Nature Adventures with a Herpetologist!

This morning at breakfast I met Cindy Wilber, director of Proyecto Itzaes, a non-profit in the Yucatan that is empowering communities through literacy and other sustainable educational opportunities.  Wow!  Check them out  at http://proyectoitzaesusa.org.  Cindy, along with her son Simon, were heading out to a property in nearby Cenotillo to conduct a reptile survey with Hillary, a herpetologist from UC-Davis.  Sounds like a great day for a biology teacher to tag along!

A fine capture!

I haven't spent a lot of time capturing reptiles in the past twenty years, though I did have a lot of experience with the sort in my early days, having older brothers who were boys scouts and growing up in wooded areas.  Little did I know that in no time, I'd be back to my old self!

Nice lines!

Herpetologists have special tools that they use to handle reptiles..sort of a modified fishing pole with a slip-noose on the end. And they also just get really excited and use their hands, which apparently requires gently grabbing the leg of the lizard or frog, as to not damage its organs.  For the day, I was more of a spotter, keeping my eyes open and calling when I'd found something.

Hillary and Simon document their findings

The first find of the day was waiting for us when we arrived to the property, a large rattlesnake found by the property's workers, Mike and Ariel, who were waiting proudly when we arrived.

Out on the prowl...

Setting up the camera

We spent a considerable amount of time tracking down whiptails and anoles, who were easier to spot than to lasso.  Next, we took a trek into the low-land jungle to set up a motion-sensor camera in front of a fruit tree.  If all goes well, the camera will capture pictures of animals feeding on the fallen nance, giving a better idea of the biodiversity of the area.  There are definitely many armadillo in the area, whose round bodies leave tunnels in the long grasses.

The afternoon rainstorm brought a fresh catch of frogs, several with beautiful colors.  For now, the mission is just creating a list of reptiles and amphibians living in the area.  From there, perhaps more studies will follow.  After a few days of work, the list stands at about fourteen, with many, many more to be discovered.  More adventures await for those willing to discover the secrets of the forest.  Speaking of which, this is a playground for little gnomes who play in the forest nearby, which the Maya call aluxes.  Not my first encounter with los duendes, but definitely cool to see them alive and well in this area. ;)

Kahtal Alux