Chien C. Lee

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  • A master of camouflage, this rare stick insect (Trychopeplus laciniatus) is perfectly suited for its arboreal lifestyle in the mossy forests of Central America. It feeds exclusively on the foliage of several epiphytic orchid species. Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • With its rough skin texture and mottled green coloration, it’s easy to see how the Mossy Rain Frog (Pristimantis museosus) is well equipped to blend in with the damp forests in which it dwells. This frog is endemic to the mountains of central Panama, a region which has seen drastic declines in many amphibians over the past few decades due to the introduction of the virulent chytrid fungus. Like other species of Pristimantis, the females of P. museosus lay large eggs that do not require water – the tadpoles transform into froglets entirely within the egg itself. This adaptation may have provided this species with some protection against chytrid, since the fungus most easily transfers among those species which breed in bodies of water. Nevertheless, this frog remains highly threatened and has disappeared from multiple sites across its range. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Greater Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). Colón, Panama.
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  • Orchid (Epidendrum polyanthum). Cordillera de Talamanca, Panama.
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  • Mossy masquerade: a young Moss Mimic Katydid (Championica montana) doing what it does best. If you specialize in eating moss it’s a big plus if you look like it as well. In the damp cloud forests of Costa Rica, every surface is covered with dripping wet bryophytes, such as the leaf this katydid is perched on. Although abundant, it’s not the most energy rich food in the world, so these insects conserve their energy by moving slowly while they graze. Faced with a potential threat, they simply lay flat against the mossy substrate and disappear. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Like an ancient carven sculpture, the incredible buttress roots of this huge rainforest tree (Tachigali panamensis) belie its fleeting nature. Sometime called the ‘Suicide Tree’, it is truly monocarpic: after reaching maturity it will flower and set fruit only once and then die. Although monocarpy is a common adaptation among small herbaceous plants in seasonal habitats, it is extremely rare among large tropical trees, especially since rainforests are generally quite stable environments. This strategy may have evolved because it provides several possible advantages for the tree’s seedlings. For one, the infrequency of fruiting means that fewer seed predators can specialize on this species. Also, as the mother tree withers and eventually falls over, it creates an open gap in the forest canopy which is vital for the development of its young saplings underneath. Colón, Panama.
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  • Grainy Cochran Frog (Cochranella granulosa), egg mass suspended on leaf over stream. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Jawed sawyer (Macrodontia batesi). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Coronated Tree Frog (Triprion spinosus). Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza), male. Colón, Panama.
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  • Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti). Cordillera de Talamanca, Panama.
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  • Bark Scorpion (Centruroides bicolor). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Sylvia's Tree Frog (Cruziohyla sylviae). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Geoffroy’s Tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi). Colón, Panama.
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  • Canopy Slug-eating Snake (Sibon canopy), a new species described in January 2023, endemic to Panama. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Fringe-Limbed Tree Frog (Cochranella euknemos). Soberanía National Park, Panama.
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  • Although normally solitary, male Longhorn Bees such as these (Thygater sp.), often form sleeping aggregations on the undersides of leaves at night – a behavior aimed at reducing predatory risk. However, this group seems to be unaware of the imminent danger now lurking in their midst: while sleeping, one of their group has quietly been devoured from inside out by a pathogenic fungus (Ophiocordyceps humbertii). Long fruiting bodies now grow from the carcass of the dead bee, eventually releasing copious spores that will colonize the fungi’s next victim. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Ghost Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Yellow-flecked Glassfrog (Sachatamia albomaculata). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Mossy stick insect (Taraxippus samarae), female. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Heliconia wagneriana. Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Ghost Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex), male. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus). Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Southern Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), its fur covered with sticky seeds of a tropical grass (Pharus sp.), which is specialized for being dispersed by mammals. Colón, Panama.
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  • Velvet ant (Hoplomutilla xanthocerata). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Jumping spider-mimicking caddisfly (Nectopsyche tuanis). Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • With colors that seem to glow with an unearthly radiance, a male Osa Anole (Anolis osa) betrays his normally cryptic appearance to briefly flash his extended dewlap. Anole lizards are famous for these flamboyant visual signals – they are used to attract mates, ward off rivals, and even sometimes dissuade potential predators. A 2015 study found that the translucent quality of anole dewlaps was a crucial component in their ability to transmit these color signals effectively, particularly in shady environments; under the right conditions they possess an almost unnatural luminance. This species, which is endemic to Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, spends most of its time on perches near ground level in the dappled light of the rainforest understory. Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Ghost Glass Frog (Sachatamia ilex) with freshly laid eggs. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Terciopelo (Bothrops asper). Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • Dryad Snake (Mastigodryas melanolomus). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Cloudy Snail-eating Snake (Sibon nebulatus). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Red-thighed Bromeliad Spider (Cupiennius coccineus), with prey. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • The size of your gun doesn’t matter when you’re outnumbered. Although in possession of one of the most powerful stings of all insects, this giant Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata) is easily overcome by far smaller leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes) after it inadvertently wandered too close to their nest. Leafcutters are not predatory, but their sharp mandibles, which are designed for slicing leaves, are so powerful that they make quick work of the intruder, dismembering it in a matter of minutes. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • A male harvestman (Quindina limbata) within a nest he has constructed on the side of a fallen log. He will remain in this nest for several months to mate with visiting females and guard the eggs which have been buried within the mud floor. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Vereh River. Cartago, Costa Rica.
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  • Lemur Leaf Frog (Agalychnis lemur). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Gliding Leaf Frog (Agalychnis spurrelli). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Forested mountains of Braulio Carrillo National Park. San José, Costa Rica.
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  • Cloud forest is a widespread biome in mountains of Central and South America, where hot humid equatorial air rises into the cool mountains.  Here the humidity and precipitation are so high that the trees frequently become covered with epiphytic bromeliads and orchids. Henri Pittier National Park, Venezuela.
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  • In addition to their gaudy dorsal colors, many Mantella frogs show striking ventral patterns – this may serve as a double warning of their toxicity when attacked by a curious predator. Although unrelated, Mantellas, which are all endemic to Madagascar, show remarkable convergence with Central and South America's poison dart frogs (family Dendrobatidae), and share a number of common features including skin toxicity (acquired from their diet, primarily ants) and diurnal behavior. This is the Harlequin Mantella (M. baroni) from the rainforests of Madagascar’s eastern escarpment. Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.
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  • A pair of Lesser False Vampire Bats (Megaderma spasma) roosting near the entrance of a shallow limestone cave. Named because of their superficial resemblance to true vampire bats (which are restricted to Central and South America), Megaderma are insectivorous and do not drink blood. This species sometimes attains a large size (nearly 35g in weight) and is known to occasionally take more substantial prey including lizards, small birds, mammals, and even other bats. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pair of Lesser False Vampire Bats (Megaderma spasma) roosting near the entrance of a shallow limestone cave. Named because of their superficial resemblance to true vampire bats (which are restricted to Central and South America), Megaderma are insectivorous and do not drink blood. This species sometimes attains a large size (nearly 35g in weight) and is known to occasionally take more substantial prey including lizards, small birds, mammals, and even other bats. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Lesser False Vampire Bat (Megaderma spasma) roosting near the entrance of a shallow limestone cave. Named because of their superficial resemblance to true vampire bats (which are restricted to Central and South America), Megaderma are insectivorous and do not drink blood. This species sometimes attains a large size (nearly 35g in weight) and is known to occasionally take more substantial prey including lizards, small birds, mammals, and even other bats. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni). Like little jewels of the forest floor, the wonderfully colorful Mantella frogs (family Mantellidae) comprise 16 known species, all of which are endemic to Madagascar. Although unrelated, Mantellas show remarkable convergence with Central and South America's poison dart frogs (family Dendrobatidae), and share a number of common features including skin toxicity (acquired from their diet, primarily ants), diurnal behavior, and bright warning colorations. Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.
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