Natural Selections Tours

A Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)

James Adams — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 22:45:10 +0000

A Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) eyes our boat from the river’s edge. These are very common in the Brazilian Pantanal, and when we are watching a Jaguar, and it disappears into thick grass like this, one of the exciting ways to know where it is headed is by the birds it tends to flush ahead of it. And more often than not, the birds it flushes, are Rufescent Tiger Herons!

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A very cool Northern Caiman Lizard

James Adams — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:05:56 +0000

A very cool Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis I think) found basking by our group along the upper part of the Transpantanal Highway, Brazil a few weeks ago.

These water loving lizards are big (up to 4 feet long and approaching 10 pounds) and powerful. And if you wonder where the name Caiman Lizard came from, just look at that armor plating, looking very much like that of a crocodilian.

Caiman Lizards are always found near water, where they will bask on overhead branches or snags, and dive into the deep at a moment’s notice upon sensing a threat.

Their primary food is snails, and if you were to pry open that vise-like mouth, you would see rows of flat, almost human molar-looking teeth which, along with those crushingly powerful jaws, are used to masticate a snail’s shell, before spitting it out and swallowing the softer inside.

We did see a number of these on our tour, but only this one was close enough for pics. If you’d like to join us in the Brazilian Pantanal in July of 2020, send me a message. There are still 2 spots open!

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About the Toco Toucans (Ramphastos toco)

James Adams — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 21:01:55 +0000

When you need a miracle, go to nature. And when you need a miracle among miracles, look at the Toucans. I am enthralled by these birds, and though I have a hard time deciding which is more mind-blowing than the next, Toco Toucans (Ramphastos toco) may be my favorite.

That glowing, flamboyant, tiger-orange bill, striking Persian-blue ring around the eye, again framed in orange, snow-white breast, and overall huge size, make these birds almost too beautiful to be real.

The largest of 43 Toucan species, Toco Toucans are one that is not strictly a forest dweller, and is found along edges and in wet grasslands from Guyana south to Argentina, and from southern Peru east through central Brazil.

This photo is one of the several Toco Toucans seen on our last visit to the Brazilian Pantanal.

We have 2 spots open for the Pantanal in 2020, and I would love for you to join our group. Feel free to message me for details!

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