Hola everyone
Well, I?ve fnally made it back to town after a 6 week stint in the jungle. I wouldn?t say I was roughing it as I had a bed most nights, ate indoors most days and at some lodges, sometimes had our beds made (sick I know). We do however always have cold showers, have to wash our clothes by hand (sometimes in the river), chloronated river water to drink (dirt included) and the amount of parasites are in their trillions. One species being a vector for leishmanisis, a protazoan that treatment includes 21 injections of heavy metals in 21 days, and even then, you will never rid your body of the skin eating parasite. It?ll just flair up again anytime your immune system drops.
Apart from that, am having an awesome time. The weather (at most times) is beautiful, but the humidity could drop a little. The scene of the jungle are spectacular, whether it be the trees, the river, the views from clay cliffs, the wildlife or the colpa in the morning(bird clay lick which is covered in hudreds of coloured parrots).
Apart from the lack of beer, and only communication with the outside world being by letter via boat, everything has been great. I wouldn?t have had it any other way. Even if my working week is 60 hours long. The best being that the snakes that I have come for have been plentiful. In the past 12 work days, there have been 32 snakes caught. The frogs come in every shape, size and colour, the last frog I caught was 4m up a tree and necessitated climbing the tree till it snapped so the frog could be plucked from the ground. It was a giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolour) (and yes, all reptiles and amphibians are termed by their latin names, only a few have common english names). This frog was bright green and the size of my face. So I had a photo of it stuck to my face, as you do. I have caught 3 caiman, (crocodilians) the largest being caught at 12.30am waist deep in a creek and it was 1m long. Quite impressive. The best thing I?ve caught (amoung the countless boas, harmless snakes, and deadly coral snakes and emerald pit vipers and an anaconda) was a snake that I caught in the first 2 weeks. Wili (one of perus top herpetologists) identified it as a Coral Snake (Micrurus lemiscatus) and me not knowing the snakes here said "cool". 3 weeks later when I caught Micrurus lemiscatus, I went to the scale key (a lot of snakes here look very similar and the only way to identify is to count the scales and cross reference on the scale key) and discovered that the first snake wasn?t Micrurus lemiscatus. The colour sequence wasn?t even right. It took a further 3 days to finally identify the snake and it even turn out not to be a coral snake but a mimic. The strange thing was its banding was different from its species too and was a geographical variation. The best bit was it only the second time a specimen has been recorded in the area, the first being 15 years a go. The closest I?ll come to discovering a new species, A lot closer than anyone else I think.
Amoung the other teams (birds and mammals) there have been sights of tapir, ocelots, giant anteater, armadillos and even a jaguar( I?ve seen all but the anteater and jaguar).
We have now got two more nights before we leave civilisation and beer and contact with my friends and family again for a further 4 weeks. The next lodge we were headed for was ecoamazonia, but the manager cancelled us for the only reason the he is a jackass (actually he thinks we scare the animals, but we do less than that than the tourists and that is the exact thing we are studying) so instead of going to "disneyland" (so nicknamed for the zoo-like design. A man-made bird claylick, man-made turtle and caiman basking spots and even an monkey island where tourist can travel to see all the mammals trapped in one day) we have organised to go to Las Pedras instead. The owner wants to start having tourists, but as of yet, we will have been the only people other than locals and owners to have been there. It is one and a half days boat ride, so camping on a beach with bonfire, drinks and music is in order. It should have some great animals.
Now I am off to find some food, pick up my washing, (a laundry, ahh the simple pleasures) buy more socks and get some kip to rid myself of my hangover (went a bit silly last night as I haven?t had a beer in so long).
Have some amazing photos and as soon as I work out one of these computers, will attempt to post some, but definately a full folder when I get home.
Missing my BHPs incredibly
Justin
Well, I?ve fnally made it back to town after a 6 week stint in the jungle. I wouldn?t say I was roughing it as I had a bed most nights, ate indoors most days and at some lodges, sometimes had our beds made (sick I know). We do however always have cold showers, have to wash our clothes by hand (sometimes in the river), chloronated river water to drink (dirt included) and the amount of parasites are in their trillions. One species being a vector for leishmanisis, a protazoan that treatment includes 21 injections of heavy metals in 21 days, and even then, you will never rid your body of the skin eating parasite. It?ll just flair up again anytime your immune system drops.
Apart from that, am having an awesome time. The weather (at most times) is beautiful, but the humidity could drop a little. The scene of the jungle are spectacular, whether it be the trees, the river, the views from clay cliffs, the wildlife or the colpa in the morning(bird clay lick which is covered in hudreds of coloured parrots).
Apart from the lack of beer, and only communication with the outside world being by letter via boat, everything has been great. I wouldn?t have had it any other way. Even if my working week is 60 hours long. The best being that the snakes that I have come for have been plentiful. In the past 12 work days, there have been 32 snakes caught. The frogs come in every shape, size and colour, the last frog I caught was 4m up a tree and necessitated climbing the tree till it snapped so the frog could be plucked from the ground. It was a giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolour) (and yes, all reptiles and amphibians are termed by their latin names, only a few have common english names). This frog was bright green and the size of my face. So I had a photo of it stuck to my face, as you do. I have caught 3 caiman, (crocodilians) the largest being caught at 12.30am waist deep in a creek and it was 1m long. Quite impressive. The best thing I?ve caught (amoung the countless boas, harmless snakes, and deadly coral snakes and emerald pit vipers and an anaconda) was a snake that I caught in the first 2 weeks. Wili (one of perus top herpetologists) identified it as a Coral Snake (Micrurus lemiscatus) and me not knowing the snakes here said "cool". 3 weeks later when I caught Micrurus lemiscatus, I went to the scale key (a lot of snakes here look very similar and the only way to identify is to count the scales and cross reference on the scale key) and discovered that the first snake wasn?t Micrurus lemiscatus. The colour sequence wasn?t even right. It took a further 3 days to finally identify the snake and it even turn out not to be a coral snake but a mimic. The strange thing was its banding was different from its species too and was a geographical variation. The best bit was it only the second time a specimen has been recorded in the area, the first being 15 years a go. The closest I?ll come to discovering a new species, A lot closer than anyone else I think.
Amoung the other teams (birds and mammals) there have been sights of tapir, ocelots, giant anteater, armadillos and even a jaguar( I?ve seen all but the anteater and jaguar).
We have now got two more nights before we leave civilisation and beer and contact with my friends and family again for a further 4 weeks. The next lodge we were headed for was ecoamazonia, but the manager cancelled us for the only reason the he is a jackass (actually he thinks we scare the animals, but we do less than that than the tourists and that is the exact thing we are studying) so instead of going to "disneyland" (so nicknamed for the zoo-like design. A man-made bird claylick, man-made turtle and caiman basking spots and even an monkey island where tourist can travel to see all the mammals trapped in one day) we have organised to go to Las Pedras instead. The owner wants to start having tourists, but as of yet, we will have been the only people other than locals and owners to have been there. It is one and a half days boat ride, so camping on a beach with bonfire, drinks and music is in order. It should have some great animals.
Now I am off to find some food, pick up my washing, (a laundry, ahh the simple pleasures) buy more socks and get some kip to rid myself of my hangover (went a bit silly last night as I haven?t had a beer in so long).
Have some amazing photos and as soon as I work out one of these computers, will attempt to post some, but definately a full folder when I get home.
Missing my BHPs incredibly
Justin
Hey chewy great to here all is going good over there,cant wait to see the pics keep snapping away lol,must be some awsome sights over there,enjoy every minute as it will fly by. 
