Book Tours
“A Wolf Like No Other” When I first saw the Maned Wolf, I was taken aback. It has the face of a fox, the body of a wolf and the long legs of I don’t know what. It stands fairly tall at about 3 ½ feet at the shoulder. We were staying at a place that they were known to wander through, so we sat and waited. Lo and behold, this one and a couple of others trotted through. [Brazil]
“Old man of the Forest” Orangutans have been called the “old man of the forest” and when I saw this boy, I could see why. Orangutans are critically endangered. As he gazes off into the forest, I wonder what changes he has seen. [Borneo]
“Just One Look” This Tamandua was busy doing the things that anteaters do…foraging for ants, termites and other tasty treats that they enjoy. You need to be up early to see anteaters as they are primarily nocturnal. This one gave us one last look before heading into its nest in a tree for the day. [Brazil]
“Funny Face” Ok, we can’t make fun, but Tapirs do have a funny face. Their noses articulate like an elephant’s trunk and those ears are just precious. While tapirs eat a variety of fruits and seeds, this one staked out a mango tree that had been dropping lots of fruit. I get it. I love mangoes too! [Brazil]
“Aye, Matey” This is the Aye Aye lemur, one of the most endangered species on our planet. There are so few left that each time we go to Madagascar, we wonder if it will be last one we see. They are a fascinating and gentle creature with really unique features, among them being their extra-long finger used to pull food from small crevasses. [Madagascar]
“Connection” One of the things I love about Madagascar is the connection that you can make with the lemurs. They are all endangered species and 98% face extinction but being in their presence, brings a wonderful calm. This is a Black and White Ruffed Lemur that we got to just hang out with. [Madagascar]
“Changing Color” Chameleons have amazing adaptations: From their rotating eyes, to their clingy feet to their ability to change color – they are pretty cool. This is a Helmeted Chameleon. [Kenya]
“The Warm Cluster” As Monarchs overwinter in Mexico, it can get quite cold in the mountain forest. At night, they cluster on the limbs and trunks of the Oyamel Fir trees. The subtle warmth given off by the tress act like a hot water bottle that helps them get through the cold night. Clustered together, they keep warm and await the sunlight. [Mexico]
“Nothing to Howl About Here” As we made our way through the forest, we came across a troop of Howler monkeys. It was late in the day so there was no howling, just foraging and relaxing. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. [Brazil]
“A Special Spangle” This is one of those cases where you thumb through a field guide and say to yourself, ‘wow, I wish I could see that bird!” The Spangled Coquette is found in southern Ecuador and it really lives up to its name with all of its colors and flourishes. We went to a place specifically in of seeing it and got lucky! [Ecuador]
“Big Eyes and Funny Feet” This Western Tarsier (aka Horsfield’s Tarsier) is a nocturnal species that springs from branch to branch looking for insects and other things to eat. They can be very fast, moving through the forest with ease, but when one stops for a look those big brown eyes and wonderful hands and feet just make you smile! [Borneo]
“Ear Tufts – Pretty and Functional!” Here’s a cool cat. It’s called a Caracal. One of the things I love about these cats is their neat ear tufts. A fun fact about them is that they not only use them as camouflage in tall grasses but also as a communication tool with other caracals in the area. A twitch here and a twitch there and they send a quiet note to a friend. I imagine it’s like a Morse code for Caracals. [Tanzania]