Please, let me introduce myself.  My name is Don Juan. I am a lizard and I am looking for love.

Oh what a fine day for romance.  The birds are singing.

The air is sweet.

The scenery is breathtaking.

SHE is breathtaking. Oh my, just look at how her scales glitter.

Her eyes shine like tiny amber stars in her sleek arrow shaped head.  Her stripes, did you see her stripes?

That yellow!

Oh, she has the brains to go with those gorgeous stripes.  She has impeccable taste.

Just look at that delectable brilliant emerald green cadydid leg she is crunching on.  What strong, fast legs she must have to catch such prey.

I must go talk to her.  I must tell her how I feel.  What a beautiful creature she is.

“Oh creature of my heart; jewel of my eye.”

“I am known as the great Don Juan.”

“Just look at my strong claws; my brilliant blue flash of scales down my side.”

Hey!  Where are you going?

Come back!

I did not mean to frighten you little lady.

No, no I do not mean to eat you!

Please, just give me a minute of your precious time.  I heard you were interested in laying some eggs over there underneath the pineapple plant.  I wish for you to consider me to assist you with that.

I am known to be the largest and strongest lizard in these parts.  I am able to catch the tastiest and largest of all the insects under the banana tree.  My legs are strong and fast.  My tail quick and flexible for balance.

Just look at my blue scales, they are as beautiful as the noon sky.

Have you seen any lizard more handsome than I?

Just take a moment to consider.

Let me know your decision.  I assure you there is no other lizard better suited for your needs.

They are also known as the Black Ctenosaur (pronounced Teen -oh- soar).  Ticos call them, Iguana Negra or black iguana.

The black iguana is much like his better known cousin, the green iguana, in many ways.  They both love to hang out in trees to catch the rays.  Or on a roof as with this iguana.

Both iguanas have spikes on their backs and can use their tails as whips if you get too close. They lay eggs in the ground and can live in many different habitats.  During the dry months, both iguanas eat lots of flowers and fruit.  During the wet season, both types of iguanas eat leaves, but Ctenosaurs also eat meat.  That’s right, green iguanas are strictly vegetarian.  Black iguanas are omnivores eating crabs, eggs, bugs, rodents, bats, and even other lizards with their salad!

What is this guy up to?

There seems to be no leaves on this tree, only flowers.  That must mean it is the dry season.

Oh look, he is climbing up that thin branch!

Maybe he is going to go and smell the flowers.  They look so pretty together.

I thought I counted more flowers.  Where did they go?

Hey!  You naughty iguana you ate all of the flowers!

Well, that was yummy.

Find out more about Costa Rican black iguanas here:

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/flora-fauna/reptile/black-ctenosaur

They would hang from the ceiling, crawl along the ground, skitter under my feet, sneak under the table tops, stick to the light fixture, plaster themselves to the mirror, and chirp happily while clinging to the mosquito netting above my bed.  They also joyfully consumed thousands of little insects that were out for blood, my blood.

This little Yellow-headed Gecko (Gonatodes albogularis) greeted me in the morning at the top of the stairs.  Most of the geckos in Costa Rica are nocturnal, but these guys enjoy sunshine. Only males have the nice yellow head.

Don’t you just love his blue lips?

There were many lizards that peered at me from the walls.  The most common were these little guys.

I had trouble spotting these lizards until they moved.

Really nice camoflague there buddy.

This beautiful rusty red creature is an anole.  There are over 400 different species of anoles.

Perhaps someone out there will tell me which one this is?

He lived in my cabin.  The entire building was his domain.  I would wake up in the morning with him sitting on the open windowsill, catching the morning sun.  Sometimes he would sit at the very edge of the handrail waiting for me to return from my shower.

Mr. Red had no interest in me, however.  He was looking for love.

Hey!  Is that a girl anole over there?

I better get her attention!

That brilliant red gem of a flag fanning from his throat is called a dewlap.  Mr. Red’s dewlap is quite impressive.  I have no doubt that the scaly girl he was trying to woo noticed this handsome display.

Different anoles, different dewlaps.

This anole reminded me of agate I used to polish in my rock tumbler.  My favorites were always the small bursts of color encased in a glass clear drop of transparent rock.

Everywhere I looked there was a lizard resting in the sun, sitting in the shade, munching on a bug, or trying to attract love.  I would sit for hours just watching them go about their lizardy business.

At night they seemed to disappear, replaced with nocturnal geckos chirping from hidden places among the palm fronds.  Following the sound, I would not find the gecko, but the anoles fast asleep.  The gecko would chuckle his chirps at me from his new hiding place.

It is time for me to find my own frond to snuggle up on for the night.

sueños dulces

I croched down with my camera poised for a picture of the blur, now hidden under a many leafed bush.  My husband taps my left shoulder and guides my eye with an outstreached finger to the opposite side of he trail. There, on a fallen log streatched out among dappled light with his regal head held high was the elusive king.

He did not move and neither did I.

I nearly forgot the camera cradled in my right hand.  He stayed frozen as a statue as I framed and shot picture after picture.  All while struck in complete amazement as this skittish creature simply relaxed not 20 feet from me. The brown basilisk or jesus christ lizard is an easily frightened creature, dashing away at the slightest hint of danger.

Basilisks may be found in forests across Central America and northern South America often climbing expertly along branches.

They are omnivorous, dining on delicious bugs, animals, and vegetable matter.  Perhaps this lizard now staring me in the eye is resting after a nice meal of sweet tree flowers and the nutty crunch of insects.

Basilisk translates from latin, the language of science, as ‘”little king,”

perhaps derived from the little crown of scales on the back of his head. To me, this animal looks like something that has not existed since the Permian age.  With the huge sails on its back, this three foot long lizard looks more like a miniature Dimetrodon than an iguana’s cousin.  Scientists believe the sails on the dinosaur Dimetrodon’s back were used for temperature regulation. Perhaps this is what the basilisk uses his scales for in the tropical rain forest.

As impressive as his sails are, it is his feet which makes this lizard famous.

This handsome lizard can run blindingly fast to escape hungry predators.  The Costa Ricans or Ticos, call this lizard Jesus (Hey-soos) Christo (Cree-stow) for his amazing ability to run across the surface of water.  Any animal this size would immediately crash into the water on the first step.

This ability has be described in detail in a 2004 study by Shi-Tong Tonia Hsieh of Harvard University, as a vertical slapping of a foot directly onto the surface of the water forming a bubble of air around it.  This is followed by a horizontal push backward to propel the creature forward before the leg is pulled up to the body, ready for another slap downward.

Each toe is surround by a fringe or flat flap of scales thereby increasing the foot’s surface area and preventing it from breaking the surface tension of water.  This fringe also enables the lizard to become an expert climber.

The gorgeous basilisk ensured I had some very nice photographs of him before simply sliding off the side of the fallen tree and beyond my vision.

I thought this would be my only basilisk sighting for the trip.  However, only a few days later,  I heard a rustling noise on the edge of a gurgling stream.

Baby basilisks only slightly resemble their parents.  The triangle shaped head and bright yellow stripe above the eye helped me guess the species of this animal.  I would have thought this youngster would be even more shy than the adult.  This one became the perfect lizard photo model posing lizard pozes as I crept forward snapping nearly 30 pictures before he tired of the game and dove into some dense brush, out of sight.

They may be the smallest of the animals you may see in the tropical rain forest, but the variety and beauty of invertebrates is staggering.

When I say insect, do you think of ugly creeping monsters attempting to crawl into your clothes?  Do you say, “Gross!”  The first insect I captured on film was this creature.

Before this gorgeous creature gained his spots, what did he look like?

That’s right, a caterpillar!

Not all butterflies have brilliant scales.  What was that?  You thought only reptiles and fish had scales?  The “skin” on a butterfly wing is made up of what entomologists call, scales too.  This one took the camouflage route. (Although I think he is going to have a hard time blending in with that flower.

Butterflies are not the only creature that loves the sweet nectar of flowers.  Check out the bee flying in for a landing on this lovely flower.

The tropical rain forest is crawling with interesting invertebrates.  I began to see them wherever I looked.

On a leaf.

On the water.

On my camera bag.  (That tiny white fuzzball on the right the picture had six legs!)

In the sink.

This scorpion, an arachnid not an insect, was only the size of a quarter. The grey ring to the right is the drain to the sink.

In my hand.

Across my path.

Leaf cutter ants are busy at work.  They use the leaves to grow an edible fungus that the ants eat.  Farmer ants, how cool!

These tasty tiny termites build huge nests in trees.  If you are ever stuck in the jungle without a sandwich, pop a few thousand of these in your mouth for a healthy snack.

Speaking of eating bugs, anyone hungry for a giant roach the size of your hand?

This beautiful tree gem scared the daylights out of me.  I nearly walked straight into her neon yellow sticky web.

A Golden Orb Weaver Spider with a tiny red male spider above her.

I wonder what these guys are talking about.

A beauitful bunch of ripe banana!
(daylight come and me wanna go home)
hide the deadly black tarantula!

Well, Mr. Belafonte I certainly did not want to go home yet.  Especially after finding THIS fantastic black tarantula.  She was nearly as large as my hand!

Stay tuned here for my further adventures in Costa Rica in the weeks to come!

Pura Vida

~RattlerJen

Wildlife Educator and Animal Keeper

Reptiles Alive Name: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel

Hisstory: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel grew up in Northern Virginia and in 2003 left to attend Clemson University in South Carolina.  While on summer break in 2005, Rockin’ Reptile Rachel took the position of Lead Animal Keeper at Reptiles Alive.  As one who enjoys challenges and is an extremely fast learner, Rockin’ Reptile Rachel began performing shows for Reptiles Alive during that very same summer. Enjoying the fast paced atmosphere, Rachel began working for Reptiles Alive full time in January of 2007 and has thrived ever since.

RA Diet: Rachel likes to feed on leftovers and peanut butter sandwiches. Yum!

Natural Diet: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel prefers a diet of fruits, veggies, and the occasional meat and dairy.  She eats as many locally supplied foods as possible and hopes one day to grow her own vegetables in her garden.

Range: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel has a very broad range.  She was born in Jackson, MS and then swiftly moved to Philippines with her pack until she was 2 years old.  Her pack then settled in Northern Virginia where she has resided ever since.  She temporarily expanded her range in 2003 back south while attending Clemson University in South Carolina.  These days you can find her all over the DC Metro Area doing animal shows or even traveling the world!

Habitat: You can find Rockin’ Reptile Rachel caring for the animal collection at Reptiles Alive HQ, out on the road heading to an animal show, or traveling the world by planes, trains, automobiles and her own two feet.  When she is not entertaining and educating the public with Reptiles Alive, her preferred habitat is to be in the wild or curled up on the couch with her fur-child, Frank-the-dog.

Size: Rachel has reached her maximum height at 5’9”.  Width may vary.

Lifespan: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel could live to 90 years or more!

Reproduction: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel adopted and is raising one fur-child named Frank-the-dog.  She may breed in the future but has yet to find a suitable mate.

Conservation: Since Rockin’ Reptile Rachel was a small child she has had a passion for animals and a great interest in public education.  She would speak to anyone who would listen about the most recent animal facts she had learned.  She has not gone too far from those days in working for Reptiles Alive. Rockin’ Reptile Rachel’s passion for animals and love of children allows her to present very exciting and educational shows that people of all ages are bound to enjoy. Her high energy and witty demeanor is sure to wow your audience!

Cool Facts: Rockin’ Reptile Rachel also has a passion for studying animals in the field. She traveled to remote regions of South Africa during a two-month summer expedition called Vets-In-The-Wild where she assisted wildlife veterinarians in exciting and often dangerous conservation attempts and medical procedures. Forgoing a “normal” college Spring Break, Rachel also traveled to the interior of the Amazon Rainforest with a study abroad program designed to study the Tropical Biology of the Peruvian Rainforest.  Her most recent travels have taken her to remote areas of Belize and Guatemala where she traveled for pleasure and to assist a wildlife trade school and zoo.

Where will her passion for animals lead her next?  Maybe to your school, camp, or even home!

CobraCaroline (CC):  So Sunflower, you just celebrated your 2nd birthday.  Did you do anything special?

Sunflower (SF): Well actually yesss.   You sssee, I get fed a delicioussss large rat once every other week.  And it just ssso happened that I got my delightful dinner on my birthday.  It was yummy.  And, it isss sstill in my tummy!

CC:  You know Sunflower, some people think that snakes only like to eat their prey live, but all the snakes here at RA get frozen and then warmed up food.  What do you think about that?

SF: Ooooh, I like it much much better when my dinner doesn’t try to bite me or ssscratch me or run away.  Also, I know that the frozen ratsss we eat don’t have all the yucky parasitesss or germsss that live ratsss could have. But I mussst admit, I do enjoy it when the keeper jigglesss the rat in front of me a little.  I mean, I’ll ssstill eat it if is not moving, it isss jusst ssso much more fun to ssstrike it and wrap around it – even though it isss already dead.

CC: We have a few questions from Reptiles Alive fans.   RA fan Virginia Olin wants to ask you two questions:  Where did you learn to speak?  Do you get chapped lips from licking your lips so much?

SF: Good quessstionssss Virginia.   Actually, CobraCaroline is able to communicate with me using an ancient Minoan technique known only to a few ssspecial humansss.  And no, I don’t get chapped lipsssss.  In fact I don’t even HAVE lipssss!  Ha ha ha – that is one of the reasonsss I can’t chew my food.

CC:  RA fan Kory Steele wants to know if you have any plans to get surgical augmentation and regrow legs?

SF: No Kory, no plansss for anything like that.  I really love my body just the way it issss.  I am able to accesssss placesss that animalsss with armsss and legsss can’t.   Armsss and legsss just get in the way.

CC:  RA fan and Bonnie Keller asks:  What’s your favorite rat flavor? And what will you be wearing to the Awards shows later this season?

SF: Bonnie, my tongue isss ssso powerful I can tassste the ratsss even when the RA keepersss are defrosssting them in the other room!  And man, when I sssmell them, I just want to eat them ALL.   I get ssso excited,  I’ll ssstrike at just about anything!!  Ssso, I guess I like all the rat flavors:  black, white, brown, spotted, whatever.  Just give me a yummy delicious rat!  MMMmmmm, rat rat rat.  Wait, you had another quessstion too.  Oh yeah, what will I wear to the Awardsss showsss?  Bonnie – you know usss sssnakesss, we like to keep thingsss sssimple.  No makeup, no clothesss.  I might shed my ssskin just to pretty up a little though.

CC:  So, Sunflower, are you excited about doing shows for Reptiles Alive?

SF: Oh definitely yesssss Cobra Caroline.  I can’t wait to help other people discover how cool sssnakes really are.  That we are not ssscary.  And we don’t want to hurt anyone!  Well, maybe a rat.  But ssseriously, I want to help ssstop humansss from attacking innocent sssnakes in the wild. Jussst leave those poor innocent sssnakes alone you ssscary humansss!!

CC: Any last thoughts or comments?

I am really excited to be a part of your animal education team.  I don’t think there are many albino boa constrictorsss out there working in live animal showsss, in fact, I might be the first!  Oh I know people see albino Burmese pythonsss all the time.  Even that Britney girl had one in a music video or something.  Pythonsss, shmythonssss.  I don’t meant to sssound ssstuck up, but I am ssso sssspectacularly beautiful, that I am sure to become one of RA’s biggest ssstars!

Amaya Perez

Animal Keeper

Reptiles Alive Name: Amazing Alligator Amaya (aka Triple A)

Hissstory: Amaya got her Masters in Telecommunications Engineering in her native Pamplona, Spain.  Amaya’s adventures since migrating to the US in the summer of 2001  include performing research on different species of bats and working  as a  Keeper Aide at the National Zoo.  Amaya joined the Reptiles Alive! team in September 2010.

RA Diet: Leftovers or a frozen meal heated up in the super amazing RA microwave. That thing is on steroids!. Oh yeah, a coffee in the morning is a must.

Natural Diet: Even though Amaya’s natural diet is Mediterranean food, she loves to try new flavors.   She is the ultimate omnivore and will eat just about anything with gusto.

Range: “Amayas” or “Amaias” are most often found in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula. They are a hardy and adaptable species and can now be found in several continents.

Habitat: You can regularly find Amaya roaming the wonderful natural parks in the DC metro area guiding her offspring and teaching them survival skills. Playgrounds are likely to produce sightings as well. When away from her offspring you can find Amaya at RA’s headquarters baby-talking to the animals or at the National Zoo coming up with fun and crafty enrichment ideas  in between cleaning and feeding.

Size: Amaya is about 5’7” and would rather not disclose her weight.

Lifespan: Amaya rarely gets a good night sleep so she is afraid years are being shaved off of her life. If sleeping patterns improve, Amaya could live up to 80 years or more.

Reproduction: Amazing Alligator Amaya has been mated for 10 years and has produced three rambunctious offspring with our very own Boa Brad.

Conservation: Amaya has always been in love with animals. Her biggest dreams when she was a little girl was going to Africa to be amongst some of the coolest animals on Earth and becoming a veterinarian.
Even though her background is in engineering her life has been dedicated to animals (including juvenile human primates) since her migration across the Atlantic.
Amaya enjoys caring for animals greatly and also loves sharing her knowledge and love for animals with the public when working at the zoo. Amaya also enjoys training animals and learning about animal behavior.

Cool Facts: Amaya has been an animal keeper since 2002 and has worked with a wide variety of non-reptilians. Amongst the creatures on her list are: lions, tigers, spectacled bears, sloth bears, giant pandas, gorillas, orangutans,Sulawesi macaques, gibbons, lemurs, coatis, caracals, servals and red pandas.
Amaya has only recently discovered how cool reptiles are and loves learning about them.
She has made it her mission to always soak the elderly animals in comforting warm baths at RA  every day she works.  Amaya also loves to hear Jeremiah the Bullfrog sing in happiness after she gives him a tasty treat.

Hyla chrysoscelis

Reptiles Alive name: “Hyla”

Hissstory: Hyla was an unwanted pet sent to live with us in March of 2010.

RA Diet: Crickets and meal worms.

Natural Diet: insects.

Range: Gray tree frogs are found throughout the eastern United States north into Canada.  They are native to the Washington DC area.

Habitat: Forests, backyards, and urban parks.

Size: Gray tree frogs grow to about 1.25-2 inches, the record is 2 and 3/8 inches.

Lifespan: Can live 5 + years.

Reproduction: Males gray tree frogs begin to call in mid to late Spring.  They form large groups called choruses. Their song is a flute like trill, a bit like a telephone. They breed March – October. Eggs are laid in water – usually ditches or puddles that form in the spring and dry up in the summer.

Conservation: Threats to gray tree frogs include:  air & water pollution and habitat destruction.  They require access to clean pools of water each spring in order to reproduce.  If the pools of water are gone or polluted, the population of tree frogs in that area will disappear.

Cool Facts:  Gray tree frogs have remarkable camouflage – they become almost invisible as they perch in the trees where they live.  They can also change their skin color from a dark gray to almost white to a light green.  If frightened, however, they flash bright gold on their thighs as they leap which may startle a predator.

Tree frogs also have suction cups on their hands and feet that allow them to stick to almost any surface.  You might find a gray tree frog stuck to the outside of the  glass window looking into your bedroom!

Pogona vitticeps

Reptiles Alive name: “Mr. Beardie”

Hissstory: Mr. Beardie was an unwanted pet that came to live with us in 2006.

RA Diet: Mr. Beardie likes to eat: crickets, super worms, roaches, dead mice, greens, fruits and dry food made for bearded dragons.

Natural Diet: Bearded dragons are omnivores – so they eat both meat and plants.  Insects, small animals, greens, fruits, and flowers are all part of their diet in the wild.

Range: Central Australia.

Habitat: Bearded dragons live in the “Outback” – desert and open woodland where they bask on branches and rocks.

Size: Bearded dragons are medium sized lizards that can grow to 16 – 22 inches long.

Lifespan: Bearded dragons can live over 10 years.

Reproduction: Female bearded dragons lay 11-30 oval eggs in a shallow nest dug in the sand. The babies will hatch about two months later.

Conservation: Australia has banned the exportation of its native wildlife for the pet trade, so any bearded dragons sold as pets in the United States have been captively bred here.

Cool Facts: When threatened, bearded dragons puff out their spiky bodies and throat so they become bigger and spikier!  Predators will usually avoid the sore throat they would get from swallowing such a prickly meal.