Search found 28 matches

by Tremarctos
July 22nd, 2020, 9:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Best TIME OF YEAR to Visit Ecuador for Herping?
Replies: 3
Views: 1944

Re: Best TIME OF YEAR to Visit Ecuador for Herping?

The rainy season is best. It's not as well-defined in the Ecuadorian Amazon as it is in (say) Central America or the Peruvian Amazon. See here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330569076/figure/fig1/AS:718412066062337@1548294192864/Weather-patterns-at-the-Tiputini-Biodiversity-Station-A-Mont...
by Tremarctos
February 5th, 2019, 9:49 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Ecuador Herping Suggestions
Replies: 7
Views: 9817

Re: Ecuador Herping Suggestions

Hi Jack, In the Amazon, I highly recommend Shiripuno Lodge for birds, herps, and mammals. It is remote and relatively inexpensive, without the luxuries of the expensive Napo lodges. I walked the trails alone on my two visits, but Fernando (the lodge owner) would be an excellent guide for birds and h...
by Tremarctos
September 30th, 2018, 10:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)
Replies: 7
Views: 14420

Re: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)

Nice! Do you have other shots of the Hemiphractus, showing the offspring a bit more...? I checked my external hard-drive, and found one showing the offspring a bit more (though most are out-of-focus): http://www.tremarctos.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Hemiphractus-scutatus-2.jpg Note the unhatche...
by Tremarctos
September 30th, 2018, 10:54 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)
Replies: 7
Views: 14420

Re: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)

DanW wrote:That Hemiphractus and Rhaebo are amazing.

Yes that frog is L. wagneri

Allobates are a pain.

Dan
Thanks! Do you have any advice on how to identify frogs of the genus Osteocephalus? I'm trying to identify a few before my next post.
by Tremarctos
September 30th, 2018, 10:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)
Replies: 7
Views: 14420

Re: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)

Sweet! Thanks for sharing (I also enjoyed part 1). I sure gotta get down there some time. This toad is quite impressive (though I'm not sure what is on the ground to the right of it): That is indeed a nice toad. Gorgeous little animal. What would you say his total length was? The pile is just a wor...
by Tremarctos
September 21st, 2018, 4:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)
Replies: 7
Views: 14420

Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador (Part 2)

Here is my second set of photos from my trip to Shiripuno Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon in December 2017. My first post (on reptiles) is here: http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24829 . This post covers terrestrial frogs and toads; I'll write another one covering treefrogs ...
by Tremarctos
July 18th, 2018, 10:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador
Replies: 3
Views: 4784

Shiripuno Amazon Lodge, Ecuador

Last December, I visited Shirpuno Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Shiripuno is remote, and is known for experiencing lower hunting pressure than the Napo lodges (which matters more for mammals and birds than herps, I suppose). It has an excellent trail system, and I was allowed to walk alone, withou...
by Tremarctos
June 26th, 2017, 8:58 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed
Replies: 5
Views: 3900

Re: Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed

I cannot help with the frogs and lizards for now, but I can identify your snakes easily. The first species you identified as Grayia smithii are Blanding's Tree Snakes Toxicodryas blandingii . The second species is most likely Dipsadoboa underwoodi . If you counted scales, it may be easier to identi...
by Tremarctos
June 25th, 2017, 9:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed
Replies: 5
Views: 3900

Re: Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed

Here are the frogs. All identifications are thanks to Paul Freed and Jakob Fahr on iNaturalist. http://www.tremarctos.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Tree-frog-gola-3.jpg Paul Freed identified this one as Leptopelis spiritusnoctis . http://www.tremarctos.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Frog-Tiwai-2.jp...
by Tremarctos
June 25th, 2017, 8:50 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed
Replies: 5
Views: 3900

Sierra Leone Herps - Identifications Needed

I went on a trip to Sierra Leone this December, visiting two sites: Gola National Park and Tiwai Island. I was there primarily to search for mammals, and Pygmy Hippo in particular. I sadly missed my top target, though I heard one jump into the water while I was staking out a river. Nevertheless, I v...
by Tremarctos
March 24th, 2017, 4:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Photos from Manu, Peru
Replies: 1
Views: 2286

Photos from Manu, Peru

I spent a couple weeks exploring the lowlands of Manu, Peru last summer. This was my second trip to the region, so I spent my time in areas with lower hunting pressure (read: more expensive) that would afford me a better chance of seeing some rare mammals. This didn't pan out, but I had an amazing e...
by Tremarctos
November 20th, 2016, 3:00 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Sierra Leone RFI
Replies: 2
Views: 4168

Sierra Leone RFI

I'm heading to Sierra Leone next month, primarily to look for mammals, but I've been getting more interested in herps recently. Are there any in particular I should be on the lookout for? I'm planning to go to Gola and Tiwai Island.

Thanks,
Ben
http://www.tremarctos.com
by Tremarctos
November 20th, 2016, 2:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Northern sulawesi
Replies: 1
Views: 3059

Re: Northern sulawesi

I unfortunately wasn't into herps when I visited Sulawesi in 2012, but I'd suggest you contact Samuel (a local guide at Tangkoko) to see if he knows where to look. He was very knowledgeable about birds and mammals, and hopefully knows something about herps too: +62 813 40 40 76 90 rahmatmasedung (at...
by Tremarctos
September 19th, 2016, 5:50 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

Uh-oh, I don't think that's going to work. Well, it looks like you're right. I haven't worked with high-end telephoto lenses before, so I didn't consider the possibility that the "filter size" listed for the lens wasn't for the front element. This leaves me with a few options: 1. Change l...
by Tremarctos
September 14th, 2016, 8:23 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

Something about buying a $7K lens and putting a diopter in front of it seems a bit off in my book. I guess I could see putting an extension tube behind it but the magnification you will gain will be nomimal. I agree! I've long wanted to upgrade my lens for bird and mammal shots, and I am loathe to ...
by Tremarctos
September 14th, 2016, 8:16 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

Thanks for the diopter suggestion! I ordered a hard-to-find .62 power diopter which would give me a focus range of about 1-1.6 meters, and I'm going to rent the lens in a couple weeks to try it out. If that doesn't end up working, what macro lenses do you use? I might try to get something similar a...
by Tremarctos
September 14th, 2016, 8:12 pm
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

Excellent, hope the diopter is a success. Remember you can stack them as well to get even closer, you do lose some image quality so if you do choose to go this route get some quality ones to minimize this effect. So my designated macro right now is a 105 mm Nikkor, I use it for most of my photos. B...
by Tremarctos
September 14th, 2016, 7:57 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp ID, Belize
Replies: 10
Views: 5042

Re: Herp ID, Belize

Thanks amigo. The most common kinosternon that I found was k.acutum and based on what I can see in your picture it is most likely that one - it has the ridge going down the carapace. K. Leucostomum was another common one as well as Claudius angustatus. Did you notice any barbels on the turtles chin...
by Tremarctos
September 13th, 2016, 10:13 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp ID, Belize
Replies: 10
Views: 5042

Re: Herp ID, Belize

lateralis wrote:I remember a couple of years before the "Great Crash" I had posted one of my trips to BZ and I had vouchered several mud turtles as I recall so here are some shots from that trip...
Cheers
Nice photos! Any thoughts on the identity of the mud turtle I photographed?
by Tremarctos
September 13th, 2016, 10:05 am
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

Thanks for the diopter suggestion! I ordered a hard-to-find .62 power diopter which would give me a focus range of about 1-1.6 meters, and I'm going to rent the lens in a couple weeks to try it out. If that doesn't end up working, what macro lenses do you use? I might try to get something similar an...
by Tremarctos
September 12th, 2016, 9:07 am
Forum: Image Lab
Topic: Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Canon Prime Lens Advice (Close Focus)

I currently use a Canon 300 f4 lens with 1.4x teleconverter, and I'm thinking about upgrading. Until now, my subjects have mostly been birds and mammals in humid tropical forests so I'm considering the new Canon 400 f4 DO II. However, I've recently been getting more into herps and I'm concerned abou...
by Tremarctos
September 7th, 2016, 11:26 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp ID, Belize
Replies: 10
Views: 5042

Re: Herp ID, Belize

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! I've focused on seeing mammals on my night walks so far, so my strategy was a bit different. I tried to go as quickly as I could while still being quiet, relying a lot on my ears, and using my eyes to look for movement or the (much brighter) eyeshine of mamma...
by Tremarctos
September 5th, 2016, 7:47 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp ID, Belize
Replies: 10
Views: 5042

Re: Herp ID, Belize

Thanks, John! After some more research, I think the Gecko might be Aristelliger georgeensis . Does the book say anything about that species? A google search turns up some photos of dark individuals, and others with white on the lip. I post all my photos on my website http://www.tremarctos.com . Beli...
by Tremarctos
September 1st, 2016, 8:26 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp ID, Belize
Replies: 10
Views: 5042

Herp ID, Belize

I photographed three herps in Belize this June that I have been unable to definitively identify: 1. Treefrog, Crooked Tree (pine savanna). My guess is Smilisca baudinii , but the color does not match those that come up on a google image search. http://www.tremarctos.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Tr...
by Tremarctos
May 3rd, 2016, 8:22 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake ID, Peru
Replies: 9
Views: 5552

Re: Snake ID, Peru

Thanks for the reference suggestions. My university's library has both, and I'll take a look. I photographed this superficially similar snake on a different trail a couple days later. Any thoughts? http://www.tremarctos.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Snake2.jpg (I'm in the process of calibrating my ...
by Tremarctos
April 22nd, 2016, 1:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake ID, Peru
Replies: 9
Views: 5552

Re: Snake ID, Peru

Thanks for the responses! Liophis/Erythrolamprus reginae looks like a good match:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthew1perez/6071732952

Are there any good references for neotropical snake identification?
by Tremarctos
April 21st, 2016, 6:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Roads for Night Driving in MA?
Replies: 1
Views: 1920

Roads for Night Driving in MA?

Any suggestions of roads through good forest in Massachusetts that don't get any traffic at night? The closer to Boston, the better. I'm primarily looking for mammals (Fisher, Bobcat), but I suspect herpers would use similar roads.

Thanks!
by Tremarctos
April 21st, 2016, 6:18 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake ID, Peru
Replies: 9
Views: 5552

Snake ID, Peru

I took the attached photo along the Rio Tapiche in Loreto, Peru. Any thoughts on the ID? It was hiding in a brush pile at mid-day.
Image