Hiking La Moskitia
By
Carl J. Franklin
Although my sense of sight was limited to the focus of my flashlight, my senses of smell and hearing were working overtime. All around me there were tiny metallic dinks and occasional clucks. It was the rainy season in the Moskito coast on the eastern coast of Honduras and I was on a return visit to collect additional voucher specimens from the region. We were surrounded by glass frogs (Hyalinobatrachium sp.) and red eye tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas), but where were they? These frogs can be difficult to find even when calling from close range. As the machete swung through a dense stand of mother-in-laws plants (Deffenbachia sp.) the released compounds made my eyes water and my nostrils tingle. The diverse pharmaceutical variety of plants we slashed through seemed endless as histamines and phenols were released into the air. This was a slight distraction as I had abandoned my shoes for a pair of sandals. Given the amount of time we spent walking in the water, mud or rain I had opted for foot apparel that would be less likely to cause problems or rot off my feet. Now with partially exposed feet I was always watching for anything that might cut or try to bite me.
We consisted of myself, David Killpack, Brul Murphi, and Joaquin Velasquez. The four of us had already been in the forest for a few days and once again it was beginning to rain. Our backpacks were already full of specimens we collected from earlier in the day and we were staving off fatigue with the hope of further herpetological excitement. I had just found a male glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium cardiacalyptum) calling from under a leaf when once again a jolt of adrenaline climbed my spine as Joaquin quietly pointed to a clearing in the swamp. I looked and just a few feet in front of us was a sizeable barba amarilla (Bothrops asper). As I stood there in the swamp barefooted in front of this impressive animal I kept hearing my mother’s voice “I told you not to go barefooted” play over and over in my mind. Barba amaraillas are responsible for several bites each year in Honduras many of which are fatal or debilitating. I truly had no desire to join the statistics nor did I want to hear “I told you so“.
Throughout the years I have heard several accounts involving snake “attacks” from individuals who did not have much formal knowledge about snakes. These I pretty much dismissed or placed a logical explanation to the snake’s nervous behavior. However, this situation is the first time I believe I have ever been aggressively approached by any snake. In an attempt to collect the specimen I tried to restrain the snake with my field hook, however the snake had different plans! In response to this the snake violently wriggled free and made a direct line of travel towards me! Not only was it coming right at me, but it was doing so with its head raised and mouth open! I moved to my left and the barba amarilla followed, I went to my right and she did as well. The only thing that kept her at bay was my lifting her off the ground with the snake hook and placing her back a few inches. Even then her mouth was held open! A short while later after some careful and cautious maneuvering the specimen was bagged and we decided to head home for the night.
Interestingly, just as we found the snake we came across scattered chichimora nuts on the ground. Not that there is anything remarkable about finding scattered nuts or seeds, but these nuts are widely reputed as possessing medicinal properties helpful towards the treatment of many ailments including venomous snakebite. I gathered some of them and noticed that Brul and Joaquin had both filled their pockets with them as well.
La Moskitia is comprised of the eastern versant of Honduras departamento Gracias a Dios and Nicaragua, Departamento Zelaya. In fact the name “moskitia” or moskito has nothing to do with the bloodthirsty insects. Instead the name was derived following the arrival of Europeans and their musket rifles. Often the name will appear on maps as mosquito or mosquitia. However, these are simply Spanish bastardizations of the actual name.
The rain lasted all night and when we awoke the next morning we noticed that the river had swelled several feet over its banks. Undeterred, we boarded our pipante (a hand carved 25 foot long wooden canoe) and made a strenuous effort upstream towards a favorite collecting location I had “discovered” on previous trips to the area. Once we reached the creek we no longer had to focus our efforts on moving the heavy canoe and could once again focus on scanning the shoreline.
Fortunately the location remained as I had remembered it. Lush ferns adorning the banks or clinging onto emerging rocks in the middle of the creek. The banks were lined with Heliconia, palms, and buttressed trees with bromeliads and blooming orchids crowding every branch. The streambed was a mixture of clay and sandstone and the water was crystal clear. A wide range of biodiversity can be found in such locations. A good diversity of mammals are known from the area as well. Tapir tracks and trails provided clearings into the forest, agoutis (a large forest dwelling rodent) resided in burrows alongside the creek bed, and yapocs (an interesting aquatic marsupial) patrolled the creeks while foraging for food. Another interesting side note for these types of settings are the culinary delights they promise! Large freshwater prawn, shrimp, and crabs can be located and captured without too much challenge. These crustaceans provided a great deal of relief to the monotonous diet of rice, beans, and yucca.
Glowing eyes indicated the presence of the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus). We were unable to capture any during this trip, however several were seen during the nights. Walking in the shallow clear waters, we also found some rather large white-lipped mud turtles (Kinosternon leucostoma) foraging along the bottoms. This species of turtle was also commonly encountered in aquadas and ponds in the savanna regions. Occasionally our nocturnal forays were interrupted with lightning cracking open the sky and resulting in torrential downpours. During moments such as these, we would align our canoe against the trunks of large trees emerging from the river banks. Large tree trunks are also an ideal place to find amblypigids, ctenid spiders, and bats also seeking shelter from the storm.
Viejo del Bosque
While continuing our explorations of backwater creeks and waterfalls we encountered a wide range of reptiles and amphibians. One evening we had to ascend a steep bank of a creek to avoid a particular expanse and depth of water. When we reached a point where we could walk next to the creek Joaquin came across a large male smoky jungle frog (Leptodactylus pentadactylus). Although we didn’t hear the male’s advertisement call of “whoop whoop whoop” he was sitting in the open. Joaquin netted the frog and handed it to David who placed it into a collecting bag. Both David and Joaquin then washed their hands in the creek. Shortly after finding the frog I noticed that David had lagged behind and was standing in the middle of the creek. I went back and noticed him frantically washing his face. Despite having washed his hands, David had somehow gotten some of the frog’s released skin toxins on his face. The intense burning sensation on his skin made it clear to David that he was experiencing a chemical by product of the Smoky jungle frog. After he completely dunked himself underwater a few times, relief was achieved and we continued on.
Getting back onto the banks of the creek I slowed down and began scanning branches, leaves, and sides of trees. Suddenly I noticed a sleeping Slender anole (Anolis limnifrons) and just when I went to capture it I noticed something above the sleeping lizard. Another sleeping lizard! Following the tail to the body I recognized it as a sleeping Viejo del Bosque (Old man of the forest, Corytophanes cristatus). With that announcement it didn’t take long before David showed up. He had been waiting for years to find one in the wild. We were marveling at the female specimen I found when suddenly, Dave found a second specimen on the same branch! In fact, David‘s specimen was a male. Asides from this coincidence it is also interesting to note that they were found sleeping on the same narrow (2-3 inch diameter) tree trunk. With the male about a foot above the female.
Old man of the forest is an accurate namesake for this cryptic and largely motionless lizard. It prefers the thin stalks of young trees and remains perched in a vertical position while inactive. The amount of time that these lizards maintain their inactivity is evidenced by small accumulations of moss, algae, or lichens growing on the tops of their heads. However, these miniature gardens are lost as soon as the lizard sheds its skin. In fact, the metabolism is slow enough for this species to get by on a semi sporadic diet. Often, one sizable arthropod per day will normally satisfy the dietary needs of this lizard in the wild (Campbell, 1998). Females will descend their perches to lay eggs. Before laying their eggs, females have been known to use their casque adorned heads to excavate a nesting site. Due to their cryptic and sedentary lifestyle, Corytophanes cristatus are difficult to find. Fortunately for the lizards it seems to be an effective defense. Should an old-man of the forest be found it may leap from its perch and make a run for cover. Sometimes they go to the other side of the tree while ascending higher and higher or stay still. However, whenever they feel defenseless they gape their mouths wide open and extend their prominent crest and noticeable dewlap creating the appearance of a large headed animal. It should also be noted that these lizards can inflict a strong bite if carelessly handled!
Chandeliers in the Rainforest (Herping for J-E-L-L-O)
We never grew tired of looking up into branches or on top of leaves. Not only did we find several lizards sleeping in this manner, but also snakes and active amphibians. A male Mexican parrot snake (Leptophis mexicanus) was found at night sleeping amid branches some 20 feet above the ground. Mushroom tongued salamanders (Bolittoglosa mexicana) were found on the surface of broad leaves as well. The undersides of broad leaves overhanging water often proved successful towards the location of calling male glass frogs. As the rainy season progressed, more signs of glass frog activity became present. Greenish globular “chandeliers” of eggs and writhing tadpoles sat at the downward pointing leaf tips overhanging forest streams. The larvae were likely to have been Fleischman’s glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni). The tentative identification of the tadpoles was assumed as we found male Fleischman’s glass frogs attending the egg masses. While some of the tadpoles were preserved and are awaiting examination others were collected and placed in an aquarium set up designed to replicate the creek water as closely as possible. Water from their source was even brought back for this purpose! Hopefully the little tadpoles will continue to thrive and develop. Unfortunately, they are slow growers and may need as long as 2 years before they fully metamorphose into adults.
Tadpoles are not known to be the toughest of creatures, yet when these eggs develop into tadpoles they often fall from considerable heights (sometimes more than 30 feet) into a fast moving rock bottomed stream bed. Upon reaching the water the little tadpoles then bury themselves and manage the fast moving current via a fossorial (underground) lifestyle. However, not many of the eggs ever reach the point of tadpole. In fact there are a host of predators including snakes, wasp, and flies that seem to almost specialize in consuming the frog eggs. Asides from potential predators there are also environmental concerns. Should not enough rain fall or if the female is unable to return with a bladder full of water then the egg masses may dry up. Nevertheless, the sheer numbers of calling males and abundant globs of greenish egg masses indicate that this species is still maintaining a healthy population in eastern Honduras.
Mud, Leeches, and Success!
One of the easiest ways to find frogs is to go where they are. And the easiest way to accomplish that is to listen for their calls. Some of the most productive sessions we had in the field took place when we boldly followed frog calls to their source. Yep, strait into muddy holes and swampy lagoons. During one particular night hike we spent a few hours (often up to our knees) in mud. What would otherwise seem to be a disagreeable setting was rapidly converted into a slice of heaven. Boulenger’s tree frog (Scinax boulengeri), Stauffer’s tree frog (Scinax staufferi), Yellow cricket tree frog (Hyla microcephala), hour glass tree frogs (Hyla ebraccata), Marine toads (Bufo marinus), and Vailant’s frog (Rana vaillanti) were common species to find calling from mats of emergent vegetation or from the grasses and reeds that bordered the water holes.
Frogs were not the only herpetological quarry discovered in such locations, but so were turtles. Now there are places that have turtles and then there are places that have turtles. Most of these muddy lagoons had so many turtles that half a dozen or more could be easily gathered in one minute or less! The primary turtle inhabitants of such locations are white-lipped mud turtles (Kinosternon leucostomum) and red cheeked or scorpion mud turtles (Kinosternon scorpioides). Mesoamerican sliders (Trachemys venusta) can also be found in such locations, however they seem to prefer deeper bodies of water.
It occurred to me after examining the leeches present on the plastron of one turtle that I was just as vulnerable to the blood sucking worms as were the turtles. No sooner had I looked down at my legs than I noticed streams of flowing crimson. Yep I had already earned a fair share of blood thirsty leeches on my feet, toes, and legs. However, such details are of little concern to herpetologist focused on finding more specimens while the night is young.
Milpa Burnout
Milpas are spots within the forest where people have cut down trees, scorched, and cleared the ground for crops. This is a practice that has been taking place for thousands of years and will likely continue unless some dramatic breakthrough occurs that changes the way people grow food. Despite how initial appearances may influence our perceptions of such places, they have proved to be worthy locations for finding reptiles and amphibians. Many species that live at the forest edge such as festive ameivas (Ameiva festiva) and a variety of anoles can be found along the edges of forest and milpas. In fact, one evening we were walking across a recently burned clearing. When our flashlights were turned off the glowing embers indicated that the site had been recently burned. We were amazed to find a juvenile Mussurana (Clelia clelia) slithering past smoldering portions of earth. Logs, branches, and tree stumps are often left behind after a milpa has been cleared. Of course ground cover left behind in the form of a partially burned trunk or debris can also provide cover for several species as well.
During my latest visit to the area, I received an interesting turtle. An adult female Central American wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys annulata) was brought to me. Asides from the fact that several individuals told me how particularly delicious this type of turtle is, she bore something that made her existence even more special. The shell is a wonderful evolutionary adaptation for turtles and it was proven as such in this particular instance. Her shell was scorched and melted and even her nose was burnt off! It is likely that while the land was being cleared and burned she buried into the soil as far as she could go. It is inconceivable to imagine what she endured as the fires above her licked and scorched the terrain.
When most people think of the tropics images of pine trees, oaks, and prairies are usually the last things to come to mind. However, a considerable portion of eastern Honduras is comprised of pine-oak savanna.. This biotype is dotted with palmetto palms providing evidence to the historical sites of aquadas (water holes). These savannas are also home to a number of amphibians and reptiles.
The neotropical coachwhip (Masticophis mentovarius) patrols these regions intent upon finding lizards, small mammals, and its favorite prey other snakes. On my first visit to this area I went to retrieve an adult M. mentovarius that had been recently killed by local children. As I was walking back, an elderly man asked me why did I kill the snake. After explaining the circumstances surrounding the serpent’s demise he treated me to an episode he witnessed involving the neotropical coachwhip consuming a coral snake. The fondness displayed for this familiar species of snake in a region of the world where every legless species of reptile is regularly killed on sight was refreshing.
The drier environs of the Savanna is also home to a number of lizards. The viviparous skink (Mabuya brachypoda) was commonly found in and around houses and other man made structures in Mocoron. On a previous visit to the region, my wife discovered the abundance of this species herself. While assisting in a local school, dozens of these skinks were found in the classroom. They were boldly basking in the rays of sunlight entering the building and running through boxes holding school supplies and toys. This species of skink is well documented for most of its range in Central America. Females will give birth to 4-9 live young and it has been reported that she will remain with them for several days after their birth (Campbell, 1998).
The blue spot or silky anole (Anolis sericeus), was commonly found during the mornings and overcast afternoons on shrubs and palms surrounding aquadas. Males were observed aggressively defending their territories from challengers and courting females. Their yellow dewlaps with a bright blue spot rose and fell like flags of a sephamore signal and often revealed their location even while we were some distance away from them. The grasslands also provide a home to several frogs and toads.
While strolling through the pine forest one can encounter several pink bellied spiny lizards (Sceloporus variabilis) as well as Depp’s whiptail (Cnemidophorus deppi). We were able to capture a good number of the spiny lizards and take closer looks at them. The males are considerably more colorful than the females. However, most of these color differences were restricted to the ventral surfaces of the lizards. Overall the dorsal coloration is dark gray and males posses large reddish patches bordered by blue located on their ventral surface. The chin and throats of the males are often orangish to reddish. However, some males displayed similar yet more subdued coloration. The exact reason for this as many things is not fully understood. However, I believe it may relate to hormonal fluctuations in relation to seasonal testicular development. The ventral surfaces of females were beige to white.
Vaillant’s frog and the Leopard frog (Rana vaillanti and Rana berlandieri) occupy the shorelines of the meandering creeks occasionally encountered in this dry habitat. However, at night during the rainy season the choruses of the white-lipped foam frog (Leptodactylus melanotus) fill the air. These frogs emit their call (which resembles an exaggerated drop of water or “boingk” of a spring) from underneath tussocks of grass, cow paddies, or discarded sheet metal. At night, their calls only stop whenever they are disturbed by footsteps or any other type of perceived threat. Evening rain showers can ease the burden of finding this species. On nights following a rain shower, we found numerous specimens patrolling the muddy ground.
The White-lipped foam frog will deposit up to 65 yellow eggs beneath water filled grass tussocks, overhanging vegetation, wood, or sheet metal. The entire egg mass is covered in a frothy white substance. This is generated by copulating pairs. The male uses his hind legs to whip the female’s eggs and bodily fluids with his semen into a frothy white mixture. Thus providing a protective layer while inseminating the eggs. It’s also believed that the males uses their rostrum in excavating burrows. This leptodactylid frog can produce as many as 25 to 250 eggs at a single time.
We noticed that the abundance of anuran activity had also solicited the attention of the cat eyed snake (Leptodiera annulata). This was apparent when specimens we found contained freshly consumed white-lipped foam frogs.
The Yellow cricket treefrog (Hyla microcephala) was another species of frog found near the edges of water holes and ditches in the savannas. Males were found in bushes and emergent plants while vocalizing. These yellowish-orange frogs can also be found in wet tropical forest as well. It is likely that their activity was due to the onset of the rainy season.
Another predator of small animals including frogs and lizards is the diurnal Mexican parrot snake (Leptophis mexicanus). This slender reptile attains snout vent lengths of 75 cm and despite its modest size, it is possibly one of the most dramatic snakes one can encounter during the day. When the parrot snake perceives a threat, it will raise the anterior half of its body and lunge towards its aggressor with its mouth wide opened. Swaying back and forth, this aggressive display is carried out again and again. Should such drama be unable to thwart the plans of an attacker, a quick retreat into brush or tall grass is attempted.
While the Mexican parrot snake has been found patrolling grassy areas, bushes, and trees for a meal its larger counterpart can be found doing much of the same. The green parrot snake (Leptophis ahauetulla) was commonly encountered where the tropical prairies and broadleaf wet forest met. Like the Mexican parrot snake these large green serpents possess great visual acuity and spend their days hunting for birds, lizards, and mammals. Another common find in these areas are brown vine snakes (Oxybelis aeneus). However, it is interesting to note that we never found any of these snakes in the same day. Some days we would find 2-3 specimens of each, but never all three species in the same area at the same time. Perhaps these observations reflect each species’ unique environmental requirements necessary for activity? Or it could be pure chance. What is known is that more data and observations will need to be taken in order to understand more regarding the activity patterns of these diurnal snakes.
Asides from herpetofauna, the prairies and pine forest served as ideal locations to observe a variety of bird species such as cara caras, a variety of flycatchers, and Amazon green parrots. The prairie ecosystems also provided opportunities to find interesting invertebrates as well. Scorpions, centipedes (Scolopendra sp.) and tarantulas (Aphonopelma sp) were found inside or underneath almost every rotting log.
Final Outing
One of the drawbacks to being on any field expedition longer than 2 weeks is being away from home and family. Also, the inverse becomes true as well. I have found that the longer you remain in the field the more you will miss it when you’re gone. Such was the case with Dave and myself. We leaving, yet it was getting time for us to depart. So we decided that it was best to go out with a bang and make a final trip into the forest. Our plan was simple, leave early the next morning and return late that night.
That morning we packed our gear ate a hearty breakfast and left. We went once again into the forest creeks. As we poled the pipante through the quiet stream striped basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus) were commonly seen scampering alongside the stream. The sight of striped basilisk became so routine that we started to take them for granted. That was until that afternoon. We were heading to a spot to have lunch when Joaquin pointed towards the shore and stopped the canoe. A juvenile striped basilisk went scampering across the surface of the water. I told him that I saw the lizard as well when he responded “what lizard?”. “Franklin, there’s no lizard but there’s a snake!”. What snake? I didn’t see it and neither did the rest of us. Instead of speaking Joaquin moved the canoe closer to the banks and pointed again. This time I saw it partially concealed under a patchwork of leaves. It was a large scaled tree snake (Chironius grandisquamis) and was responsible for the basilisk’s distress. Not wanting the first known Chironius grandisquamis known from Gracias a Dios to escape, I grabbed the midsection of the snake only to have it make an open mouthed lunge right at my face! Fortunately we got the large snake in a bag without any incident and continued on our way.
The scenery of the creeks and streams were idyllic to say the least. Buttressed trees festooned with epiphytic growth including orchids, bromeliads and ferns lined the edges of the banks. In some areas stands of blooming Heliconia were right at the waters edge. here we focused our attention for possibly encountering the eyelash palm pit viper (Bothriechis schlegeli). Unfortunately none were found in the picturesque surroundings. Interestingly the first specimen I saw from the area was a specimen brought to me by a local boy. I was on my way to teach a class about reptiles and amphibians at the local school when he walked up proudly carrying the prize. He had found the snake crawling across the front lawn! The snake was tied to a stick and still alive! The specimen that was brought to me was not spectacularly colored. Instead its coloration consisted of subdued mottling of grayish brown.
We continued on throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the night. Weary and exhausted we headed back to Mocorón. In fact, myself and Joaquin were so tired that we began to doze. Our blissful moments of slumber were halted when we ran into a real obstacle blocking our return. A large tree had since fallen across the creek and the water level was raised to where going under the tree in the canoe was not an option. Also the weight of the canoe combined with the depth and flow of the water prevented us from hoisting it over the tree. So we were left with one option: Go through the tree! We steadied the canoe and with precise and accurate motions Joaquin cut through the tree with his machete. Watching someone cut through a tree with a machete is impressive.
After getting past the tree we were tired and ready to get some sleep. When suddenly Dave broke the tranquility by hollering “STOP GO BACK GO BACK!”. So without any further need for explanation we headed back. There in the beam of his spotlight appeared what looked like a large sleeping green iguana. In fact all of us except for Dave initially thought it was an iguana due to the size. That is of course until we saw a large green dorsal crest! Once again our exhaustion was lifted by an exciting find. Dave had just found a captured a large male green basilisk (Basilicus plumifrons) as it slept on a branch overhanging the stream.
The current carried us back and made moving the canoe almost effortless. During this time I stared up at the constellations and listened to the reverberations of the jungle. Then as the calls of white lipped foam frogs became more audible we new we were close to Mocorón. We were almost back when we heard a sound not unlike that of a growling bark coming from the nearby forest. WROOAROW, WROOAROW, WROOAROW. What could be making the noise? Then it occurred to me that the noise was likely coming from the lowland fringe-limbed tree frog (Hyla miliaria). I was aware that a specimen of this awesome frog had been found due south of our location. These large frogs can be challenging to find as the males call from hollow trees. The only way to reliably encounter one of these frogs is to locate the tree from which it is calling. We tried to locate the tree and the frog, but were unsuccessful. For now finding Hyla miliaria will remain one of several goals for future excursions in the area.
Despite the herpetological treasures and other natural wonders we found, this region of tropical Central America is in risk of becoming a memory. An explosion in the human population coupled with its impact on the current environmental situation could prove to be tragic. La Moskitia was also impacted ecologically in the mid 1980s during the Contra conflict when more than 10,000 Nicaraguan refugees were detained in Mocorón. In the 1950s, the Honduran and Nicaraguan war occurred in southern Gracias a Dios and Zelaya. The conflict even spilled into Mocorón. It is amazing that biodiversity can sustain itself against such repeated adversity. This is why it is extremely important to learn from, appreciate, and visit the remaining wild places that are still around. After all, each trip that I make into the area results in a new discovery and new questions.
Acknowledgements
The continuation of my trips into this region would not be likely without the assistance and support of the following: Norma I. Love, Horacio Murfi, Brul Murfi, Joaquin Velasquez, and the people of Mocorón. I would also like to thank David Killpack, Brad Smith, the International Herpetological Symposium, East Texas Herpetological Society, and the North Texas Herpetological Society for their assistance in the field and financial support of this endeavor. Most of all I’d like to thank Jacqueline Franklin for her support and understanding or her husband.
Literature Cited:
Campbell, J. A. 1998. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Guatemala. University of Oklahoma press. 380 pp.
