Many plants have elaborate mechanical defenses that deter herbivory. Bactris palms, for example, have a formidable spines covering the stems and leaves. For a large mammal, no part of the plant is safe to touch, but for small insects, defenses may be evaded. Evidently the cost of building spines is outweighed by the deterrent benefit.…

This forest is never quiet. Imagine an deep grunting coming from high in the canopy, in long pulses – this is the sound of howler monkeys. I made a recording today which you can listen to here. It is a very ominous sound if you don’t know what kind of creature is making it. Howler…

Fieldwork on BCI is full of small joys and large surprises in the forms of animals that share the island with us. Here a few of the herpetofauna we’ve encounted in the last two days. First, a lovely small frog – less than an inch long, but beautiful. The leaf litter here is very dry,…

Trees come in many sizes – but some tend to be very large indeed. This is a Ceiba (Bombacaceae) with a commanding presence on Barro Colorado Island. If I were in this picture, I would only reach two thirds the height of the main buttress. Large individuals like this one have a disproportionate impact on…