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I survived my first day in the field! 6 a.m. start, got into the forest before the sun even rose. So my first introduction to the rain forest was tramping through darkness and getting snagged on invisible vines, sinking my boots into unseen holes. But finally the sun came up, and along with it came the mosquitoes. We hiked along until we found the group of black howler monkeys we would be observing for the day. We discovered them pretty quickly—around 7 a.m.—which was much faster than normal apparently.
From then on we spent the day following the group and conducting scan and focal observations. With a scan, conducted every 15 minutes, we try to locate all the individuals and note what they
are doing based on a list of coded behaviors. In a focal, we pick one individual and record their actions for a predetermined period of time. If the monkeys move a lot, this can be difficult as we’re frantically chasing them down and trying to document their every move, without losing sight of our subject.The job is tedious, but pretty amazing when I stop to think I’m a few meters from this incredible animal who doesn’t give a crap that I’m there, and just carries on with its daily routine. The group we watched today has nine members, and the only way you can really tell them apart is by the unique size and shape of their genitals. When they’re at the top of the canopy and I’m squinting at monkey butts through my binoculars, there isn’t much else to go by.
After completing nine hours of focal observations, we hiked back out of the forest and took a colectivo (shared taxi) back to the house. I was pretty satisfied with my first day, and got to see some amazing creatures that I’ve either only heard about or seen in captivity. I was really excited to see about 20 different species of butterflies that I could identify from working in the Living Conservatory at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
I also became acquainted with the bullhorn acacia tree and its corresponding host of body guard ants, though luckily haven’t experienced their sting yet. Bullhorn acacia trees have no natural defense against herbivores, but they have an alternative approach. They live in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the bullhorn acacia ants, which reside in the hollowed out thorns of the tree and swarm to attack any animal that brushes past. In return, the tree develops rich protein bodies that hang off its branches and serve no other apparent purpose other than to feed the ants. It’s an extremely fascinating system, but one to be admired from afar. Especially by someone like me who is allergic to their sting.
There is also an immensely venomous group of pitviper snakes called lanceheads (Genus Bothrops) that are common in the area, way more potent than the rattlesnakes and copperheads I’ve grown up to be wary of. According to Wikipedia, members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths than any other reptile in the Americas.
We wear really thick gators that are specially woven to be (theoretically) impenetrable to snake fangs, paired with sturdy, rubber boots. Long sleeve shirts and pants are a must, along with a rain jacket. Monsoon season is underway so we’re trying to protect ourselves from the water, flora and fauna. I use [approaching] 100% deet bug spray (will kill the bugs even if it eats away my skin in the process), and I was also just introduced to the sulfur/baby powder combo that we sprinkle around the gaps in our clothing to keep the chiggers at bay. I’m definitely starting to think the environment here is like, “Take a hint, stay away!”
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