Biodiversity of a dry tropical forest

The dry tropical forest has much lower biodiversity than the wet tropical forest.  This is really hard for a temperate-latitude type like myself to believe, because the diversity here is amazing, so I have to remind myself.  Today was the crash course in natural history of Palo Verde; 8 hours in the field hiking around with people who know a great deal about the plants and animals that live here.  I've decided to relegate the daily bird list (only including things I hadn't seen on this trip yet) to the end of the post, because there are SO MANY.  But the mammal highlights are shorter and cuter, so I'll include them here.  A band of white-faced capuchin monkeys was hanging around by the water hole.  This was my first encounter with primates in the wild, and I was amazed by how smart they look... how much like little people.  They look back at you in a way that is totally different from anything else.  They're also aggressive just like little people -- shaking branches, screaming, throwing sticks.  Later in the day we saw some howler monkeys up on the ridge (bigger, fuzzier) but didn't hear any howling.  Then a few hours later, just after sunset, a couple of peccaries wandered through the station.  They weren't shy at all, but not interested in us either.  They just jogged along the periphery.  I know iguanas aren't mammals, but they are also  conspicuous around the station, sunning themselves in the backyard and mating on the roof.

After dinner a few of us went on a night hike.  We were using headlamps and flashlights to look for eyeshine.  At first all I found were wolf spiders (their eyes light up blue, I had NO IDEA there were that many spiders in one field.)  Then we found some nightjars (medium-sized nocturnal birds).  Then we headed into the marsh.  I stayed on the elevated boardwalk, but several brave souls ventured into the muck up to their knees, chasing down glowing eyes that looked bigger than insects.  First they got a leopard frog, and then they got a 2-foot crocodile!  One of the faculty leading the hike, Craig Guyer, grabbed it and brought it over for us to see.  I got to touch it, and it hissed at me!  With its mouthful of needle teeth glinting.  What a great way to end the day.

Tomorrow we'll start applying what we've learned to develop ideas for research projects.  It's all about hypothesis testing.  Step One, how to find a question and formulate it as a hypothesis!  (Maybe that is actually two steps... or more.)  This is something I am excited about getting better at, so we'll see how the first try goes.  

Our group has hit the thrilling honeymoon stage (well known to those of you who have worked in outdoor education or been to summer camp).  It's a fun time.  The awkwardness of the first day has worn off, but no one is frustrated and exhausted yet.  We're all excited about getting to know each other and absorbing everything that is thrown at us.  Except for monkey poo.  Hopefully it lasts for a long time.  

If this post seems a little disjunct, it's because my brain is processing as fast as it can and there is still a backlog.  So many exciting things happened today!  I didn't even touch on plants, but I learned a lot.  Or I wrote down a lot of names and heard a lot of stories that I haven't synthesized yet.  Maybe next week I'll have a plant post for botany dorks.  I have to share that I got my first look at the famed ant acacia today.  What a mutualism!  If you haven't heard of it, google it.  In further miscellany, I can report that the Northern Jacana population looks to be thriving on the marsh.  Jessica Eller studied them when she was here a few years ago.  It's nice to imagine her walking the same paths.  :)

It's now past my bedtime, so I'm going to close with the day's bird list and then turn in.  Thanks for reading, and for the comments.  Let  me know if there is anything you'd like to hear about.

There are several birds I am extra excited about in this list!  

Anhinga, wood stork, roseate spoonbill, glossy ibis, snowy egret, northern jacana, black-bellied whistling duck, snail kite, crested caracara, inca dove, white-winged dove, white-tipped dove, orange-fronted parakeet, barn swallow, blue-winged teal, green-backed (green) heron, streaked flycatcher, rufous-naped wren, white-collared seedeater, double-striped thick-knee, ferruginous pygmy-owl.