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Woken – again – by a local rooster crowing at about four o’clock in the morning. We set off in a southwesterly direction to the town of Monteverde. This is the area of cloud forests.
I happily grab at the chance to go for a walk in the forest canopy aided by a series of 16 hanging bridges. The bridges are made of steel and are sturdy so even though they sway slightly and are high up from the ground, it’s not at all scary. On the contrary, we can see animals grazing on the forest floor that would otherwise scurry away if we were on eye level with them.
One of the animals we spot is an agouti, a rodent that looks like an enlarged hamster. I recall the term agouti from my days working in the fascinating field of colour genetics. The agouti gene plays a role in colouration but also has an influence on obesity. Anyway, I digress.
The plants in the cloud forest obtain their moisture from low-hanging clouds and I hope for some nice shots of mystical scenes with trees shrouded in clouds and mist. However, we experience a totally cloud-free blue sky on the day we visit.
From the forest canopy we are at eye level with various epiphytes that make their home high up in the treetops, so they are closer to the light. We see strangler figs, birds, butterflies, flowers and monumental trees. One of the plants is called rattlesnake palm and another is called hot lips. Take a look at my photos and try and guess why!
Later on, we go on a night walk. We see more agouti, a kinkajou, which is a honey-loving animal related to the raccoon, a hairy, orange-kneed tarantula, a sleeping toucanet and a stick insect about a foot long. See if you can spot it in the photo that otherwise looks pretty bland!
In every rain forest we visit we spot tiny but diligent farmers – the leaf cutter ants. These fascinating creatures work hard day and night, tending their community and farming their fungi. Next to humans these ants have the most complex society on our planet.
The ants have specialised functions. Some of them cut leaves and bring them back home. The leaf matter feeds the fungi that other specialised ants tend to. The fungus garden is maintained to feed the ants’ brood. Soldier ants act as guards, other ants clear the multi-lane ant highway while other ants are responsible for getting rid of refuse. This is the short version. I think in my next life I could be tempted to become an entomologist. Insects and spiders are deeply fascinating!
