7/17/2003

7/17/2013


I don't really have any proof, but I'm pretty sure the lizards are learning to avoid me.

Today was the toughest yet in terms of numbers.

I'm either letting exhaustion get the best of me.

Or, the more reasonable option.

The lizards have devised a complex communication system that allows them to track my whereabouts and avoid my lizard pole.


Clearly they're adapting.



I did manage to find a few. I use 'find' in a very loose sense.



Let's see, maybe you could help me find one.

No joke, there's one in there.


















Maybe we'll walk a little closer...

I had the same kind of trouble.

















Still can't see it?














We'll get right up in its face.

A fellow REU still couldn't find the darn thing, so I'll just make it pop right out for you:

Needless to say, these things are cryptic.

And I'm pretty sure they're well aware of when I can't see them.


As soon as we make eye-contact...gone!


A few unfortunate souls aren't quite fast enough. Normally it's the males that stick around and head-bob at me.

Their mistake.

This last week might be a long one.




I did manage to find a new, cool insect.


Family: Scarabaeidae (Hercules Beetle) These things are awesome. They're the strongest animal on the planet; able to lift 850 times their own weight!!! Males fight each other with these giant horn-like projections and try to slam each other on the ground to win a female. They spend most of their lives as larvae, underground eating rotten wood. I'm glad I had the chance to see and adult male looking for trouble

After lunch I ran into a conundrum. I had lizards that needed to be tested to find their CTmax (the maximum temperature they can handle). To do this, however, I needed power for the electric kettle I've been using to slowly raise the temperature.



But

 
There was a scheduled power-outage that was going to last for ~2 hours. Hmmm


I could:
a) catch more lizards and do tests on them tomorrow
b) get some much needed rest
c) finally find a way to stop sweating for at least a few minutes












I think I made the right choice...

I felt guilty about not working for about 2 seconds.



Then I got into the water.



Not so much a swimming hole, more like a barrel. It still felt good to get into the water. A nice reprieve from the heat and humidity.