Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Finally got a new hard drive installed and video transferred. We spent 4 1/2 days in Corcovado National Park, and then 3 days on the Eastern tip of Osa Peninsula near Matapalo. The highlight of the trip was finding these babies.....again!!!! In April 2003, while canoeing up the Rio Sirena we came upon a nest of 28 baby acutus that had hatched only days earlier.

Well, this year, 3 of us set out in a leaking canoe (and surrounded by bull sharks literally with fins breaking the water around us) up the river to see if we encountered any babies this year. SURE ENOUGH, IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT!!!! 26 babies seen below!!!!

Also, saw 2 large adults, and 3 juveniles(3-4 footers) as well.
In addition, we are working with our guide to begin a crocodile census of the Osa Peninsula Region. We hope to begin in September 2004 doing regular surveys. I was just informed we've received a $7k grant to start the project. As such Joe Wasilewski has been very gracious in giving us input in launching the project and has offered to accompany us on a future trip.

Enjoy the pics......If anyone is interested in what we saw, drop me an email.....Not more than 100yards down from this croc nest, we encountered a Baird's Tapir cooling off (and it wasn't collared either)--saw 9 Tapirs total.

Matt

n/m

n/m

This one could be a statue

Bill

.

Matt---you need to contact Bill Lamar--in Tyler, Texas....his knowledge of Crocs in Latin America is unequaled...he worked under Dr. Frederick Medem(the authority) in Colombia while in graduate school and might be able to offer some useful insight and/or forethought....Earl H. Turner

Thanks Earl,

Ironically, Bill was at Marenco Lodge while we were in Corcovado. A girl who knows him said she ran into him in Puerto Jimenez. There is another fellow as well, at one of the Texas colleges (name slips me at the moment), anyway, Joe Wasilewski told me this fellow has DNA data for acutus from every country (17 or so) where they are found. One area they don't have it, though, is the SW (Osa Region) populations.

I'll try to contact Bill.

Thanks.
Matt