Bats on a tree.
These caterpillars were about 7 inches long. When we got too close, they flicked their tails at us to warn us to go away.
Our guide, Jesus C, teaching us about brazil nuts. He also showed us a bunch of plants that have medicinal uses.
A cocoa plant.
A nest erected by a cicada.
A lobster claw plant.
A camouflaged moth.
Our guide told us that one time he pointed out a giant cockroach on a hike, and one of the Korean tourists in his group grabbed it, and bit into it. Oscar was horrified 1) because the guy ate a cockroach and 2) because he disrespected the wildlife.
Here's something else that was interesting. We learned about a creepy parasitic fungus that brainwashes insects. The spores of the fungus enter the insect through its spiracles. The fungus grows in the insect until it is ready to sporulate. Then it releases a chemical that causes the insect to climb to the top of a plant. Shortly after the insect reaches the top of the plant, the fungus eats through the insect's brain and bursts. The higher position on the plant allows the spores to spread further through the air and infect more insects.
Seriously, there are so many interesting specimens in the rain forest. I wish I could spend weeks there.
2 comments:
Cordyceps -- definitely one of the creepiest things on this here planet oith. Check it out: http://teaserville.com/pile/critters/cordyceps.mp4
Cordyceps seem like something out of a sci-fi movie. It's cool that the worker ants somehow know to carry the infected ants away from the colony and dump them. I heard that cordyceps are being used as a biological pesticide.
We also saw bullet ants in the Amazon. They were the biggest ants I've ever seen (about an inch long). Our guide said he got bitten on his hand once, and the pain spread all the way up his arm and lasted for hours. People compare the pain to being shot with a bullet.
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