Randy Babb visiting Mount Totumas earlier this year as part of Albert Thurman’s group. They were fortunate to find a beautiful specimen of a juvenile Bothrieches lateralis on their 2nd day and Randy placed this viper in a secure container and proceeded to illustrate it during the next 24 hours. The result is stunning.
The viper was released where it was found afterwards.
Here is a composite video captured by our game cameras mostly on The Big Tree Loop Trail. We often see the scratch marks of Mountain Lions who have marked their territory and fortunately we captured footage of a big cat actually marking his territory. Mother with cub, Tayra, possum with prehensile tail carrying leaves, coati, agouti, peccaries, armadillo, marguay, paca and a spotted wood quail.
Here are a couple of video captures from one of our game cameras on the Big Tree Loop. The first image is of an opossum. Notice the long snout. This does not look like a Common Opossum and yet there are no other candidates I can come up with on the mammal books we have.
The other images is of a Common Opossum carrying leaves with its prehensile tail. Probably busy building a nest. Interesting to see this prehensile tail actually functional!
Toby and Patrick were here at Mount Totumas at the end of May and wandered our trails. Toby mentioned that he enjoys moving into nature without any specific goal or agenda and allowing the secrets of the forest to reveal themselves. Here are some of the images he was able to capture. The above photo of a Violet Sabrewing is gorgeous, the bird is in sharp focus with whirling wings.
Mantled Howler
Spider Monkey
Female Resplendent Quetzal with bambito fruit.
Male Resplendent Quetzal. Photographed on The Quetzal trail.
Glass Frog on The Cascade Trail.
Track of a large cat on The Bajareque Trail. Probably a Mountain Lion since this was on the border of pasture and forest. This track is very defined because the cat stepped squarely onto a cow patty!
Thank You Toby and Patrick!
This video of a Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) was taken May 2017 with our camera traps at the junction of The Big Tree Loop and Cenizo Trails. Probably the same individual, he passed both night and day. Many of this cat’s prey was also captured by the light trap; Agouti, Paca, Spotted Woodquail, Possum.
Thank You Polina Vishkautsan for these amazing photos of a Collared Trogon. Polina is a photographer who was part of Albert Thurman’s last group visiting Mount Totumas in April. The trogon nest was up at 1950m and Polina and I set up a blind the day before. The following morning Polina headed up at 6am and waited patiently several hours in the blind in order to capture these two images.
Albert brought a group of amazing photographers and artists. More pics and drawings to follow!
Here is a video and pics. of a recent Lodge to Lodge hike that starts at Finca Hartman then on to Cotito Lodge and finishing at Mount Totumas Cloud Forest. This is a 10 mile hike where you can combine staying in all three lodges. Elevation range 1400-2000m Great tour for trekkers and bird watchers.
Thank you Jorge Lopez for putting together this video. Jorge works as a wilderness guide for Baru Expeditions.
One of the our trees heavily laden with epiphytes fell down a couple years ago and we found this fascinating Oncidium sp. orchid that grows as a vine. Every couple of inches a complete small pseudo bulb with leaves repeats along the wire like vine that wraps itself through the branches of the tree and among all the other epiphytes. We took a large pile of this vine and tossed it on top of a post near the Homestead. It’s now 3 years growing here and seems very happy in its new home. There is something always joyous about taking a doomed epiphyte from the shady forest floor and giving them a 2nd chance, especially when they thrive.
Using branches and vines we took from a fallen oak tree we created a display on the new deck of the homestead where we attached orchids and bromeliads and other epiiphytes. We then added feeders and this has become a major attraction for guests. Check out the diversity of hummingbirds here at Mount Totumas on this video.
We made a post awhile back about a troupe of Howler Monkeys on the emergent Mexican Elm Tree in front of the deck of The Bellbird Lodge. Well, today we had a troupe of Spider Monkeys visiting the same tree. Here is some video footage.
Notice the nice seen of preening by the pair at the top of the tree. These are highly acrobatic monkeys and a lot of fun to watch.