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Trish and I saw several other mammals in Panama besides the monkeys and sloths I’ve already posted. As you can probably imagine, mammals are often MUCH harder to spot than birds, which means photographing them can be a challenge. Names and descriptions are provided above each photo. Kinkajou. These tropical tree-climbing mammals are related to raccoons and coatis. Found in southern Mexico, Central America, and South America, they are difficult to see because they are nocturnal. I took this photo as this kinkajou was feeding on a banana outside a window of the Canopy Tower.  Northern Tamandua. This is actually a tree-climbing anteater. This anteater specializes in raiding ant, termite, and bee nests high in the trees. Like other anteaters, it has no teeth, but it has strong claws for tearing into insect nests, and a long, sticky tongue for slurping up its prey. This is the only one we saw, and photographing it was a challenge, as it was high in a tree and very busy looking for food.   Coati. Also known as the coatimundi. Related to the raccoon and kinkajou—one of the other mammals included in this post. Whereas kinkajous are usually seen climbing trees (they have a prehensile tail), coatis are usually on the ground (with a more raccoon-like tail), although they are also good climbers. Coatis often forage in groups, and they hold their long tails up high, which helps the others in the group stay together in thick vegetation. This one was on the move, refusing to pose for good photos.   Central American Agouti. Fairly common in Panama, agoutis are rodents that can grow to almost ten pounds. They are often seen in gardens, as well as in the rainforest. Agoutis are active during the day, and they form monogamous mating pairs, sometimes for life. They have a rather odd courtship ritual. When the male is in the mood, he sprays the female with urine. If his timing is right, this will send the female into an excited dance. This, in turn, prompts the male to give her a few more nice urine squirts. You can guess what happens next.   Proboscis Bats. These tiny bats were hanging around on the lower side of the trunk of a leaning tree. They usually live in colonies with as many as 45 individuals, roosting together like this during the day and hunting for insects at night. Most colonies have between 5 and 11 bats. These bats usually feed while flying just above a body of water (without actually touching the water), and this particular tree was actually leaning out over a portion of the large lake that is part of the Panama Canal (we were in a boat when we found them).   Photo credits: All mammal photos - Stan C. Smith
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Everyone loves sloths, right? We were lucky enough to see and photograph a number of them. Mostly the BROWN-THROATED THREE-TOED SLOTH. I have to tell you a story about the sloth in the first photo. As we were just starting a hike, we saw this sloth high in a cecropia tree, hanging upside down and slowly scratching itself. I got some good photos, and we continued onward. When we came back down the same trail about two hours later, the sloth was still hanging there, and was STILL scratching itself. A good scratch cannot be rushed, I suppose. Why are sloths so slow? This question has puzzled biologists for centuries. Way back in 1749, when sloths were first described in scientific literature (by Georges Buffon), he referred to them as: "the lowest form of existence." This is obviously incorrect because sloths have thrived for 64 million years. They are very well adapted for their lifestyle. First, sloths are completely colorblind, due to a genetic condition that showed up in their ancestors millions of years ago. They see poorly in dim light, and hardly at all in bright daylight. Very few tree-climbing animals are colorblind, and this condition requires that they move slowly and cautiously. But that's not all. Sloths have extremely slow metabolism. In fact, their metabolism is so slow that they are unable to regulate their body temperature internally, like other mammals can. They regulate their temperature behaviorally, like a cold-blooded animal does, by basking in the sun when they are cool and moving to the shade when hot. Unlike other mammals, a sloth's internal body temperature can fluctuate as much as 20 degrees F during the day (this would be fatal to a human). These factors, among others, result in an extremely slow-moving animal. But this isn't a bad thing—it's simply a different way of surviving. Sloths are very good at what they do! The last photo is a HOFFMANN'S TWO-TOED SLOTH, which we saw in a sloth sanctuary. We only saw one of these in the wild, and it was not in position for good photos.      Photo Credits: All sloth photos - Stan C. Smith Now that I've shared the monkeys we saw, let's consider one of my favorite birds, the TOUCAN. Actually, we saw three types of toucans. The first photo is a KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN, the second is a BLUE-THROATED TOUCANET, and the third is a COLLARED ARACARI. In my opinion, toucans are the cartoon characters of the bird world. My question is: What's up with that huge, beautiful bill (beak)? Their bill can be four times the size of their head, and as long as their body. Seriously, isn't that kind of extreme? Well, as you can probably imagine, a toucan's bill is, by necessity, amazingly lightweight. They are also very strong—have you ever seen a toucan with a broken beak? Neither have I. As it turns out, these beaks serve a variety of functions. They help the bird reach fruits at the ends of narrow branches and in crevices. They can be used as a weapon against predators and against each other. The serrated edges can be used like a saw for tearing up food. They can be used for cracking open seeds. The bright colors are almost certainly used for attracting mates, and for identifying members of their own species. Perhaps one of the most intriguing functions of a toucan's bill is thermoregulation. Tropical forests are hot, and creatures living there have evolved elaborate ways to keep their bodies cool. I've never touched a live toucan's bill, but biologists say the bills are very warm to the touch. Why? Because the bills have an elaborate system of blood vessels near the surface. Scientists have actually tested this using infrared sensors. They looked at the amount of heat given off by the toucan's beak when it is resting. Then they chased the toucan around in its cage for ten minutes (to stimulate exertion), and measured the heat given off by the beak again. After the exertion, the beak was much warmer. Which means the bird was releasing more heat to keep its body at the optimal temperature. Who says something can't be pretty and functional at the same time?    Photo credits: Toucans - Stan C. Smith Trish and I saw four monkey species on Panama trip. In my last post, I showed photos of Geoffroy's Tamarin. And here are the other three. The first two photos are MANTLED HOWLER MONKEYS. These are not the same species we usually see in Belize. These monkeys can be heard at least a half mile away, and they often howl in the early mornings and evenings. The next one is the WHITE-FACED CAPUCHIN. This one seemed to have a perpetually grouchy face. Finally, the last photo is a WESTERN NIGHT MONKEY. These are nocturnal, which makes them difficult to photograph. I took this photo while our guide shone a spotlight on it.     Photo credits: Monkeys - Stan C. Smith Trish and I recently returned from an awesome tropical forest adventure in Panama. We stayed at Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge, with a focus on Tropical Biodiversity. I'll be sharing numerous photos and stories in the coming days. Let's start with monkeys! We saw four monkey species, including Panama's smallest monkey, called Geoffroy's Tamarin, about the size of a squirrel. These tiny monkeys live in social groups, so if you see one, you'll likely see more. They spend much of the day foraging for fruits, flowers, and insects. I photographed these tamarins from the observation deck atop the Canopy Tower. Tamarins were sporting the mohawk hairstyle long before it was cool.    Photo credits: Tamarin photos - Stan C. Smith |
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March 2025
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