availability plays a bigger role higher up in the forest.

The second project explored how Cecropia trees protect themselves. In their early stages, they don’t have ants living in them yet, so we’re curious to see how their defenses differ before and after they recruit their ant allies. It’s a fascinating example of mutualism in action.

Fieldwork is full of surprises—some feathered, some scientific. I’m looking forward to the next chance to get out early, binoculars in hand, and see what’s flying through the canopy.

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Day 2: Caricols & Las Cuevas

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Hi Blog!

Today was Day 2 of Belize. Our morning started at 6:30 AM for breakfast, then we left around 7:30 AM from Crystal Eco Lodge. It was such a cozy and pretty place to stay at, and I hope I can return and stay for a longer duration in the future. Our bus rides were filled with unexpected surprises!

First, on our way to Caricol, we saw not only saw a dead green snake on the side of the road but a cashew nut tree. Before this, I did not know that cashew nuts had fruits attached to them, and that the skin of the fruit contained the same chemical as a poison ivy. Then, on our way from Caricol to Las Cuevas Research Station, we saw first a Toucan, then once we looked closer, we also saw. several Black Howler Monkeys on the trees! This was especially exciting, since my taxon of primary focus is rainforest mammals, and I had read up all about them! They, likke their name, howl to communicat. And their howling abilities are due to the hollow bone in their neck that allows them to produce physical howling sounds!

Our actual Caricol tour was amazing as well. It was so eye opening to see the remnants of the Maya civilization, such as their dwelling and temples. Climibing the many flights of stairs to reach the top of the temple was pretty exhausting, but the view was so worth it at the end! We saw a baby fox in the bricks of the temple, and witnessed it proudly carrying a leaf back to its den. Also, we saw Montezuma Oropendola — the dark colored bird with a bright yellow tail. It was really intriguing to see that their nests were shaped liked baskets hanging from a tree — and there were so many of the nests nearby (in the same tree) to each other.

Tomorrow, we are going to have our first “big project” which I am intrigued to learn about in the morning.

 

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Birdwatching Among the Ruins

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Zoe Gupton

May 17,2025

Day 2

Today’s adventure started at the Mayan reserve, where I was on the lookout for birds, my assigned organismal group. The highlight was definitely the Montezuma oropendola. It’s a medium-sized bird with a striking yellow tail and a strange, almost gurgling call. We spotted their hanging nests high up in the trees—long, woven pouches dangling like ornaments. I didn’t see the oropendolas doing much besides perching and calling, but their nests were enough to impress me.

I also saw a tiny gray bird with a bright white streak above its eyes. It moved fast and kept low in the undergrowth, so I didn’t get a good ID, but I’ll keep trying to narrow it down—possibly a species in the flycatcher family. It seemed to be foraging solo, darting quickly from branch to branch.

On the way back, the group got a quick look at a toucan, though I only caught it as it flew away. I’m hoping for a clearer view at Las Cuevas. Speaking of which—there, I spotted a turkey wandering through the station grounds. Not the most exotic bird we’ve seen, but still fun to note.

Looking forward to more bird sightings tomorrow!

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Turtles can glide

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Daily Blog Entry 5:

The cool interesting ant find of the day was the Cephalotes that Sam found! He said that the Cephalotes ant just glided onto him, which is what the Cephalotes are known for, giving them the common name ‘gliding ant;. Although Cephalotes are supposed to glide onto trees and not to humans, to the ant’s credit, Sam was wearing a green shirt and dark pants. He was basically dressed like a tree. Cephalotes have a very flat head, abdomen, and thorax, which gives them a second common name go ’turtle ant’, so it was pretty easy to identify the ant as a Cephalotes because it too had an incredibly flat, rectangular head. I wanted to see the ant to exhibit their turtle-like behaviour of retracting their legs when they were scared, but it didn’t seem to be scared by people’s presence. Sam wanted to see it glide, so dropped the ant to test if it would glide back onto Sam’s leg. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the ant anymore. I was so excited with finding the Cepahlotes and testing its interesting behaviour that I forgot to take a photo of it. Dang it.

In other news, I walked right into a vine that was right on my eye level, so now I have a cut above my left eyebrow. To be fair, I was on the lookout for ants for I was only looking at the forest floor. Speaking of critters, I am now very paranoid about chiggers. I’ve picked off a few tics from my body and it doesn’t bother me too much because I have the satisfaction of crushing it with my fingernails and killing it. Meanwhile, chiggers can cause so many bites on the body before its death, and you can’t even see it!

To end on a positive note, WE SAW A TOUCAN TODAY! It was smaller than I expected, but I am so happy I got to see one!

The toucans were too small to take a photo of, and I didn’t take a photo of the Cephalotes, so enjoy a photo of a cute baby leaf cutter ant’s nest that we saw: