Tony James' photos

When walking at night it is always possible that you might come across hunting snakes. This very thin individual, although not to easy to view, is probably one of the small Snail-eating Snakes.

A night walk along this trail, revealed a young Iguana on a bush spray. An interesting observation was that the Iguana had its eyes closed, but a mark on the eyelids simulated an open eye. A strange adaptation, with no obvious reason.

The Lagoon Trail entrance was a fairly wide flat area surrounded by forest. This view is looking left from the sign in the previous picture back towards the hotel car park entrance up the hill. the bush on the "corner" was home to some rather large Phasmids, shown in pictures 94-96.

Close to the hotel in the other direction we found another trail into the forest from the main road through the hotel grounds towards Gamboa town which looked promising, so night visits were decided. This is a view from the road.

Phasmatodea Body Length: ~130mm A new Phasmid for us! Although a last instar female nymph, it appears to be similar to an existing culture species from Guadeloupe, so my identification is provisionally the same Genus. Unfortunately, further night visits to the Service Road did not result in any other insects from this species, so there was no real chance of initiating a culture.

Phasmatodea Body Length: ~75mm A common species which may be widespread in Panama. This is one of a number of Males seen during this night walk.

Whilst searching the low bushes at the side of the Service Road for insects one night walk, we came across this little individual casually watching us from his stem.

Just down the exhibition road from the back of the hotel there was a small branch service road to the hilltop tower. It was usually a closed road with a drop barrier across it out of hours, but it was an ideal safe night walk route up into the rain-forest with low growth and trees all the way up the sides to explore. This is an aerial view from one of the aerial tram gondolas as we went up to the tower in daytime.

This quite interestingly shaped cricket appeared on the handrail of the walk way near one of the lights.

Also known as the Marine Toad as it seems at home in the sea as well. A more normal, but often giant sized, ground-based Toad found on the hotel bottom floor walk way.

A much larger Tree Frog which occasionally appeared on the walk ways during the evenings.

This small Tree Frog was quite common on the walls and ceilings around the lights in the evenings.

Reduviidae Another species found around the lights.

Reduviidae One of the Assassin bugs found loitering around the lights.

One of the predators at this light, spoiled for choice, by the look of it! The lights were a rich source for all kinds of insects.

One of the walk way lights in the evening, showing a range of insects attracted to it. There were inevitably all sorts of insects present as well as predators looking for a quick evening meal.

A view from the road of the accommodation blocks at night, which is lit up for guests. Although the lighting was quite low power, it produced a useful source for moth recording here, and although we had a small moth trap to run on our balcony, we abandoned using it and just walked along the walk ways in the evening and early morning to collect in the moths which were everywhere there. See the moths recorded here in the companion 2007 album when we get them compiled soon.

The road at the rear of the accommodation blocks was only used for tours going to the various exhibits further on, and the Aerial Tram terminal for the ride to the top of the hill. Our walk ways from the rooms looked straight out onto rain forest behind.