Friday, June 1, 2007
At 1:15 PM we boarded the bus again and headed to nearby Tirimbina Biological Reserve/Tirimbina Rainforest Center.
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| Tirimbina sign |
This center was opened in 1995 by the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Wisconsin Nature Center. The area was selectively logged in the 1960s and thus is an example of rain forest regeneration.
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| New growth |
It is an active research and study destination; a 741,300-acre private reserve reached by two suspension bridges of 876 feet and 364 feet over the
Rio Sarapiqui (Sarapiqui River).
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| Suspension bridge |
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| Rio Sarapiqui |
Between the bridges is an island. Looking out over the island, we could barely see Greater White-lined Bats (
Saccopteryx bilineata) hanging on the underside of a large branch. Needed binoculars to see the white lines. Saw a breadfruit that was not a breadfruit because it has seeds and thus is a Breadnut (
Artocarpus camansi).
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| Breadnut |
Our guide was Sergio who carried field guides. We crossed rickety bridges
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| Rope bridge |
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| (Photo by Linda) |
and came to red marker on the trail.
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| A red marker means snake! |
This meant there was a venomous snake. Huh? ...OH! As we made a detour around the marker, you could finally see the (
Porthidium nasutum) directly under the marker!
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| Rainforest Hog-nosed Pit-viper (Photo by Linda) |
Guides go out early on the trails to find and mark dangers such as this. Thank goodness!
Made you realize how many venomous snakes we probably passed during all our hiking!
Sergio found a small tree with its large leaves sort of folded down. It was the home of tent-making bats. Some people saw something when they peered up into the dark undersides of the leaves - Tent-making Bats (Uroderma spp.).
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| Sergio with a termite nest |
Came to the buttressed base of a Kapok Tree (
Ceiba pentandra)
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| Base of Kapok tree |
and circled it on a boardwalk. It was full of epiphytes
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| Dripping moss |
and you could not see the top, nor could I identify which leaves belonged to the tree!
Along the path were parts of nuts with bright pink flesh from the Canfin Tree (
Protium panamensis).
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| Canfin seed |
Nicknamed "kerosene seeds" because the oil is flammable and they smelled like kerosene. Jimmy asked permission to light one up,
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| Jimmy lights a canfin seed (Photo by Brynne) |
but they were on the dry side. However, they did flame up for an instant.
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| Termite trail |
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| Stilt Tree (Photo by Linda) |
Back at the entrance we went to the gift shop. Outside were several cages of parrots.
Returned to Selva Verde.
Next: 19. Charla.
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