Our first full day of exploration.
A day on the water & up in the air... and a night in the jungle...
Lake Sandoval is one of the most popular daytrips in the Peruvian jungle. We first took a motor boat down the river then hiked 1 hour along a muddy trail (that is normally flooded during the wet season) to the bank of the lake where we stepped into canoes to explore the unique flora & fauna of this region.
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| A huge strangler fig tree along the trail- This is a parasitic tree that begins as a little seed on the canopy floor then overtakes the host tree & finally "strangles" it to death. Once the host tree dies, the hollow inside of the fig tree provides a home to many rodents, reptiles, birds, & other animals...fascinating! |
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| But one of the most fascinating things we saw was one of the smallest creatures- the Leaf Cutter Ants. They are the smallest recyclers on the planet and they eat more vegetation in the rainforest than any other type of animal (think about that for a minute). In truth they do not actually eat the leaves but chew them up & use them to "feed" their fungus garden which is then used for their food. They are super strong too- his little guy is carrying about 20X his own weight. |
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| As muddy as the Mississippi river that we know... |
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| A majestic Cocoi Heron |
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| Gray-necked Wood Rail Unchala |
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| The primitive looking Hoatzin is locally known as the "Shansho" (which I think translates to "stink bird" or has something to do with the fact that the meat of this bird is unedible) is an interesting specimen- It is an herbivore and has a digestive system similar to that of a cow & the young are hatched with a claw that they lose around 3 months of age. |
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| Giant River Otters (a.k.a "River Wolves")- These guys are one of the most endangered mammals in the neotropics. |
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| Baby Black Caimans (crocodiles)- The little guys look cute now but don't be fooled, they can grow up to 20 feet long and are one of the most fearsome predators in the rainforest. They eat almost anything by drowning it and swallowing it whole. |
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| Sharp-nosed Bats |
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| Taricaya Turles |
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| Tiger Heron |
After our wonderful mornng on the lake, we left the "safety" of the ground to get a higher view of the area via a "Canopy Walk"... many, many, many meters above my comfort level...
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| This intimidating (& rickety looking) wooden structure... goes up 120 meters or 400 feet! |
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| The boys were not in the least bit afraid and proceeded to nimbly explore the tops of the trees, taunting "Look, Mom!" |
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| As I said...way above my comfort level of "reaching new heights"- you cannot see the ground on the way down, just looks like a big black hole... |
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| Back on the ground and back to the lodge after a very full day- But the fun doesn't end here... |
A night walk in the jungle...
yes, .....SCARY for this momma.
Some people (like two boys I know) think that snakes and spiders are fascinating to encounter in the jungle while I was secretly hoping we would make it through the walk without spotting anything!
MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN-
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| Tarantula in the tree |
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| Snake on the ground- I think this is a Mussuarana (unique that it is only mildly venomous AND a constrictor) but I didn't really stick around to hear our guide's explanation. Did I mention that Indiana Jones & I have something in common!?! |
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| A friendly harmless little moth- Ahhh... |
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| Snake in the tree!! (a tree boa) Did you know that all rainforest snakes are carnivorous? EEEKK!! |
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| Spider on the ground- Is this another tarantula or the highly dangerous (actually deadly) Banana or Wandering Spider?!? We did not get close enought to make the determination!! Boys: "This is so cool!" Mom: "Get me outta here"! |
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| Great way to end a thrilling evening- dining sans parents |
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