Intern Handover Report
Caño Palma Biological Station
July 2012 – January 2013
Complied by
HAS Interns and COTERC
Travel Details
Booking Tickets and Travel Insurance
The two cheapest airlines to fly from Amsterdam to San Jose with were KLM/Copa Airlines and
Iberia. KLM flies from Schiphol to Panama City. From Panama City you take a flight to San Jose with
Copa Airlines. The other option is take a flight with Iberia from Schiphol to Madrid, and then again
with Iberia from Madrid to San Jose. The price of a retour flight will be between 1250 and 1550
Euros, depending on your traveling dates. Make sure you book your ticket online at the KLM or
Iberia website, since travel agencies always charge you more when booking a flight for you. Also
make sure you have travel insurance before leaving the Netherlands.
Food and Accommodations
Food and accommodation is provided by the field station. Interns pay US$175 per week to cover
living expenses and three meals a day. This price is set by the COTERC Board and the station
manager and may vary depending on cost of living etc.
Money Matters
There is an ATM that works with ABN Amro cards three hours outside of Tortuguero in Cariari.
Banco Nacional is the only bank which works with ABN Amro bankcards. An intern tried his
Rabobank card at Banco Nacional in Panama, which did not work. However Visa and Mastercards
are accepted in all the bigger shops in Costa Rica – but not in San Francisco and in only a few places
in Tortuguero, the two closest towns. Also, make sure your pin number for your bank card is 4
digits (5+ digits and letters don’t work in Costa Rica).
Costa Ricans will basically always accept American Dollars and the exchange rate is usually around
$US1 = 500 Colones. You will find better exchange rates at local banks (bring your passport or a
copy they will require it as an ID). Although the conversion rate is tempting, it is not advised to
exchange any money on the streets as you may potentially receive counterfeit money in return.
Banks in San Jose are often the best and safest option for money exchange. Local businesses
generally won’t accept anything larger than a $20 bill, and the money must be in perfect condition.
Any bill that has a small nick or tear will not be accepted by businesses or banks. Also at Schiphol
Airport you are able to receive Dollars from an ATM at the bank.
Contact Information
Tel for field station: 506 -2709-8052
Email: station@coterc.org
What to Bring
1. Dark clothes for turtle night walks – long pants (dry fit pants are the best option), long
sleeve tops, and a poncho and/or raincoat.
2. For mammal walks and other walks through the rainforest- long pants, thick and loose long
sleeve shirts (to help deter mosquitoes), rain wear gear or ponchos.
3. For night surveys (except turtle surveys): A good HIGH power beam handheld flashlight.
You will most likely not be scheduled on night surveys besides the caiman survey and turtle
surveys. However we ended up out at night quite often due to snake walks and coming back
from the village of San Francisco after it got dark.
4. (Optional) Bandanas or wide-brim hats.
5. Comfortable walking shoes – crocs have been the preferred option. Any sort of waterproof
hiking sandal is useful. Do not bring any canvas/cloth or leather footwear for surveys, as the
material does not dry in the humidity and will quickly mold. We also highly advise you to
not bring any hiking boots with you, because you will most likely never wear them and they
will get mold all over them. Flip flops or other easy shoes for around base are also very
useful.
6. Rubber boots are recommended, the station has lots of pairs but may not have any in your
size.
7. Square-cornered mosquito net. The station has a few mosquito nets, however it is
recommended you bring your own just in case. Bringing a light blanket is also
recommended as the station only provides sheets, and it can get quite cold at night when it’s
raining.
8. (Optional) Bring your own bed sheets and pillow covers. You may wish to bring your own
pillow. (there are very few pillows at the station, a folded bed sheet is a good
alternative to a pillow as it is easy to wash and can easily be hung to dry).
9. Light cotton clothing.
10. Headlamp with red lamp (low glow if possible – for turtle walks-) and a hand held flashlight.
It’s also a good idea to bring rechargeable batteries and a rechargeable unit.
11. Large durable water bottle.
12. Medication pills e.g. Tylenol, vitamins, Imodium, anti-histamines, or anything else you feel
you may need. A personal first aid kit with band-aids, etc. is also useful as the station only
has emergency supplies
13. Entertainment – music, books, movies etc.
14. Sunscreen, mosquito repellent, foot powder, lots of socks, headphones with microphone and
webcam (if you want to skype).
15. Laptop and other electronic devices you think you will need during your stay. We highly
recommended bringing your laptop, because the station computers are not always entirely
stable. However the station does not take responsibility for any damage done to your
laptops. If you put your laptop in the dry-box every night it is not likely for them to die from
the humidity. Also any other electric devices should be stored in the dry-box when not used
so they don’t die from humidity.
Rule of Thumb: You generally want at least three sets of field clothes to rotate through in the rain
season and general t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, shorts, long pants that you will wear every day at
the station. Leave any fancy clothes you really don’t want to get dirty at home.
Getting There
Recommendations on accommodations in San Jose can be found in guidebooks on Costa Rica or
Central America. The Hotel Aranjuez is usually used by the Environmental Studies Field Course in
Costa Rica. This is a mid-price hotel. Contact information is:
Reservation from the Netherlands: 1-877-898-8663; local No.: 506-2-256-1825
Address: 19th Street, between Ave 11 and 13, Barrio Aranjuez, San Jose www.hotelaranjuez.com
Other Hotels are:
CACTS Hotel Tel: 506-2-221-2928, 506-2-221-6546, the station has had a long relationship with
this hotel and they are very helpful
Galileo Hostel Tel: 506-2-248-2094, 506-2-221-8831
Gaudy’s Backpacker Hostel Tel: 506-2-258-2937(http://www.backpacker.co.cr/)
–Gaudy’s has its own taxi service to and from the airport which can be arranged in advance via
email. It usually costs $24US.
On arriving at the Juan Santamaria International Airport, you can get to the city either by bus or cab.
Cabs can be accessed outside the arrival area. There are various cab companies found there, but if
you’re not sure which ones are legitimate, the valid cabs that are working for the airport are orange,
or red with a yellow triangle. The red taxis will generally run their meter, the orange cabs will
charge a flat, government mandated rate. Buses can be caught in front of the airport and passengers
are dropped in a downtown station. You can either pay in $US or Colones. There is a Cambio
(“change” in Spanish) kiosk in the arrival area but you will get better currency exchange at a bank.
To travel to the field station you will need to have local currency. Always ask a cab driver how much
it will cost before you enter the vehicle to prevent them from charging too much.
To get to the field station a bus can be caught at the Caribeños Bus Station (near Ave 13). The route
is San Jose to Cariari to La Pavona to Cano Palma. There are direct and indirect buses to Cariari. The
direct bus (1350 colon) leaves San Jose from 6:30, 9:00, 10:30, and any bus later than 11:00 will
risk making you late for the Pavona connection. The indirect route is through Guapiles (1700
colon) with a connecting bus to Cariari (360 colon). The buses to Guapiles leave every hour. Tickets
can be bought up stairs in the plaza. It is a two hour trip from San Jose to Cariari; going through
Guapiles extends the trip by an hour. If the direct route to Cariari (1350 colones), let the driver
know beforehand that you are going to Cano Palma. If you miss this bus you will have to stay in
Cariari for the night. The first bus out is at 6:00 am the following morning. Good hotels in Cariari are
Hotel El Tropical (506 2767 7186) and Hotel Central, this will cost you $15-20 a night . There are
two bus stations in Cariari, they are both on the same main road, about 500mts apart. One is across
from the BCR (Bank of Costa Rica) and it’s busses go to Guapiles/San Jose. The other bus station is
behind a police station (“fuerza publica”) and the buses there go to La Pavona. The line for the
Pavona bus is near the ticket booth. Buy tickets for the bus (1100 colon) and for the boat (1600
colon). The last bus to Pavona is 3:00pm. When you board the boat at Pavona indicate to go to San
Francisco. The boat arrives and stops by the general store. Make sure that you have confirmed your
arrival with the station and called to let them know of any changes. As long as they know you’re
coming, there will be someone there to meet you. If for any reason there isn’t someone there within
½ an hour of your arrival (the boat arrival time can be unpredictable, so it’s hard to time the
meetings exactly), ask to use the telephone at the store and call the station.
N.B: STRESS to the boat drivers where you are going, and always make sure that cabs have working
meters (marias) before getting in!
The Field Station
The Caño Palma Biological Station[1] is part of the Barra Colorado Wildlife Refuge and is located 5
miles from the Tortuguero National Park and Tortuguero village. The field station came into being
with the purchase of the land by Marilyn Cole, a former York University Masters student, and Ozzy
Teichner from a Nicaraguan campesino. The name of the station is derived from the canal of similar
name that runs adjacent to the property. The canal separates the station from the Caribbean Sea by
some 200 – 300 meters. The station is accessed via the canal as there are no roads into the area.
Further historical material can be found on the COTERC website, Resources at
www.coterc.org/?page_id=296.
¹COTERC is the administrative arm of the CPBS. It was established in 1991 as a non-profit charity
organisation based in Pickering, Ontario. The organisation is governed by a board consisting of
biologists, accountants, educators, environmentalists, zoo professionals and media professionals. The
board is committed and working actively to protect tropical rainforest.
Life at the Field Station
Facilities at the field station are simple. The interns sleep in assigned rooms and may be placed in
the main dormitory. You should bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. There are flush toilets that
are located behind the rancho museum and by the dorms. The kitchen and office are located in the
same building, a short walk from the dorms.
Internet and Phone
Interns have access to the computers and the internet during the course of their stay, but are
generally asked to use the internet on weekends and evenings only. The system is high-speed
wireless. For the phone service local calls are permitted but should be kept after 7pm to avoid tying
up COTERC’s business line. For international calls phone cards can be bought in Tortuguero. The
cards can also be used on the phone in San Francisco. You can also utilize skype for calling. A text
message from your own phone provider to the Netherlands will cost you between €0,50 and €2,00
Kitchen
Food in the kitchen is communal. You can purchase and stock your own food to have snacks to
supplement the meals provided. It is very informal but when there are a smaller number of people
on base the station manager will assign cooking duties for dinner, with breakfast and lunch being
on each person’s accord. A cook generally comes to the station to help with lunch and dinner when
there are more than 10 people staying at the station. The water at the field station comes from a
sunken well and is filtered using a UV lamp. Other camp duties, such as cleaning, are usually rotated
between everyone who lives on base, with everyone participating in some duties each day. The
cleaning and cooking teams are posted by the station manager. The leftovers are placed into plastic
containers and kept in the refrigerator for use when you get hungry at any time. Composting and
recycling are also done at the station.
Washing and showers
All water on base is cold – in this climate, this is usually preferable to showering in hot water. When
showering, to save water, everyone is asked to wet themselves, turn off the water, soap up (soap
must be biodegradable and needs to be brought down with you) and then rinse off. After your
shower you have to sweep the showers to ensure that sand does not go down the drain and to keep
the shower clean for the use by other people. There is also a washing machine at the field station
but no dryer. There are both open and covered lines to dry your clothes on. When using the
washing machine it is very important that you remove the sand from your clothing before placing it
in the washing machine. There is high iron content in the water and this stains everything orange. It
is best to bring old field clothes to work in.
Visa run
Travelling to renew your VISA
One option is going to Nicaragua via San Jose, which takes two days of travel (one to San Jose, one to
Nicaragua). Take the regular route to San Jose where you will have to locate the Tica Bus terminal.
Here are the directions from Paseo Colon (major street in San Jose): San José. Costa Rica. Paseo Colón.
200 meters North & 100 meters west from Torre Mercedes, Paseo Colón, across front Funeraria del
Magisterio Nacional (within walking distance of Gaudy’s Backpackers Hostel). This bus will cost you
around 20 dollars each way and takes you across the Nicaraguan border. You HAVE to go buy your
tickets in person a day before you plan to travel, make sure you go with your passport. They will
provide all the documents for you and make sure you have all your passports or certificates in
order. While crossing the border you will have to go through immigration for both CR and NIC but it
is a fairly simple and easy process. Once back on the bus after immigration the main stops in
Nicaragua are Rivas, Managua and Leon. You can take a separate bus from Managua to Granada,
which is really nice to stay and is most recommended due to its old style architecture and relative
safeness. Leon is really nice as well and both cater to tourists’ needs. There are many things to do
once in Nicaragua so enjoy!
We highly recommend going to Laguna de Apoyo and staying at the Monkey Hut, it’s a long journey
to get there but definitely worth the extra effort (Taxi from Managua will cost approx. $50US total,
split between 2-3 people makes it more affordable). The Monkey Hut is situated on a beautiful
geothermally- heated crater lake and there are lots of free activities provided through the hostel
(windsurfing, kayaking etc). The food is also very cheap (<$5 per meal) and the dorms are very
clean and secure. http://www.themonkeyhut.net/
Getting to Bocas del Toro (Panama) costs about $33US (one-way) if you take public transportation.
The trip can be done in a day if one catches the first boat out of San Francisco. The first boat arrives
at approximately 5:30 am but it is best to be there by 5:00 a.m. Take this boat to La Pavona (costs
about 1600 colones) where the bus can then be caught to Cariari (1000 colones). At the Cariari bus
terminal (there are 2 close by so be careful) take the bus heading to Guapiles (approx. 45 min; cost
about 430 colones). In Guapilies walk to the kiosk left side of the terminal and buy ticket to Limon.
Bus ride from Guapilies to Limon takes approximately 2 hours (1780 colones). When dropped off in
Limon you may need to walk 2-3 blocks east of first terminal (ask people for directions for where to
catch a bus to Limon). (Walk quickly or take a taxi if cheap since missing a bus could result in major
delay.) At this bus station get ticket for bus heading to Sixaola (cost is about 2760 colones). When
you arrive in Sixaola (Costa Rican border) stop at the immigration office to have passport date
stamped then walk across bridge to Panama immigration office and border (in Changuinola,
Panama). Here you should also have your passport stamped and a fee of approx $3 US will be
charged. (You may be asked to present your return tickets at the border. There is a kiosk at the border
where you can buy tickets for a direct bus going from Changuinola to San Jose. The ticket costs $14
and can be used any day after purchase; the bus driver will stop in Guapiles if you ask him to - keep in
mind that you will be dropped off at a different bus station in Guapiles and you will have to walk for
about 10 minutes or take a taxi to get the the bus terminal where you can catch a bus to Cariari). After
this you can take a taxi to a hostel nearby but even more recommended is visiting the Bocas del
Toro islands of Pamana. To get to the Bocas del Toro islands take a taxi (about $15) to the town of
Almirantes and catch the boat taxi 25 (ferry boat) to Bocas del Toro (only $4). It is important to
note that Panama is an hour ahead of Costa Rica and so while the border in CR closes at 5pm the
one in Panama closes at 6pm. Depending on when the last ferry boat leaves Almirantes to the
islands, you may need to stay over in Changuinola for the night. If so, take taxi to a hotel in
Changuinola then continue via taxi to Almirantes the following morning (there are no hostels in
Changuinola but there are a number of hotels. A good hotel in Changuinola is called SemiRami and
it is located walking distance from the bus station ($30 per room, Tel:5077586006).
There is a hostel on the Bastimentos island; Sea view. Get a taxi boat to Bastimentos town, walk to
the right, on the right you will see the hostel ($6 pp).
When in Bocas del Toro (islands) you can take a boat tour for approximately $15 to beautiful white
sand beaches, sloth sightings, dolphin watch, star fish beach, snorkeling and other nature tours.
There is also a lot of surfing, diving, snorkeling and other water sports that you can enjoy while
here.
Field Station Projects
Turtle Monitoring Program
Tortuguero National Park was created in the 1970’s to protect the nesting beaches of sea turtles.
The beaches of Tortuguero host one of the largest populations of nesting green turtles (Chelonia
mydas). Other sea turtles that visit the Tortuguero beaches are the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys
coriacea), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) and on rare occasions the loggerhead turtle
(Caretta caretta). The protected beaches are on the southern bank (right) of the Tortuguero River.
On the northern bank (Playa Norte) the beaches are unprotected and there have been high
instances of poaching of both turtles and nests.
In 2004 COTERC with the help of York University began a feasibility study to establish the north
beach a protected area. When the program first started only morning census was done. The
volunteers counted the number of tracts seen on the beach and checked the status of the nests. The
volunteers have observed that there were many nests that had been poached.
In 2005 COTERC signed a partnership with Global Vision International (GVI). With a constant
stream of volunteers and help from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC, formerly Caribbean
Conservation Corporation, CCC) in developing a working protocol the program was given a boost. In
2006 the study was in full gear. Protocols were developed for both morning and night patrols. In
2007 the poaching rate was still high and after analysis of the threat areas on the beach COTERC
applied for license to relocate nests within these threat areas. The contract with GVI ended in 2009.
Currently, there is still a high incidence of poaching of not only eggs, but also of the nesting females.
Study Site
The study site on the North Beach begins from the mouth of the Tortuguero and runs for three and
one eighth miles ending at Laguna Cuatro. The length of the study area is marked each eighth of a
mile with a marker running from south to north. The width of the beach is approximately 5 to 40
meters. The beach vegetation includes morning glory, rush grass, sea grapes, coconut, sea almond
and other tropical trees.
Night patrol usually starts between the hours of 8pm and 12am. The start time may vary from day
to day. Morning census usually starts at 5:30am and last about three hours (however, more time is
required during the peak of the turtle nesting season, when many tracks need to be recorded and
more nests need to be checked). The sea turtle program coordinator may schedule two or more
overlapping shifts during the night (example: 8pm to 12am and 11pm to 3am) depending on the
availability of trained leaders and volunteers.
Methodology
Night Protocol
The night patrol was designed to collect as much data as possible on the nesting turtles. At least one
team consisting of three to four members walks the study area for a four hour period. More time is
spent on the beach when many turtles are encountered. When a turtle is encountered the species is
identified, the encounter time is recorded and the stage at which it was encountered is determined
(emerging from sea, digging a body pit, digging an egg chamber, oviposition, covering egg chamber,
disguising egg chamber, returning to sea). While the turtle is in oviposition the eggs are counted
and/or relocated and the nest is triangulated. The triangulation allows the nest to be located for reexcavation if signs of the emerging hatchlings are not found. As the turtle disguises her nest, biometric data is taken on the turtle and she is tagged if no tag is present. Biometric data taken
includes length of carapace, width of carapace, sights of any previous injuries or tag marks,
barnacles and any signs of sickness.
Morning Patrol
The morning patrol performs the following:
1. checks the status of the nests recorded during recent night patrols
2. checks the nests that are due to hatch for any signs of hatching
3. records new nests and half-moon tracks
4. disguises signs of nests and erases tracks
5. excavates hatched nests or nests that have passed their incubation time
The survey covers the full study area once. It starts early in the morning with the aim of reducing
the amount of time between the last night patrol and the morning patrol.
Mammal Monitoring Program
Objectives (Summary):
The general goal of this study is to improve the understanding of the assemblage of arboreal and
terrestrial mammals utilizing forest resources in the southern portion of the Barra del Colorado
Wildlife Refuge.
The primary objectives are to:
1) estimate community composition and species richness;
2) track trends in relative abundance of species over time;
3) evaluate habitat associations and distribution of resident species;
4) estimate the density of the more common species.
In the short term, base-line data on wildlife presence, abundance, and distribution will be
collected. Long-term studies will examine temporal wildlife population dynamics relative to human
disturbance (i.e. tourism impacts and over a gradient of human disturbance) by comparing data
from the Wildlife Refuge to areas influenced by human development. In addition, a vegetation data
layer will be mapped and habitat use will be examined in association with forest composition and
seasonal climatic changes.
Long-Term Objectives:
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Teach proper mammal identification to study participants, volunteers, and the local
community
Ensure the inclusion of local residents in the study when possible
Impart knowledge and appreciation of local wildlife diversity and promote the social and
environmental benefits of wildlife conservation efforts in the area
Provide other researchers with basic data on the arboreal and terrestrial mammal
assemblage in the region
Utilize scientific knowledge and local knowledge and perspectives to achieve study goals;
Improve and adapt approaches and practices based on changing natural conditions and
improved understanding over time
Create long term goals for future conservation efforts
Rationale/Justification
There is an abundant but little studied wildlife assemblage in the Tortuguero plains, including the
Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge. These species fill important ecological roles and include
numerous endangered species, such as jaguar, tapir, peccary and the Central American spider
monkey. While significant, long-term research and monitoring has been conducted on nesting sea
turtles, little has been documented of arboreal and terrestrial large mammal population dynamics.
Monitoring large mammals is vital for a better understanding of this region’s ecosystem, its
functions, ecology and status of various species and their habitats (i.e. riparian forests vs. swamp
forests). In particular, trends in species presence, relative abundance, density, and distribution are
of great value in understanding levels of local disturbance given the change in land use adjacent to
protected areas.
Information generated from this project can be useful to Costa Rican Environmental
agencies and their managers (Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo), National System of
Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications
(MINAET)). Monitoring results could potentially assess whether the management of this portion of
Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is influenced by human encroachment and habitat disturbance.
Results will determine if current wildlife protection is adequate and whether agencies are achieving
their established objectives and/or further develop appropriate conservation and management
actions for the biodiversity protection and preservation.
Since protected areas also serve as ‘reference sites’ for comparing a large number of
environmental parameters and ecological processes with those of human influenced ecosystems,
we would like to undertake basic monitoring within this section of the Refuge and compare results
with adjacent areas.
Methodology (Summary)
Study Site
Caño Palma Biological Station lies within the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge (10º 30’ 86” north;
83 º 45’ 88” east), an area of some 812 km2 (200,600 acres). The Refuge comes under the
jurisdiction of ACTo. The Ministry of Environment and Energy, ACTo, and SINAC are responsible for
the overall management, conservation and law enforcement of the Barra Colorado Wildlife Refuge.
Methods
The overall method is based on presence/absence methods as described by MacKenzie (2005).
Survey Transect Location and Preparation
In the early stages of the study, the boundary between two properties north of Caño Palma
Biological Station was used. This trail was approximately three to four kilometers in length, and ran
from Caño Palma and Caño Penetencia. The owner periodically cleared the trail of undergrowth to
delineate the property boundary and it served as the study’s first transect. In 2010, we lost the
permissions to use this land as it was sold. We proposed a new transect cut with minimal ecological
implications, running north of the biological station across the adjacent property which the owner
has granted permission for. There are new transects put in place at CPBS and the Cerro (across the
canal from the station); see the mammal protocol for details. The transects are as narrow as
possible and marked every 50m with vinyl plastic flagging tape or tree paint to facilitate accurate
mapping of detection events. Natural obstacles were left unharmed (trees). Each transect is about
one kilometer long.
The transect must be walked no faster than one kilometer per hour. Each transect will likely take 12 hours to walk because of wet trail conditions and normal delays following detection events,
particularly where the abundance of target species is high. The survey time alternates between
early morning and afternoon to catch the peak activity periods of most diurnal mammals.
Other researchers with complementary mammal research are encouraged to use the available data
and design sound ecologically minimal projects to complement the baseline data from the two
comparative transects. If these types of research projects arise, we will submit the adjunct methods
to MINEAT for approval.
Sampling Effort
Each transect will be walked with one COTERC staff and up to four volunteers in a quiet calm
manner once weekly on a regular schedule. Transcription of data is to immediately follow the walk
to avoid loss of any details while the event is fresh in the memory.
Wildlife Identification
Most large wildlife is not seen, but rather indication of their presence through tracks or
vocalizations is detected. Laminated track images are used to assist volunteers with the correct
identification of the species tracks. A digital camera will be used to photograph tracks which are
not immediately identified.
Recording
Observers record date, transect identity, weather conditions, and initials field observers at the
beginning of a transect walk, as well as the start and end time of each walk. Upon a detection event,
the observers record the exact GPS location and closest 50m markers, time, form of detection,
potential species identification, and photo image number (if a photo is taken), as well as track
measurements. The opportunity to record supplementary information such as activity, diet, height,
age and sex of animals sighted, mixed-species associations, and vegetation features are also
important. As a general policy, observers should remain on the transect line if viewing live animals
and observe for 15 minutes if possible. In some cases, it may be necessary to move away from the
transect and approach the animals to make further observations possible. Movement off the
transect needs to be kept to a minimum and observations of large mammals should be no longer
than 15 minutes.
*Results expected at the time:
There have been 36 different species of mammal detected at Cano Palma over the past 4 years of
data collection. This does not include bat species. Work from the Southern Alberta Institute of
Technology (SAIT) and InBio relating to ecosystem classification and mammal usage from 2009 is
summarized and located at: http://www.coterc.org/?page_id=217. Continued refinement of habitat
analysis and spatial mapping with analysis by SAIT in 2010 occurred, and can be located on the
same page and indicated by the 2010 dates.
The summary of the mammal species is noted here and is drawn from the 2010 updated mammal
checklist. To find the list of bat species, please visit the COTERC website.
COMMON NAME
TAXONOMY
ORDER
DIDELPHIMORPHIA
– OPOSSUMS
Family – Didelphidae
American opossums
Didelphis marsupialis
Southern opossum
Metachirus nudicaudatus
Brown four-eyed opossum
Caluromys derbianus
Central American woolly opossum
Marmosa Mexicana
Mexican mouse opossum
Micoureus alstoni
Alston’s woolly mouse opossum
Philander opossum
Gray four-eyed opossum
ORDER – PILOSA
ANTEATERS AND SLOTHS
Family - Myrmecophagidae
Anteaters
Tamandua Mexicana
Northern Tamandua
Cyclopes didactylus
Silky anteater
Family – Megalonychidae
Two-toed sloths
Choloepus hoffmani
Hoffman’s two-toed sloth
Family – Bradypodidae
Three-toed sloths
Bradypus variegatus
Brown-throated three-toed sloth
ORDER – CINGULATA
ARMADILLOS
Family – Dasypodidae
Armadillos
Dasypus novemcinctus
Nine-banded armadillo
ORDER – PRIMATES
PRIMATES
Family – Cebidae
Cebids, such as capuchin monkeys, tamarins and squirrel
monkeys
Cebus capucinus
White-faced capuchin
Family – Atelidae
Howler, wooly and spider monkeys
Aloutta palliate
Mantled howler monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
Central American spider monkey
ORDER – RODENTIA
RODENTS
Family – Sciuridae
Squirrels
Sciurus variegatoides
Variegated squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Red-tailed squirrel
Family – Cricetidae
Mice and rats and relatives
Nyctomys sumichrasti
Vesper rat
Family – Erethizontidae
New world porcupines
Sphiggurus mexicanus
Mexican hairy porcupine
Family – Dasyproctidae
Acouchis and agoutis
Dasyprocta punctate
Central American agouti
Family – Cuniculidae
Pacas
Cuniculus paca
Low land paca
ORDER – CARNIVORA
CARNIVORES
Family – Procyonide
Coatis, raccoons, and relatives
Potos flavus
Kinkajou
Nasua narica
White-nosed coati
Procyon lotor
Northern raccoon
Family – Mustelidae
Badgers, otters, weasels and relatives
Galictis vittata
Greater grison
Eira Barbara
Tayra
Lontra longicaudis
Neotropical river otter
Family – Felidae
Cats
Leopardus pardalis
Ocelot
Leopardus wiedii
Margay
Puma yagouaroundi
Jaguarundi
Puma concolor
Puma
Panthera onca
Jaguar
ORDER – SIRENIA
DUGONGS, MANATEES and SEA COWS
Family – Trichechidae
Manatees
Trichechus manatus
West Indian manatee
ORDER –
PERISSODACTYLA
HORSES, RHINOCEROSES, and TAPIRS
Family – Tapiridae
Tapirs
Tapirus bairdii
Baird’s tapir
ORDER – ARTIODACTYLA
EVEN-TOED UNGULATES
Family – Tayassuidae
Peccaries
Pecari tajacu
Collared peccary
Tayassu pecari
White-lipped peccary
Family – Cervidae
Deer
Mazama Americana
Red brocket deer
Results obtained at the time:
There was little to no data collected in 2010 due to low volunteers and lack of funding to continue
the monitoring. In 2011, we continued to monitor for various species and managed to set out
secondary comparative transects. In 2012, surveying was done occasionally between the months of
January and May. Regular weekly surveying was done between the months of June and December. A
new, easy to use database is currently under development to facilitate the entrance and use of
collected data.
[1]
Description the field station and COTERC is taken from the COTERC website,
www.coterc.org