What the heck is going on in this picture?

This toad appears to be a fan of star wars... or is it using blinders...? or does it have giant ears...? or what is that sticking out of its mouth!?

Look closely and you'll realize that this is a rare, and perhaps first, sighting of a cane toad feeding on a bat. Yes, this happened.

This photo was taken at a remote guard station in Peru by park ranger Yufani Olaya at Cerros de Amotape National Park. He gave us permission to write about the photo, but we're waiting to hear back from him on more details about where exactly he found it, and how he thinks a ground-dwelling toad could have captured a bat. 

We're unsure how common this is, but we do know that this is probably the first photographed record of a cane toad feeding on a bat.  Cane toads are notoriously opportunistic feeders, and while they are native to South America this trait has made them infamously invasive in places like Australia.

Without more information about this photo it can be difficult to guess how a ground-dwelling toad and a flying bat could ever cross paths, unless the bat had fallen.

My best guess? I have seen bats and toads use similar locations in the rainforest, just not at the same time. Both are known to use small holes along streamsides, so it's possible this bat decided to roost in a hole that was inhabited by a hungry toad, which after some difficulty swallowing took a walk to get its photo taken by Olaya.

Here in the Tambopata rainforest we often run across cane toads- but from now on we'll keep an extra close eye out for what's in their mouths. 

We'll keep you in the loop as we get more information on this odd and fascinating sighting.

Update: Sept 23, 2013 10:00am

We finally got in touch with Olaya. As was suggested by John Scanlon in a comment on a repost of this story on Why Evolution Is True, it appears the bat was flying a bit too close to the ground. Many bats will feed on insects flying near the ground or will glean insects that are actually on the ground (pallid bats in the US are a great example of the latter).

Olaya described the toad's success as "out of nowhere the bat just flew directly into the mouth of the toad, which almost seemed to be sitting with its mouth wide open." With toad-like reflexes, this cane toad was able to snatch the unsuspecting bat right out of the air as it flew too close to the ground, and apparently directly at the toad's awaiting mouth.

So, did the toad finally get those wings in its mouth? According to Olaya, no. The toad finally gave up and spat it out. While Olaya at first thought the bat was dead, he said it slowly recovered and was able to fly away. I'm sure it won't make that mistake again.

Update: Sept 24 5:00pm

We were sent a paper which describes a related toad feeding on a bat, which you can find (with images) here.

Follow biologist Phil Torres on twitter.

Special thanks to A. Ruesta for bringing this photo to our attention, and for getting in contact with Mr. Olaya.

Scientists Stumped: What Is This Strange Web Like Structure?

Grad Student Discovers Unexplained Web Structure

Resembling “The Unicorn in Captivity”

At Tambopata Research Center in Peruvian Rainforest

LIMA, Peru, Sept. 19, 2013 – Peru’s visionary leader in sustainable tourism, Rainforest Expeditions http://www.perunature.com/, reports that deep in the Peruvian rainforest near its Tambopata Research Center an as-yet-unnamed insect or fungus has been discovered that weaves an intricate funnel-shaped cocoon surrounded by approximately 30 “posts” that are positioned vertically, connected by woven “mesh,” and evenly spaced to form a “fence” measuring some 2 centimeters around the cocoon.

Thus far entomologists are stumped as to what it is.

Troy Alexander, a graduate student visiting the center in early June was the first to discover the structure this past summer, first on the underside of a tarp and then on tree trunks.

“I do not know what organism made it. Never seen such a structure before,” said Jonathan Coddington, who studies spiders and is associate director for science at the National Museum of Natural History.

Suggestions range from the structure being a spider egg sac to an incomplete cocoon. Other suggestions are funnier.  “I have seen people say that it’s been built by a spider from Mars, that it's a navigational aid built by mosquitos for navigating the dense jungles, to alien communication arrays built by local arachnids under the influence of alien mind control.” Jeff Cremer, spokesperson for Rainforest Expeditions.  “Some people even say that it looks like the insect (or fungal) variation on the theme of the Late Middle Ages tapestry, The Unicorn in Captivity,”

Tory Alexander’s favorite theory, described on Facebook, is that “there are spider eggs in the base of the pole, and the spiderlings climb the pole and sail away on silken parachutes, protected by the fence the whole time.”

 This region is no stranger to new species. In early 2012 the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reported on 365 previously undocumented species found in Bahuaja Sonene National Park in the Tambopata River region of southeastern Peru. More recently in September, 2012 a new spider species that created “false” decoy spiders as protection was found at the center.

The Greatest Hawk? The Great Black Hawk.

The Great Black Hawk, Buteogallus urubitinga, is one of the many birds of prey in Tambopata you will very likely see while boating up the river to the lodges.

These hawks are known to specialize in feeding on reptiles like lizards and snakes, but have also been observed feeding on small mammals and large insects. One study observed adults even feed their chicks venomous vipers and poisonous toads!

Where to see it while in Tambopata? The Great Black Hawk is one of the larger hawks in our region, and always a pleasure to watch as it hops along the shore of the Tambopata looking for prey.

Follow Phil Torres in his adventures on twitter.

Tropical Herping Visits Our Lodges

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Tropical Herping, a team of biologists and photographers from Ecuador, at our lodges. They performed an extensive survey of our forests and took some INCREDIBLE images.

Considering it is dry season, the 37 species of stunning reptiles and amphibians is quite impressive. Click on the image below for the full report and image gallery!

A 'Faena' - Community Teamwork To Rebuild A Roof

How is it possible to maintain such large lodges in the middle of the Amazon? A recent roof renovation at Posada Amazonas Lodge highlighted the incredible process.

The "faena," community-organized work project, to replace the roof.

It all revolved around a "faena" in which community members donate their time to work on a project that is for the good of the community. Posada Amazonas is managed by and co-owned by the native community of Infierno, and employs many individuals from the community, so this roof renovation was directed by the board of the community.

The turn out was remarkable - 73 people, 15kg of nails, and 1,500 crishneja leaves, the palm from which the roofing is woven. 

There are as many men as there are women. Women are mainly in charge of carrying the leaves from the port to the house that is to be remodeled. Men dedicate themselves to the installation of the roof and finally, the women clean the rooms and the work areas, and they prepare the communal meal and the refreshments. first day involved removing the old roof and replacing half of it, the second day finished the replacement and sealed the edges, and the third day was the clean-up.

On the first day, the 100% of the dry leaves were removed and half of the newroof was installed. On the second day, the other half was installed. Edges and unions were sealed and finally, the third day was cleaning and preparation day, to leave everything ready.

In order to cover the new roof, they must begin from the bottom up and from left to right. A row of about 20 people is formed, each one holding a bundle of crishneja leaf. Upon a shout or a whistle signal from one of them, they must begin to place and nail the leaves in order, making sure one bundle is beneath the other. They continue to the following row and so on and so forth until the top is reached.

From us at Rainforest Expeditions, a huge thank you to the Community of Infierno for their hard work in keeping the Posada Amazonas Lodge well maintained and beautiful!

How Many Tapirs Visited This Claylick In 24 Hours?

A recent study on the Tambopata region showed that we are truly in a Tapir paradise, with numbers that have recovered from any hunting or habitat disturbance of the past due to well protected habitat over these last few decades.

A tapir crossing the Tambopata. Image by Jeff Cremer.

While reports on recovered numbers are always a good sign, what I didn't know was how many there actually were here, or if it would be difficult to get some glimpses of tapirs in the wild. Tapirs are notoriously difficult to see, as one tapir researcher I know who has spent over a year in the field has only ever seen one in person!

I was curious to know how many tapirs we have in our area, so I set up a camera trap near the Colorado Claylick at the Tambopata Research Center to take photos of any passing mammals. While the claylick is known for its spectacular displays of macaws feeding on the salty clay during the rainy season, it also has several heavily used game trails leading to it which suggest that mammals are also extensively walking into the claylick to get in on the action. I hoped some of those mammals would be tapirs.

I expecting maybe one, but what I got was far from that. Here's an example of a fairly typical night at the claylick.*

At 2:35am 

Right behind him at 2:37am

A bit late on the action, 3:35am

Some tapir bum, 7:05pm.

Getting the night started, a tapir nose, 7:55pm

Either a paca or a baby tapir... 10:55pm

There are a maximum of six tapirs, and minimum of three in these photos. Regardless of the final amount, this much tapir activity consistently in one area is very impressive, and demonstrates the importance of the claylick for our non-avian neighbors living in the rainforest around us.

*Note- while it may appear these are multiple pictures of the same individual, there are additional photos showing each one leave the camera's view (and not return), suggesting they are all different. I simply selected the photos which give the best view of the beasts.

Follow Phil Torres on his adventures in the Amazon on twitter.

This UNBELIEVABLE Moth Cocoon

While Destin from Smarter Every Day was visiting us here in Tambopata, we came across one of the most incredible examples of art in nature we've ever seen, a cocoon of a urodid moth.

Check out his video on the discovery, and look for the high-resolution images below:



This 'open network' cocoon structure is quite different from other moth cocoons in that it only partially encloses the pupa. This allows for more airflow over the pupa, possibly helping prevent fungus and mold from being able to grow on it.

Want to come experience the Amazon? Check out our lodges here.

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