Whip Spider, Keel-Billed Toucan, & Ghost Bat - The 3 B's and P's of Jungle Life
- Cari Mackey
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Bugs, bats, and birds. Hate 'em er love 'em they all have standing reservations at our ec resort. They rely on each other for life and so do we! Pollinator, prey, and predator, each have a critically important role in nature and we're proud that we have lots of all of them here for you to see.
This little creepy crawly will definitely make you take a step back and try to look twice but you'd better be quick about it because they are fast! It's like a cross between a scorpion, spider, and praying mantis but it's none of those and even better? They are insectivores - completely harmless to humans. They don't have a stinger, tail, or venom. They do however love to eat other bugs of which we have plenty for them in the jungle.
Whip spiders (Paraphrynus laevifrons) are in the Arachnida class and belong to their own ancient order of Amblypygi (I will try to remember this as an ambling piggy). Including their antenniform legs, they are about 5 inches in length. Those loooonnnng front legs whip around as sensors in search of food and helping them to navigate as creatures of the night. They're fun to watch but wicked fast when they detect a human. During the day their flat body makes it easy for them to safely tuck in to small crevices for safety.
A few years ago we were graced with a rare visit from this beautiful Northern Ghost Bat (Diclidurus albus). Unlike the Greater Sac-Winged Bats that roost in larger colonies - we have a healthy population of them in our restaurant, they are mostly solitary making them harder to observe. Though they typically prefer the underside of palm leaves, this one was easily spotted under the red roof near our hotel rooms. Nocturnal insectivores and loners they may be hard to spot but they are doing a great job eating bugs and providing excellent fertilizer for the lush plantlife that paints our landscape from Mexico to eastern Brazil.
They use echolocation as they navigate the jungle at night hunting their preferred prey of moths and other insects. Ed Yong in his book An Immense World, explains precisely how bats perceive their world using echolocation to create a mental picture of their surroundings. A great way to think of it is his example of the bat shouting "Marco!" and objects replying "Polo!" by bouncing back sound waves. I highly recommend reading Ed Yong's book to better understand the animal kingdom and how they perceive the world.
Time for Toucans! Though they call our lush surroundings home year-round and are commonly seen by guests of our eco resort, right now they are here in force and can be heard trilling all day long. The Sigua tree is fruiting this time of year which is one of their favorites.
Birders travel far and wide to spot Toucans and it's easy to understand why. They call paradise home, their vibrant colors and loud trill make them easy to spot, and they are entertaining to watch hop about the canopy, soar from tree to tree, and use their formidable beaks to throw back some tasty fruits.
So there it is - 3 more great reasons to book your reservation with us now or any time of year depending on your schedule and what you're looking for. On our blog, you will find several stories about different times of year in Morrillo and what to expect.
With love from Panama,
Cari and Ryan
Owners and Hosts
Morrillo Beach Eco Resort
