Chien C. Lee

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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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  • Canopy Slug-eating Snake (Sibon canopy), a new species described in January 2023, endemic to Panama. Panamá Oeste, 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), male. Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus). Panamá Oeste, Panama.
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  • Moth caterpillar (Synchlora sp.), disguised with plant detritus. Soberanía National Park, Panama.
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  • Fringe-Limbed Tree Frog (Cochranella euknemos). Soberanía National Park, 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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  • 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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  • Spiny katydid (Panacanthus spinosus), juvenile. Coclé, Panama.
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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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  • Geoffroy’s Tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi). Colón, Panama.
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  • Seemingly oblivious to its own potential demise, an ornamental moth caterpillar (Rhuda sp.) carries on about its daily business while a tiny parasitoid Chalcidid wasp (Conura sp.) rides piggyback. These wasps are among a multitude of related species which utilize caterpillars (and their pupae) as living hosts for their brood. After depositing its eggs, the wasp’s larvae develop within the caterpillar’s body, carefully consuming its non-vital organs until they are ready to emerge. In this way, the caterpillar will be kept alive just long enough to insure the wasp larvae are able to complete their life cycle. Soberanía National Park, 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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  • The Chocoan Rainforest along the Pacific coast of Panama, Colombia, and northern Ecuador is one of the world's most endangered rainforest habitats. It is separated from the Amazon rainforest by the Andes mountains, and is home to a great diversity of endemic species. Utría National Natural Park, Colombia.
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  • The Chocoan Rainforest along the Pacific coast of Panama, Colombia, and northern Ecuador is one of the world's most endangered rainforest habitats. It is separated from the Amazon rainforest by the Andes mountains, and is home to a great diversity of endemic species. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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