It feels...pretty...darn good, to be done with my paper (for now) and ready for my presentation.
Not gonna lie, I made some pretty bitchin' clipart pics (not sure if those words should all go together in a sentence, but whatever)
I'm not even going to talk about what is going on here. If I made a half-way decent picture, it should be self-evident...
I've never worked on a project that has significant results and is something brand new to science. Flying pretty high this week.
To celebrate all the hard work and a job well done. I went back into the jungle to say some goodbyes.
There are a lot of reasons to be happy that I'm going home.
Part of me will always stay here though.
You know when people randomly quote poetry when they're outdoors...yeah, well, that drives me nuts! But... I'm going to go ahead and act like a jerk, so stay with me.
I think I've come to better understand what one of my favorites...
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
You know one thing I won't miss though?
Loosing my boots in knee deep mud!
We ran into some pretty cool stuff out there today.
Caiman crocodilus (Spectacled Caiman) This pretty little thang was sitting on a log just waiting for me. I am no caiman catcher though, it took off before I got with 2m of it! Probably for the best, I don't think I would have known what to do with one this big.
Greta oto (Glasswing Butterfly) These are awesome and I'm glad I finally got a good picture of one. Some in the same genera can get HUGE! I don't know what purpose their see-through wings serve, but it sure looks cool.
Psychotria Elata (Hot Lips) Another common name for this plant is 'Hooker's Lips'. Not to get too botany-y on you, but those red things are actually bracts and the flowers are in the middle.
Craugastor bransfordii (Bransford's Litterfrog) it was nice to run into an old friend. It's been a while since I caught any frogs. I think it felt even better to not have to stick him in the hot water bath.
Rana warszewitschii & Paraponera clavata (Brilliant Rainforest Frog & Bullet Ant) Go figure, the first of these types of frogs I see, and the darn ants are plundering it. Maybe I should explain... that's a huge frog! Those ants are all ~3cm long! When we first came across the scene I thought the frog had died and they were moving it...
That's a no...
They were eating it! I didn't get a chance to see it, but I'm pretty sure they killed it. Pretty brutal ants.
Once I got back to the river station to take a shower, I learned another valuable jungle lesson (better late than never).
Always wear your shoes! No matter what!
Walking to the shower, I suddenly felt a burning sensation on my foot. It wasn't like getting a match head on your skin, more clean, like a red-hot fork prong on the bottom of my foot.
When I finally figured out what got me, I was blown away with what condition it was in. I was sure I had stepped on a bee or something. Turns out...
They warned me about touching fuzzy caterpillars and now I know why. I barely grazed the thing...and boy o' boy did it hurt like all hell.
Knowing I only have a few more days, of course I had to go back to the swamp to say goodbye to all the awesome creatures I've met these past few months.
See ya turtle.
Mexican Tree-Frog
Adios cool butterfly
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Smokey Jungle Frog
Kisses for the Northern Cat-eyed Snake
We even found a new one tonight!
Agalychnis saltator (Parachuting Red-eyed Leaf Frog) These look pretty similar to the other types, except the color on their sides is purple and they have yellow spots on their back. This frog gets its name from the fact that during mating season, when the swamps fill up with water, they will jump from their homes high up in the canopy and use their large toe pads to parachute through the air.
And of course, the animal I'll miss more than all the rest. The most charismatic animal in the jungle. Goodbye my friend. The Red-eyed tree Frog (always the joker!)
The animals in the jungle have been so good to me, and I'll always remember my time with them. Only a few more days left. I plan on enjoying every minute!
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