Pygmy Anteater: the Acrobat

Scientifically known as Cyclopes didactylus, it is the smallest anteater in the world. But don’t be fooled by its size. Despite its modest length, the dwarf anteater is fully adapted to life in the treetops of Central and South America. With its prehensile tail, sharp claws, and excellent camouflage, it moves effortlessly through the heights of the rainforest, a mini-Tarzan, as it were.

The dwarf anteater is a true treetop athlete. It spends almost its entire life among the branches, where it can hang upside down with its prehensile tail, which is actually longer than its body. It uses its powerful front legs, equipped with sharp claws, not only to hold on, but also to collect ants and defend itself.

Fun Facts

• Extremely difficult to spot!
•  

  Length: 16–21 cm (plus another 16–23 cm tail)

• Weight: approximately 1.5 to 2.75 kg
• Coat: dense and velvety, golden yellow to brownish yellow, sometimes with a dark stripe
• Lifestyle: nocturnal, during the day it curls up in tree hollows for a nap
• Diet: mainly ants, supplemented with other small insects

Thanks to its warm camouflage color, it blends in almost completely with the greenery. One moment it is there, the next it seems to have dissolved into the canopy. In addition to sharp eyes, you need a dose of luck to spot one.

At home in our reservation

In Costa Rica, dwarf anteaters mainly live in humid lowland rainforests, among the tall trees and lianas, a kind of tropical playground for these animals. Here they find food, shelter, and safe routes through the treetops. Recently, this special species was also spotted in the Adopt a Rainforest reserve. So this little creature is also one of Adopt a Rainforest’s angels. A wonderful sign that our reserve, thanks in part to volunteers and donors, is actually functioning as a habitat for rare animals. Without active protection, animals such as the dwarf anteater are slowly but surely losing their homes. The fact that a dwarf anteater has been spotted in the reserve shows what joint efforts can achieve. But this does not happen by itself. Purchasing and preserving rainforest requires ongoing commitment and necessary support.

By adopting a piece of rainforest, you directly contribute to:

• protecting animals such as the dwarf anteater
• combating deforestation
• preserving biodiversity for future generations

The dwarf anteater may be small, but its story symbolizes something big: we can only do this together. Every contribution counts. This is how we ensure that these silent tree acrobats, and all other inhabitants of the rainforest, will still have a place to live in the future. And we’re not just doing it for them. A healthy rainforest also means cleaner air, a more stable climate, and a better future for ourselves. By protecting nature, we are also protecting our own health. Finally, we are keeping the little “angel of the banana plantation” alive for generations to come.

Help and Adopt rainforest!

Het bericht The dwarf anteater verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Since the 2022 census, there has been a lot of activity surrounding the Buffon’s Macaw project. Due to different censuses being conducted by different organizations, it is difficult to track exact developments. Every time a census is organized, Adopt Rainforest participates. However, there are plenty of signs of change coming from the reserve:

From 0 to 25 Macaws!

When Maarten and Matthijs started the foundation in 2017, macaws never came to this area, San Miguel. A few years later, occasional sightings began. Nowadays, from September to December, we have a group of about 16-25 Buffon’s macaws that live permanently in and around the reserve. At the end of December, they leave again for the north to breed.

Maarten: “We have noticed that more and more macaws are coming to our area. They are creatures of habit, both in terms of feeding and breeding behavior. Most of the macaws in Costa Rica breed in the north of the country, between January and April. After that, the young birds fly the nest and in the second half of the year, the macaws migrate to the foothills, areas such as the Adopt Rainforest reserve.”

Help to protect the Macaw!

Breakthrough in 2025: two couples

However, this year two pairs remained in the area throughout the year. They seem to be making use of the adjacent Barbilla National Park, Nairi Awari Indigenous Reserve, and the Adopt Rainforest reserve. They are clearly two pairs, but no one knows yet whether they have stayed here to breed. Maarten: “In any case, it’s another indication that the macaw feels at home with us. Now we just have to wait and see if they will use the nesting boxes!”

Nest boxes in use?

Nest boxes have now been placed high up in the trees, an exciting operation as no crane can drive into the reserve. In true Costa Rican style, the nest boxes were hung using rope and (will)power. In the video, you can see how this was done in 2024.

Maarten: “Normally, macaws use cavities in almond trees, for example where a branch has broken off and the wood has started to rot. Since many almond trees have been cut down and it takes a very long time (about a hundred years!) for them to grow large enough and reach nesting cavity size, breeding sites are scarce.” As an experiment, Maarten and his team are installing nesting boxes to see if the birds consider them a good alternative. In the north, these boxes have already been used by macaws (Cinco Ceibas). There is also a population in Manzanillo, on the Costa Rican coast, where confiscated macaws have been released, rescued from illegal animal trade. This population breeds exclusively in artificial nesting boxes. The design of these nesting boxes is now also being used in the Adopt a Rainforest reserve. “No one knows whether macaws outside their usual breeding areas would use an artificial nest box; it’s something new. We do know that the area (the reserve, Barbilla National Park, and the Indian reservations) is suitable for macaws.”

Macaw feathers spotted under a nesting box

The first successes have been achieved, such as macaw feathers under a nesting box. During a maintenance round, the team also found breeding barn owls and toucans in the nesting boxes. The research team will continue to keep a close eye on the nesting boxes in the coming period. Thanks to the new observation tower, it is now easier to monitor the birds in and around the reserve, including the Buffon’s macaw, of course. Our foundation can also make a greater contribution to bird counts. The research is ongoing, and we are hopeful that the Buffon’s macaw will make a permanent return to this area!

Almond trees planted in 2021

The macaw’s main food source is the fruit of the almond tree. Since 2021, the Adopt a Rainforest team has planted hundreds of almond trees. This is where human patience comes into play; it takes at least 8 years for these trees to bear fruit. This is one of the reasons for the disappearance of the macaw, because the trees simply do not have time to grow. In the foundation’s reserve, they do have time; we are waiting patiently…

Help us protect more rainforest!

Het bericht Update: Great Green Macaw returns verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

“When I close my eyes, I’m back there again…“

“…In the heart of an overwhelming oasis of greenery, where the rainforest embraces me like a loyal friend. The wind whispers softly, the leaves sway rhythmically to its message. The sun always finds a crack to peek through and casts one last glimpse. Evening falls, the cicadas give the signal. The rainforest of Costa Rica never sleeps—and will always remain with me.”

My name is Nienke, I am married to Patrick, and together we share a love of bird watching. Our motto: “Follow the birds and you’ll find the most beautiful places.” That brought us to Costa Rica for five weeks in the spring of 2025, the country I still dream about. In this blog, I’ll take you to one of our first birding moments during this trip: an experience that further fueled my passion.

Help to protect the rainforest!

Preparing for our birding trip through Costa Rica

Five weeks of intensive birdwatching requires some preparation. Standard travel guides don’t tell you where to find the Long-tailed Manakin (“you say what?!”). That’s why Richard Garrigues’ “The Birds of Costa Rica” was already worn out before we left. Our list of target species grew into a true mantra.

The moment Patrick shouted “Honey, Oropendula!” at 5:30 a.m., I knew the journey had begun. As on many mornings after that, I jumped out of bed, put on my hiking pants, and grabbed my binoculars and camera. Even though we had five weeks, it felt like we had no time to lose. I wanted to take in everything this beautiful country had to offer.

Birdwatching in the Nectar Pollen Reserve, Costa Rica

On the third day, we visited the Nectar Pollen Reserve, a private estate where more than 300 bird species have been observed via eBird. This is where my enthusiasm was ignited. Together with our guide and two local retirees, we explored the densely vegetated terrain. The birds here rarely show themselves at feeding places, so it requires real detective work. My eye was not yet trained enough to distinguish every silhouette among the greenery, but listening helped me along. That’s how we discovered a beautifully colored bird with a striking tail: the Broad-billed Motmot. This bird species hunts large insects from a fixed perch. That gave me time to observe and take pictures. That alone made the day a success for me! But we came here with one specific bird in mind.

The special encounter with the Long-tailed Tyrant

After a walk through hilly terrain, we suddenly saw it: perched on the very top of a dead tree was an elegant bird with long tail feathers and a white crown. The Long-tailed Tyrant—a flycatcher that breeds in dead trees, sometimes in abandoned woodpecker holes, and feeds on insects such as stingless bees. Our local walking companions, true bird lovers, were unaware of the existence of this bird. We stood there together, amazed and happy, enjoying this special moment. Afterwards, we exchanged contact details and shared our observations via eBird.

Birdwatching as a connection with nature and people

For us, birdwatching means more than just seeing birds: it’s about wonder, connection, sharing passion, and respect for nature. That experience in Costa Rica deepened my love for birdwatching and strengthened my commitment to nature conservation. Because caring for birds starts with caring for their habitat.

Help to protect the rainforest!

Het bericht Nienke’s story: ‘Follow the birds and discover Costa Rica’s bird paradise’ verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Many people are a bit creeped out by vultures because of their specific appearance and the fact that they eat cadavers. However, vultures are indispensable to nature; they are real cleaners. Read all about vultures and why they are indispensable to the ecosystem here.

How do you recognize a vulture?

• 

  First of all, mainly by their bald heads. This is not random, nature has thought about this. A head without feathers is relatively easy to clean, which is handy and necessary after the vulture has rooted its head in a cadaver. This bald head of vultures also plays an important role in their thermoregulation. During cold weather, many vultures tuck their heads between their feathers with their shoulders raised. When it is hot, they spread their wings and stretch out their necks. This allows them to regulate their body temperature.

• Secondly, you can recognize vultures by their large body with broad wings. The wing muscles are rather weak in proportion to their body weight. This is why you usually see them hovering on thermals. Therefore, you will not often see them flying in the early morning. Once the air has warmed up, you often see them hovering in groups. Then they are looking for carcasses to eat.

Scavengers

Usually vultures circle above a found carcass for a time before descending. They generally have weak legs, so they rarely fly away with carrion in their talons.

Most species of vultures rarely if ever attack their prey. They eat dead animals, preferablly fresh. Their strong gastric juices can eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses found on such carcasses. Because of this, vultures fulfill an important role in the ecosystem. Namely, they help keep nature clean, and prevent the spread of deadly diseases.

Vultures often cover their legs with feces. This feces contains a corrosive uric acid that kills bacteria. This offers them protection when they walk over a carcass. Just goes to show how ingenious nature is.

Vultures in Costa Rica

• Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (58-64 cm, wingspan about 160 cm)
• Black Vulture (Raven Vulture)
• Turkey Vulture (Red headed vulture)
• King vulture (71-85 cm, wingspan 180-200 cm)

The vultures in Costa Rica belong to the family Cathartidae (turkey and yellow-headed vultures), the vultures of the New World. They are found throughout most of North and South America. They use their sense of smell when searching for food. Hovering above the treetops of the rainforest, they can find rotting carcasses lying invisible under the canopy

Vultures cooperate

Not all vulture species have such a well-developed sense of smell. Other vultures find their food by keeping a close eye on turkey vultures, for example. When the turkey vultures go down, the other species follow. However, turkey vultures have a weaker beak, which prevents them from tearing larger and tough carcasses well. For this, they need the more powerful king vultures. In this way, turkey vultures can also easily reach the meat, so this interaction benefits both species. Vultures primarily descend on fresh carcasses. New World vultures do not build nests; they lay their eggs on bare ground, often on rocks.

Black Vulture

The black vulture easily adapts to conditions. It is a common species found in many different biotopes, including forests, coastal areas and savannas, as well as urban areas. However, they avoid dense rain forests and mountain areas.

Black vultures live in large groups. They are very bold and also frequent the outskirts of cities or garbage dumps. They find their food with their eyes and sometimes allow themselves to be led to food by the Red-headed Vulture. They like rotting food. They also like to eat fruits and nuts, or eggs, lizards and young birds. Parents may keep food in their crop so they can break it out to feed to their young.

King Vulture

The King Vulture lives in pairs or small groups of 5 individuals at most. At large carcasses, sometimes as many as 50 King Vultures come to feast together. The King Vulture can detect carrion with its sense of smell. It has a powerful beak with which it can process all kinds of carrion. Furthermore, it also catches live prey such as mice, small birds and lizards.

While feeding, the King Vulture is vulnerable to large predators such as jaguars and pumas. Due to its large body, the bird is unable to quickly detach from the ground and fly away.

Red-headed Vulture

The Red-headed Vulture lives mainly in open and semi-open areas such as forests, brushwood or meadows. It also likes to stay near water such as rivers, lakes or the ocean coast. The Red-headed Vulture has a good sense of smell, which also allows it to find carcasses lying under leaves. Its food consists mainly of carcasses; it rarely, if ever, kills its prey. The Red-headed Vulture prefers to eat fresh carrion. Because it does not have a strong beak, it sometimes has to wait to eat until the skin has decayed enough. The Red-headed Vulture often flies low above the ground, or even below the upper layer of trees.

Its main form of self-defense is regurgitating half-digested food. The smell keeps most predators at bay. If an enemy is nearby, the red-headed vulture will attempt to vomit in its face. Like many other vultures, the red-headed vulture also sometimes regurgitates its food in order to fly away more easily.

Lesser yellow-headed vulture

The little yellow-headed vulture’s menu consists almost entirely of carrion, including road kill and washed-up fish. Insects and other invertebrates are also eaten, so the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture is frequently found in recently plowed land, where the critters are easy to find. The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture has a well-developed sense of smell, which it uses when searching for carcasses. The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture usually lives solitary.

Indispensable to the entire ecosystem

As mentioned, due to their role as cleaners of nature and destroyers of bacteria and viruses living on carcasses, vultures are indispensable to the entire ecosystem.

Unfortunately, the habitat of this mighty bird is under pressure, due to large-scale deforestation. This is why it is so important that local conservationists can purchase pieces of land with support. Fortunately, this is happening more and more often, so that illegal logging can be prevented and larger areas are protected from the construction of large-scale plantations.

Do you also want to contribute to conservation? Help us and adopt a piece of rainforest. Every piece of protected rainforest helps.

Want to read more about other species of birds, animals and news from the foundation in Costa Rica? Then read our other blog posts.

Het bericht Vultures in Costa Rica verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Schreurs

In Costa Rica, you can’t ignore them: the Oophaga pumilio. Pumilio means dwarf, and although they are barely 3 cm tall, it is hard to miss the poisonous strawberry frogs. In English, they are called Strawberry Poison Dart frogs because indigenous peoples used to use their poison to makepoison darts. They are also affectionately called the “blue jeans frog,” because they often look like red frogs in jeans. Although they are by no means all the same colors. There are some that are completely red or blue, rather yellow, green or orange, or with black stripes or dots. In total, there are some 15 to 30 color variations.

Stolen poison

Those colors are there to scare off possible attackers, they signal: “Hey, I’m poisonous! You don’t want to eat me!”. Except for the females, who love it. Research shows that the females look for a male who have the same colors as their own parents. Females are much less attracted to poison dart frogs with different colors. Probably for survival reasons, because when the colors mix, their message to the predators  and  their chances of survival diminishes as well.

This message, by the way, is not a lie. The little frogs are quite poisonous. The toxins on their skin attack the heart and neurological system. The victims experience convulsions, paralysis and eventually death. Of course it is best to stay away from frogs, for everyone’s good, but you won’t die right away if one jumps on your feet. Their poison is especially effective if you eat the frogs, or if the poison gets into open wounds. Another poison frog, the golden arrow poison frog, is known to have enough venom to kill an adult human.

By the way, strawberry frogs don’t make all that poison themselves. The frogs eat ants, centipedes and mites among other things, and recycle their poison. Consequently, frogs kept as pets often lose their venom because they are not fed the proper diet. And speaking of diet, frogs do love a tasty snack, for example, they eat up to 14 times an hour!

Because of the venom, the frogs hardly have any natural enemies. So far, only the fire-bellied snake is known to be a threat. And humans of course, because of habitat loss for the frogs. Although humans are also fans of the frog, considering scientists are synthesizing their venom to market as a muscle relaxant, heart stimulant and painkiller!

Gummi bears

The frogs can be found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama and spend their time among the leaves on the forest floor of tropical rainforests, although you may also occasionally see them climbing up lianas or trees. Unlike most amphibians, they are active during the day. Frogs are territorial and both males and females fight each other to defend their territory from intruders. Although fighting without claws or teeth is quite difficult. Doctor Yusan Yang, who studies frogs, compared it to a wrestling match between gummy bears. A wrestling match that can last as long as 20 minutes.Tthe frogs communicate about their territory, and their wild love plans through vibrations. For example, by tapping their middle toe.

Caring parents

In Strawberry poison dart frogs, there is an amazing amount of parental care. The mother lays 2 to 5 eggs on leaves or on the axillary buds of bromeliad plants. This is very few, compared to other frogs that lay hundreds of eggs! To compensate, they lay eggs several times during the rainy season (from May to November), with a maximum of once a week. During this period, the father waters the different puddles, with water from his cloaca. After 7 to 10 days, the eggs hatch and mom carries the tadpoles one by one on her back to a separate puddle high in the trees. Like water left in a leaf or between the roots of a plant. Just as well that mom gives them each their own puddle, because other species of poison dart frogs are known to exhibit cannibalistic tendencies as tadpoles. Fortunately, then, mom keeps them apart and lays unfertilized eggs with the tadpoles to serve as food. The mother makes her rounds daily to feed the little ones. She feeds only her offspring because even though other tadpoles beg for eggs, the strawberry frog can distinguish its own offspring by their unique vibrations. And so the parents take care of their offspring for at least a month before they go from tadpole to frog.

Incredible but true, strawberry frogs can live up to 15 years in captivity! In the wild, this is less clear.

Curious about more rainforest stories? Visit our blog!

Het bericht Strawberry poison dart frog verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Diet

In the wild, howler monkeys live to be 15 to 20 years old. The monkey’s diet consists mainly of leaves, which of course is not the best source of energy. Therefore, the monkey also spends large parts of the day while resting. Moreover, they should not eat too much from the same tree, as some leaves are slightly poisonous. So they are changing trees regularly. In addition to leaves, they also eat fruits, nuts and flowers. The monkeys’ sense of smell is very well developed, so well in fact that they can smell ripe fruit from 2km away. This is partly due to their round, wide-open nostrils. They rarely drink, as they get most of their moisture from food. Only when it is very dry they occasionally descend from their tree to search for water.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why the roar?

Their roar is an energy-saving way to communicate with other monkeys in the troop, as well as with competitors. In the morning and evening, they roar to mark their territory, and their roar is answered by other groups nearby. And although howler monkeys are strictly vegetarian, and generally not known to be aggressive, that roar can scare people quite a bit. Not surprising when you know that the sound can be heard up to 5 kilometers away. To roar so loudly, the monkeys have a hollowed-out hyoid bone near their vocal cords. A bone that all monkeys have, but that in howler monkeys is enlarged several times. It is mainly the males that you hear; the females also vocalize but are not as loud.

Troop animals

By the way, such a troop of howler monkeys can have up to 40 members, although about 15 is more average. The monkeys in a troop are usually not related to each other, because as soon as they reach sexual maturity they are expelled from the troop. The troop has a dominant male and several females with whom it mates. Despite not having a set mating season, most births are in the second half of December and in January. Pregnancy lasts six months, after which the baby remains close to mom for about 4 months. From about 10 weeks of age, the young begin to search for food on their own.

A riddle for science

By the way, did you know that there had been almost no apes in South America? All the native ape species of the Americas died out in the Eocene, some 35 million years ago. The ancestors of today’s New World came from North Africa. And given the distance and lack of fossils, it is unlikely that they made that trip by land, so now the hypothesis is that they crossed the ocean. Notswimming, of course, but clinging to driftwood, or on islands of torn-off pieces of land. At that time the sea level was even lower, so the journey would have taken “only” about 10-13 days. Too crazy to be true? Only future discoveries and science will be able to tell!

Foundation Adopt Rainforest has been working for more than 10 years to protect the habitat of these special howler monkeys. Would you also like to contribute to this effort? You can easily do so by adopting a piece of rainforest for these wonderful animals. You can do this for as little as €2.50 for a square meter. Adopt here

Het bericht The mantled howler monkey verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

The jaguar captures everyone’s imagination and has done so for ages, from North to South America. Did you know his name comes from the Guarani language of Indigenous tribes in Paraguay? It means, “He who can kill with 1 leap.” Not a bad observation, considering a jaguar can bite right through the shell of a turtle or the thick skin of a crocodile.

Thus, they can outwit prey up to 4 times their weight. Unlike other large cats, they bite their prey not in the neck or head, but in the back. They are such skilled swimmers that they can outwit larger prey even in the water.

Jaguars are opportunistic hunters and will eat just about anything unfortunate enough to cross their path. As long as it’s meat. Deer are the equivalent of eating out once in a while, but monkeys, sloths, armadillos, anteaters, agoutis, rats, birds, fish and giant snakes are also in good taste….

The jaguar hunts mostly on the ground, by stalking and pouncing on its prey. Although it is also a good fisherman. It waits patiently on a rock and then knocks the fish out of the water with its paw.

All the good looks

The jaguar is the largest, strongest cat in the Americas. He uses his tail to keep balance when jumping. Although you know him as light brown with dark spots, there are also black varieties. Did you know that even then you can see spots in sunlight?

The jaguar can grow about 180 cm in length and weigh up to 100 pounds. They can live to be 12 to 15 years old in the wild.

Jaguar or leopard, how can you tell the difference? Well, not difficult! If you look at the spots in the fur, you’ll notice that the jaguar sometimes has black dots in the middle of its spots. Those spots are called rosettes, because they look like roses formed around a central spot. A leopard does not have that. As a matter of fact, the rosettes serve as camouflage. Moreover, the jaguar is built a bit more stout, but don’t tell him that, it’s a bit sensitive … And where jaguars love water, leopards will avoid it.

By the way, did you know that there also used to be a European jaguar? The species is now extinct, but a team of paleontologists from NCB Naturalis Leiden, Utrecht University, Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, and Oertijdmuseum Boxtel made some important finds in the province of Brabant in 2002. These included a molar, which after examination turned out to be from a European jaguar. The species was much larger than the American jaguar we know today as they weighed as much as 200 kg. They lived between 2 and 4 million years ago, when it was also subtropically warm and jungle-like here in Europe.

Ruler of the underworld

Thanks to their striking beauty and earlier distribution throughout the Americas, jaguars play an important role in indigenous cultures. The Maya revered the jaguar and had not one but several jaguar gods, demigods and transformers. For example, because the animal is nocturnal, they believed it controlled the underworld. Many sculptures, pottery pieces and other artifacts depict gods with features resembling jaguars. Jaguars were held in such high regard that only the ruling class was allowed to don the pelts. In this way, jaguar pelts became a symbol of authority.

At home in the tree

Jaguars live alone and only come together to mate. But this way, of course, they have little or no protection. Therefore, to sleep during the day, they prefer to find a high branch somewhere.

The average territory size of a jaguar is 2,000 acres. Their habitats include wet and dry forests, savannas and scrublands. Jaguars are good swimmers and climbers and depend on healthy freshwater systems and access to large amounts of territory to survive. Thus, they rarely go more than 500m from water.

That 2,000 acres is not nothing, of course. And due to habitat loss and fragmentation, they are starting to run into problems quietly. They have already lost 50% of their habitat worldwide. Worldwide there are only about 15,000 jaguars left. Jaguars are not likely to move from one patch of rainforest to another. The jaguar is human-shy and prefers to stay in its familiar environment. But fragmentation creates the risk of inbreeding and increases the likelihood of genetic diseases.

Protection of habitat

This is why the Adopt Rainforest Foundation’s goal is to protect 2,000 acres of rainforest in Costa Rica, connecting two important jaguar habitats. Making it easier for them to move around and thus exchange their genes and ensure their survival.

Help to protect the Jaguar’s habitat

Adopt a piece of rainforest

Het bericht The jaguar, king of the jungle verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

In 1989, Epigomphus houghtoni, the Limon Knobtail, a dragonfly species was described by Stephen Brooks based on one male specimen caught in Siquirres, near our reserve in Costa Rica. The species was never observed again after that. Knobtails are difficult to inventory because they hide in dark wooded forest streams. Student Valentine found a male and female along a small stream at the Adopt Rainforest reserve. When we studied and identified the animals carefully, alarm bells started ringing.

After contacting two American professors who specialize in dragonflies and damselflies of Costa Rica, the only known specimen, included in the collection of the British Museum in London, turned out to be lost.

Thanks to Valentine‘s keen eyes, we now have the only known specimens in the world in our reserve! Never before has anyone seen a female Limon Knobtail. Soon we will be visited by a specialist, who can describe the female and take good pictures of both specimens.

What a wonderful find! How long will it be until we find a totally new species?

More news about the foundation

Het bericht The most special sighting in our reservation so far! verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Many people think the ants cut off the leaves to eat for themselves, but nothing could be further from the truth. The ants cut off the leaves and transport them to a fungus in their nest. A partnership with quite a history, it turns out.

From survivor to farmer

But how does that fungus work and how did ants ever get there? According to genetic research, Attini ants began farming about 50 million years ago. Just for comparison, as humans we only started farming about 12,000 years ago. All 250 species of Attini ants known in the world breed fungi. Among the leaf-cutter ants the fungus is completely domesticated, not found outside the nests and completely dependent on the good care of the ants. Just as you shouldn’t let most dairy cows or lap dogs loose in a wild landscape anymore either.

Ants started farming at the same time that dinosaurs went extinct. When with the extinction of all kinds of plants, food was no longer so readily available, they switched to keeping fungi. After all, those did like the conditions at the time. So it was a smart move by the ants to switch to fungi as a food source. Meanwhile, the ants have physically evolved to the point where they can no longer live without the fungi.

Taking care of your food

When you look at a colony of ants, you quickly see that there are ants of all different sizes. The largest ants are the scouts, searching for suitable flowers and leaves, the middle ants use their powerful jaws to cut off and transport pieces of leaves. Their mandibles vibrate up to 1,000 times per second for this purpose, so they are as effective as a chainsaw. Over time, the mandibles wear out and at this point the ants change their job and become leaf carriers. The smallest ants chew the leaves into a mush that the fungus can digest. In addition, the smallest ants also nurse the fungus. The largest ants can weigh hundreds of times as much as the smallest ones. In addition, of course, there are many other roles such as queen, soldiers, waste pickers, leaf inspectors, pest control, etc.

As soon as a young queen starts her own colony, she takes a piece of the fungus from her old nest into her oral cavity. But it is difficult as a new queen to build a kingdom. Many try, few succeed!

Top Athletes

It’s a powerful thing they do, those leaf-cutting ants. In one night, they can strip an entire tree of its leaves. Moreover, they can carry 10 to 50 times their own weight with their jaws. To put this into perspective, this is like trying to carry an adult grizzly bear between your teeth. Although that one probably does struggle a bit more.

Het bericht Leaf-cutter Ants verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.