The Tropics

Gliding Treefrog

Agalychnis spurrelli These large red-eyed treefrogs have huge webbed feet, allowing them to extend their distance as they glide through the air Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Amazonian Giant River Otter

Pteronura brasiliensis An adult Giant River otter pauses to groom itself on a quiet oxbow lake deep in the Amazon Basin. Giant River Otters can reach 6ft in length and live in famly groups. Napo River, Ecuador

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

Rupicola peruviana One of the most iconic birds of the Andean Cloud Forest. In order to photograph this species, I had to wake up well before dawn to hike out to a lek (a location where male birds engage in competitive displays in order to win the right to mate with a female). Just as dawn broke, the birds began to arrive. They are large and bizarre, but beautiful. With barely any light available at this early hour, shooting conditions were tough. It helps when a gorgeous male chooses a great perch and strikes a pose like this. Mindo, Ecuador

Northern Tamandua Anteater

Tamandua mexicana This Tamandua has hit the jackpot. Completely unconcerned with my presence, the anteater scaled a nearby tree and began to systematically disassemble this large termite nest. This particular species of medium-sized anteater utilizes its prehensile tail (just like a spider monkey) to hang from branches while feeding on termites. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Ecuador Poison Frog

Ameerega bilinguis What the Ecuador Poison Frog lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty. They're smaller than your fingernail, and look like tiny red dots hopping around the forest floor. Closer inspection (and a macro lens) reveals just how stunning these tiny amphibians really are. As a member of the family Dendrobatidae (Poison Dart/Arrow Frogs), their striking color serves as a warning to predators... this is a very toxic frog. Napo River, Ecuador

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao A portrait of one of the most stunning birds in the world. Once an icon for the Central American tropics, Scarlet Macaws are an increasingly rare find. Due to hunting, poaching, collection for the pet trade, deforestation, and pesticide spraying, they were nearly extirpated from Costa Rica. By the mid-1990's, they could only be found in 2 isolated regions of the country, and occupied less than 20% of their historic range. Today, the wild Osa Peninsula remains one of the last strongholds for this fantastic bird. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Common (Ecuadorian) Squirrel Monkey

Saimiri sciureus macrodon One of the smaller and more commonly seen primates in the Amazon Basin, squirrel monkeys often travel in large troops, sometimes 100+ monkeys strong! They are a joy to watch as they routinely make death-defying leaps that cause you to hold your breath. Napo River, Ecuador

Blue-and-Yellow Macaws

Ara ararauna A pair of Blue-and-Yellow Macaws fly over primary rainforest canopy in the Ecuadorian Amazon. These Macaws were often heard but less often seen due their habit of remaining high in the rainforest canopy. In order to make this eye-level flight image I took advantage of a canopy tower in the top of a giant Kapok Tree. Ah, to be up in the canopy with incredible birds such as these. It was a Fern Gully/Avatar moment for me. Napo River, Ecuador

Bamboo

Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Yellow-spotted River Turtle with butterflies

Podocnemis unifilis These river turtles would frequently be found soaking up the afternoon sun on the banks of an oxbow lake in the Amazon. The butterflies are slurping up the salt left behind by the evaporating water and yes, they're even drinking the turtles tears! The turtles will tolerate this intrusion to an extent, but they'll eventually get fed up and slip off into the water in search of a new basking spot with fewer butterflies. Napo River, Ecuador

White-fronted Capuchin Monkey

Cebus albifrons aequatorialis The sweet face of this young Capuchin made for a great portrait opportunity as he paused to watch us pass by in a canoe Napo River, Ecuador

Gliding Treefrog

Agalychnis spurrelli Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Ringed Kingfisher

Megaceryle torquata A large, noisy, and commonly encounter Kingfisher near oxbow lakes, the Ringed Kingfisher is a great photo subject. Napo River, Ecuador

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

Ramphastos swainsonii This large species of toucan typically travels in flocks of 3 to 12 individuals. Interestingly, when these toucans take flight, they rarely travel more than 100m before landing in a new roost. Like the macaw, toucans are just as beautiful and just as iconic a figure of Western Tropical Rainforests. Chestnut-mandibled toucans are found with regularity in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Black-handed Spider Monkeys

Ateles geoffroyi The Black-handed Spider Monkey is one of the largest species of New World monkeys. Despite being distributed throughout Central America, A. geoffroyi is considered to be an endangered species. The name is derived from their long, lanky appendages, hook-like fingers, and prehensile tail, which are all adaptations that make these primates one of the most well equipped "tree swingers" around. As a result, spider monkeys are usually found high up in the canopy. The patient observer can get a closer look by carefully studying the habits of these animals. This trio was photographed very low in the trees, an area they had selected for a mid-day nap. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Scarlet Macaws

Ara macao Despite being labeled as a "threatened species," Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula remains one of the few places where you can take a walk on the beach and still see the sky full of dozens of these beautiful and noisy parrots. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Parrot Snake

Leptophis ahaetulla Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Many-banded Aracari

Pteroglossus pluricinctus These medium-sized toucans are just stunning birds, and are among my favorite species to photograph. Napo River, Ecuador

Northern Tamandua Anteater

Tamandua mexicana This Tamandua is feasting on a termite nest. If you look closely you can see termites mounting a last ditch defense, crawling all over the nose and fur of the anteater. This photograph shows the highly modified tongue, which, with it's length, flexibility, and sticky saliva, is ideally suited for consuming large amounts of ants and termites. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Masked Tanager

Tangara nigrocincta Tanagers are among the most sought after birds in the neotropics by both photographers and birders alike. This is a very diverse group of a birds, and most species display striking and gaudy coloration. One of the observation towers at Napo Wildlife Center allowed me to peer in on a nesting pair of these fantastic Tanagers. Napo River, Ecuador

Monk Saki

Pithecia monachus The Monk Saki or Saki Monkey is a bizarre primate. Seeing them in the wild is a real treat. Their tail always reminds me of one big, long, matted dreadlock. Napo River, Ecuador

Great Black Hawk

Buteogallus urubitinga This majestic bird of prey normally feeds on reptiles, small mammals, and large insects. However, this particular hawk is perched high above a Costa Rican beach, scanning the sand and rocks for a different type of prey. I watched this hawk hunt large Halloween Crabs for nearly an hour. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Amazonian Giant River Otters

Pteronura brasiliensis They may look like stuffed animals, but the only thing these otters are stuffed with is muscle and brawn. These aren't your little North American River Otter. This giant carnivores yield to no animal. They have even been known to take on caiman! Napo River, Ecuador

Green & Black Poison Dart Frog

Dendrobates auratus As the name implies, this beautiful frog is highly toxic. The small amount of poison found within this animal is enough to make a human seriously ill. Would be predators, such as a snake or larger frog, could die if they tried to eat this little black and green morsel. The bright coloration, as with many other species of toxic animals, serves as a warning to predators. The Black & Green Poison Dart Frog can be extremely difficult to find in some areas of Costa Rica, however, there are areas in the Osa Peninsula where this beautiful species can be incredibly common. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Purple Honeycreeper

Cyanerpes caeruleus This is one special bird, and was one of the highlights of this trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Honeycreepers may be small, but they certainly pack a colorful punch to any photography. Napo River, Ecuador

White-throated Capuchins

Cebus capucinus Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Trogon massena Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Hourglass Treefrog

Hyla ebraccata Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica