The Tropics - It's All About Sex.
In the spring semester of 2010, my senior year of undergraduate study, I enrolled in Tropical Ecology, a lecture and lab course taught by Dr. Aimee Thomas. Over the course of 8 weeks, we ran through the terrestrial and marine invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, and fungi found in the tropics. It was a class that I always looked forward to, and one that I would strongly encourage any undergraduate or graduate to take.
The field trip to Guatemala and Belize, which took place between May 17th and 31st, was outstanding. We spent our time in Tikal, Guatemala and in the southern portion of Belize. Our first stop was Tikal, where we explored Maya ruins and stalked frogs in a nearby frog pond. From there, we went to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a jaguar sanctuary. Although we weren't lucky enough to see a jaguar, two group members narrowly missed seeing one walk past. All that they found was a foot print in the mud. Before leaving southern Belize, we spent some time at another frog pond and were lucky enough to watch red eyed treefrogs mate and oviposit. From the dark, dank jungle we traveled to a windy island in Glover's Atoll. We spent 6 days diving, snorkeling, and looking for whale sharks. After Glover's, we traveled to Belize City, stopping once at a mangrove forest to observe a new ecosystem. We spent our last two nights at the Tropical Educational Center (TEC) in Belize City. TEC is an educational facility nestled in the forest but close to local highways and the zoo. It is a great place to bird watch, and if you get the opportunity to take a night tour of the zoo, do so.
I've titled this short summary "The Tropics - It's All About Sex" because while we were there it seemed as if everything, from moths to frogs to fungi, was in the process of ensuring that its genes continued into the next generation. The rainy season, which arrived just as we did, is the culprit responsible for this randy behavior, at least for the frogs. The photos are organized chronologically. All videos were made at the pond in Tikal, Guatemala, except for the last video, which was made at the pond in southern Belize.
Below are my "dry" pictures and video from the trip. Unfortunately, my "wet" pictures (those taken while diving and snorkeling) have disappeared.
The field trip to Guatemala and Belize, which took place between May 17th and 31st, was outstanding. We spent our time in Tikal, Guatemala and in the southern portion of Belize. Our first stop was Tikal, where we explored Maya ruins and stalked frogs in a nearby frog pond. From there, we went to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a jaguar sanctuary. Although we weren't lucky enough to see a jaguar, two group members narrowly missed seeing one walk past. All that they found was a foot print in the mud. Before leaving southern Belize, we spent some time at another frog pond and were lucky enough to watch red eyed treefrogs mate and oviposit. From the dark, dank jungle we traveled to a windy island in Glover's Atoll. We spent 6 days diving, snorkeling, and looking for whale sharks. After Glover's, we traveled to Belize City, stopping once at a mangrove forest to observe a new ecosystem. We spent our last two nights at the Tropical Educational Center (TEC) in Belize City. TEC is an educational facility nestled in the forest but close to local highways and the zoo. It is a great place to bird watch, and if you get the opportunity to take a night tour of the zoo, do so.
I've titled this short summary "The Tropics - It's All About Sex" because while we were there it seemed as if everything, from moths to frogs to fungi, was in the process of ensuring that its genes continued into the next generation. The rainy season, which arrived just as we did, is the culprit responsible for this randy behavior, at least for the frogs. The photos are organized chronologically. All videos were made at the pond in Tikal, Guatemala, except for the last video, which was made at the pond in southern Belize.
Below are my "dry" pictures and video from the trip. Unfortunately, my "wet" pictures (those taken while diving and snorkeling) have disappeared.