Herping in Belize

[Lamb]

Hello all!

In May, I will be traveling in the southern portion of Belize with my tropical ecology class. I'm hoping to maximize my herp encounters, especially with amphibians, and was wondering if anyone had experience herping in tropical rain-forests? I have a good bit of experience in temperate forests/swamps, but I was wondering if there might be any tropic-specific tips.

 

[pierson_hill]

Amphibians will be out at night for the most part, so make sure you've got a powerful head lamp with plenty of spare batteries (check out Fenix's HP10). Different species of frogs use different types of microhabitats, so make sure you explore the edges of pools, streams, lakes, and rivers if possible. Obviously, humid or drizzly nights are best for frogs and salamanders -- walk slowly and deliberately, scanning both the ground, understory, and overhead vegetation. During the day, check rolled up leaves or inside tank bromeliads. Finding herps in the tropics is all about devoting lots of time to looking -- don't plan on getting lucky too often.

 

[Lamb]

Pierson, have you had any experiences herping in the tropics that you could elaborate on? I'd love to hear another person's stories.

 

[Lamb]

I should have updated this thread a while back. The trip to Belize was amazing. We arrived right as the rainy season began, and were lucky enough to observe two temporary breeding ponds (one in Tikal, Guatemala, and the other in Cockscomb, Belize). The frog choruses were deafening, and at the pond in Belize the water was so full of tadpoles that you felt them as they bumped into your ankles. To see pictures and a more detailed account, check out the Belize May 2010 subtab of my Photos tab at my personal website: jenlamb.weebly.com. Although not featured on the site, we managed to find one species of salamander as well, a northern banana salamander (Bolitoglossa rufescens). I had a mind-blowing time!

 

[axolotlfriend]

i'm so jealous!!! its been so long since i've gone out of the country.

have fun