#4 (caiman)

[phantomoftheshoppera]

literally the perfect protagonist 

[lightningfilledsaber]

4 different creatures meme with Mars Bars (left) and Nemesis (right)! First square (top left) of each is a little species swap

[the-ancient-dragons]

Observe the final Overcomplicated Pyrrhian tribe, the NightWings!!

As always, Joy and Tui already did an amazing job, I'm just adding my own flair.

Details and explanation below.

Next week I have something special... See you then!

More overcomplicated dragons.

The NightWing took me forever. First with school, and then because I picked the most annoying references. It was perfect, at least I thought it was, until I had to draw scales over the entire thing. THE ENTIRE THING. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First, I modelled the main anatomy after the komodo dragon. A really uninspired choice but I saw how Morrowseer tracked that albatross in book 4 and said hold my 2 mL of beer. I recently did a few alterations because I felt I was following the komodo anatomy too much. I think I've got a nice balance now, but I might change it later when I do the full body.

Next is the elephant in the room, that fact that there are way too many small scales, especially over the areas that look like large scales. That comes from the caiman lizard. In the references I had their body scales had folded in the EXACT pattern of NightWing scales. As soon as I saw it I knew I needed to use them. You can also find their influences around the mouth with those large "lips" and the silver scales along the neck.

Lastly I used european starlings for the glossy scales. Not every NightWing would have blue and green and purple on them, but it would be a possibility, and I wanted it on this one to show that. Depending on the angle you look at them you would see a different colour. Some starlings also have lots of white spots on their underbelly, which I thought would look perfect for the underbelly of a NightWing. Again, not every dragon would have this, but it would make sense. If the underside of their wings are star-spangled then their necks, stomachs, and tails might as well be, no?

I really had a lot of fun with this. I mentioned something special next week and I think it's something you'll really like (if you liked this series so much). No spoilers though! Until next time >:)

[arminreindl]

Eocene gators and Miocene gharials

It's been a busy two-ish weeks for me once again with two "new" crocodilians dropping not even a week apart. These two newcommers couldn't be any more different, as you'll see soon enough.

The first of the two is not exactly a stranger, in more than one way. Sutekhsuchus dowsoni in truth has been known since 1920, when it was described as Tomistoma dowsoni based on fossils from Wadi Moghra in Egypt. Tomistoma being one of those genera that was a popular wastebasket for crocs. Broad snout and overbite? Alligator. Narrow snout? Tomistoma. Everything else? Crocodylus.

Tomistoma is still heavily affected by that, with the paper still referencing about half a dozen species of Tomistoma that are almost definitely not Tomistoma. In that regard, tho its not super new its fantastic to see that one of these Miocene circum-mediterranean forms finally gets its due (especially after having been unceremoniously been lumped into T. lusitanica for a while). Additional fun fact, the original "missinterpretation" as a species of Tomistoma is used as the basis for the new name, basically meaning "Set's crocodile" in reference to Sutekh/Set being god of deception.

Left: Sutekhsuchus by @paleomiguel Right: Sutekhsuchus by @manusuchus Go give them a follow

Another way in which Sutekhsuchus is not "new new" is that, intentional or not, the name was actually dropped a month ago without many people noticing. As has been pointed out to me by @paleomiguel, a recent paper on Eogavialis featured a phylogeny that contained Sutekhsuchus, a name I was not familiar with. However, the species name did ring a bell and after a brief search on google scholar I did find a reference to the then unpublished redescription.

Anyways, background aside Sutekhsuchus has some cool stuff going for it. Its anatomy is in some regards intermediate between the modern false gharial (which the paper regards as one of the basalmost gavialoids) and the Indian gharial (a highly derived weirdo). Ultimately, its just one of several species that lived around the broader Tethys Sea during the Miocene as part of a flourishing croc ecosystem. Given the warmer temperatures, it was in pretty good company. We know it from Gebel Zelten and Wadi Moghra, both of which preserve the bones of the robust Rimasuchus and the bizarre Euthecodon, both members of the Osteolaemines ("dwarf crocodiles", a name that makes more sense when you ignore these fossil forms). Both localities are interpreted as being somewhat coastal, consisting of lagoons, estuaries, slow moving rivers and surrounding forests.

Left: Rimasuchus attacking Zygolophodon by Michael Tripoli Right: Euthecodon arambourgi by yours truly

The other new crocodilian was much more of a surprise to me personally. Ahdeskatanka russlanddeutsche is a species of basal alligatorine from the Eocene of North Dakota. The genus name derives from the Dakota word for alligator, the species name references ethnic Germans that settled the region after emmigrating from the Russian Empire.

Ahdeskatanka via Cossette & Tarailo

It lived during the early Eocene in the Golden Valley Formation of North Dakota and in many regards resembles many early alligators of the time, having been small with a short and blunt snout and globular teeth well suited for crushing hard shelled prey.

During this time period North Dakota experienced the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum, an exceptional warm period that saw lush subtropical to tropical forests grow along the banks of meandering rivers and extensive swamps. Not great for mammalian carnivores but fantastic for crocodilians, of which there were plenty. The Golden Valley was home to at least 4. In addition to Ahdeskatanka there was a similar, possibly closely related unnamed form, a large crocodyloid similar to the ubiquitous Borealosuchus and the large caiman Chrysochampsa, a relic of a Cretaceous offshoot of the family.

Left: Borealosuchus by Wayne Hsieh Right: Chrysochampsa via Cossette & Tarailo

As always, here the respective Wikipedia pages and relevant publications

Sutekhsuchus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutekhsuchus https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2024.2384548

Ahdeskatanka: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahdeskatanka https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2403579

[herpsandbirds]

Apologies for the reblog spam, reptiles and crocodilians make me very very happy

feel free to spam and reblog away!

if they cant handle it, the fuck em!@!!

hejjjj, i heard you like reptiles...

Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis), family Teiidae, Peruvian Amazon

Aquatic, feeds on large snails

This huge lizard grows to a length of up to 4 ft (1.2 m) and weigh up to 10 lb (4.5 kg).

photograph by Andres Novales Aguirrezabal

[centrally-unplanned]

Very cool 90's anime-futurism art exhibit "Memoria" by illustrator Yo-Co at one of my favourite Tokyo exhibition spaces, Space Caiman in Chuo:

Tokyo gallery merch continues to be hilariously superior to offerings anywhere else of course. "Nautilus" (image 4) and the titular work (image 1) are my faves, the use of depth of frame is great and the suspended ones are double-sided in very cool ways.

[things-of-fire]

LORE DUMP‼️‼️ Buckle up losers, I’ve got a new WoF AU and OCs to boot. Welcome to my shitty dragon crime drama.

It currently doesn’t have a title or anything, it just exists. Here’s the deets:

1. This story takes place several decades after Arc 3. A lot of canon characters still exist, meaning I’ll be referencing them and what they’ve become. Eventually I might develop this into a whole future AU, and write all the alliances and everything, but for now I’ll just mention some key players.

2. These characters live in a city called Unity. In A Guide to the Dragon World, Anemone mentioned wanting to build an intertribal city for MudWings, SeaWings and RainWings. Well, guess what! She did, and that’s Unity. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make dragons to get along, especially when generational wounds linger from the War of SandWing Succession. To make matters more complicated, many Pantalan dragons have settled in Unity, bringing with them unfamiliar ideas and abilities.

3. To outsiders, Unity is a gleaming beacon of hope for intertribal cooperation. Most visitors don’t stay long enough to witness anything more. Residents live in an entirely different world. Unity is ruled by multiple factions, known colloquially as Hordes. Hordes control anything and everything they can get their claws on. Some Hordes, inspired by the Outclaws of the Scorpion Den, try to maintain justice within Unity. Most exist to amass wealth and power.

4. Hordes may be intertribal or tribe-specific. Even those exclusive to one tribe may call upon agents from another for their unique abilities. Alliances are constantly shifting, and if you gain a reputation with the Hordes, it’s best that you make yourself forgettable—or risk getting swept up in their plans.

AND NOW FOR OUR CAST:

Iridescence is a sly RainWing-SilkWing hybrid living in the city of Unity. Her striking colors make her stand out in any crowd, but more striking is her reputation. She is notoriously clever, conniving, and coy, using her delicate appearance to lull others into a false sense of security. She primarily trades Pantalan imports, but under cover of night, she deals in more…sinister goods. Poisons are her specialty. With the help of Kudzu, her leafspeaking assistant, she cultivates dozens of toxic plants to use in her concoctions.

Kudzu is a reserved, cynical LeafWing. He hails from a small group of LeafWings who, resenting Queen Sequoia’s push for peace, left Pantala in pursuit of isolation. To avoid his parents’ preaching about Pantalan politics, he spent most of time studying the flora and fauna of Pyrrhia. He would later move to Unity, where he studied under a SeaWing doctor and eventually opened his own practice. Soon after, he began working with Iridescence, helping her make poisons in exchange for funding his studies. His true passion is medicine.

Salamander is a timid, quiet MudWing. MudWing troops are a common sight in Unity, but nobody knows which she hails from. Salamander prefers to keep it that way. Her Bigwings, Caiman, is one of Unity’s deadliest Horde bosses. Salamander is rarely involved with her sibs’ crimes—they consider her much too anxious to bring along—except when they need her fireproof scales. As of late, Salamander has been spending more time in Caiman’s neighborhood, raising suspicions about her loyalties. Fortunately, she has an alibi. Rumor has it that Caiman has developed smokesickness, a rare and potentially fatal disease. As one of Unity’s mail carriers, it’s simply Salamander’s job to deliver her medicine.

If you read this far, wow! Thanks! I hope it was interesting. You’ll probably be seeing more of these characters on my blog. Feel free to ask questions, make OCs/suggestions for this AU, etc etc. I’ll share more of their story as time goes on.

As a bonus, here’s a size reference for the characters, based on my tribe headcanons:

The bases were made by Joy Ang. I got these from the Wings of Fire wiki—I can’t remember who posted them but I’ll try and update with them soon. Edits and colors made by yours truly.

[lanaevyssmoved]

OC + Random Associations

tagged by @cetra , @sleepsvessel & @bootheminiaturegiantspacehamster thank you ^_^

Animal

Afhiri sea slugs, isopods (dairy cow and zebra), geckos and other various reptiles, cats, small birds, musteloids (particularly raccoons and red pandas), viverrids, japanese raccoon dogs, opossums Candor lions, various eagles (wedge-tailed, golden, crowned), hawks, swans and geese, bighorn rams, crocodillians, sea turtles, elephants, animals that use sun compass orientation Cirok corvids (raven, crow), dogs (rottweiler, doberman, pinscher, greyhound), venomous black snakes, scorpions, spiders (particularly trapdoor spiders and sicarius), bats, black caiman, sharks

Colors

Afhiri pastels! pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, white, black Candor changes depending on form but in general purple, blue, red, yellow, orange, gold, brown, white, black Cirok black, grey, white - absolutely no Colour (thanks to booboo i now think of like toxic waste green when i think of cirok too)

Month

Afhiri September Candor August Cirok November

Songs

Afhiri tapi tapi - tempura kidz fear. moe shop and fun - sir sly. sir sly's vibe is way off for afhiri but the lyrics were written for her Candor a sun coloured shaker - yndi halda and (spring) this was your place - sunlight ascending Cirok jouska - evenS (probably favourite song of all time btw) and i come with knives - IAMX

Number

Afhiri two/2 Candor three/3 Cirok four/4

Plants

Afhiri celandine, sunflower, pink tulip, daisy Candor bay tree, gladiolus, heliotrope, rose Cirok chives, anemone, begonia, deadly nightshade

Scents

Afhiri fresh morning, grass, dirt, cotton candy, bubblegum Candor cedar, musk, sandalwood, the ocean, burning  Cirok decay, death, rot, overwhelmingly of resin

Gemstone

Afhiri tugtupite Candor meliphanite Cirok magnetite

Time of day

Afhiri sunrise Candor midday Cirok night

Season

Afhiri summer Candor summer Cirok winter

Places

Afhiri taverns, meadows, by rivers and lakes Candor monasteries, temples, places of worship Cirok the dank, cold and forgotten, the forbidden

Food

Afhiri sweet things, nothing good for you Candor warm meals Cirok raw meat

Drinks

Afhiri sugary sweet drinks, energy drinks Candor various teas (green, oolong, herbal, black) Cirok piping hot black coffee

Element

Afhiri air Candor fire Cirok water

Seasonings

Afhiri garlic, ginger, cinnamon Candor paprika, turmeric, bay leaves Cirok dried chives, cloves, saffron

Sky

Afhiri the most beautiful sunny cloudless summer sky Candor a colourful golden orange, red, and purple with light cloud cover Cirok stratus clouds, grey, calm and quiet

Weather

Afhiri warm day with lots of sun and a gentle breeze Candor blazing hot summers day with minimal to no wind Cirok cold winters day with fog and light snow

Magical power

Afhiri manipulative magic that makes someone act against their own will, anything that makes them laugh or dance. also the magical power of Insults Candor holy smites, blinding lights and divine energy Cirok phasing into the realm of the dead to walk partly as a ghost

Weapons

Afhiri shortsword and dagger combo, dual hand crossbows Candor mace and shield, longbow, floating/flying greatsword Cirok dual daggers, throwing knives, poisons and venoms

Candy/Sweets

Afhiri cotton candy, bubblegum, and i designed her with fruit salad in mind! Candor spicy roasted pecans, maple roasted sweet potatoes, sea salt dark chocolate Cirok liquorice, black jack, toxic waste

Method of long distance travel

Afhiri roadtrip in a classic volkswagen camper van Candor flying Cirok underground trains

Artstyle

Afhiri impressionism, abstract expressionism, street art, dadaism, CoBrA and fauvism Candor baroque and classicism Cirok optical art and minimalism

Fear

Afhiri of the self, of emotional pain, of returning home Candor of imperfection, of failure, of not being worthy Cirok of being seen, of death, of vulnerability

Mythological creature

Afhiri azeban, mujina, nymph Candor chalkydri, phoenix, psychopomp Cirok tsuchigumo, black dog, gargoyle

Piece of stationery

Afhiri a childs box of crayons, dairy Candor fountain pen, ruler Cirok ink, letter opener

Three Emojis

Afhiri 🤡🍀🪈 Candor ☄️🎇🪽 Cirok 🕷️♟️🔪

Celestial body

Afhiri the moon Candor the sun Cirok black dwarf

THIS TOOK ME FOREVER GUYS... TWO DAYS. I WORKED ON IT FOR HOURS. i hope........ its worth it <3

tagging @cetra @dekariosgale @courierseis @euryalex @hibernationsuit @jerichoes @vanoefucks @captaintiny @gwynbleidd @arduath @rcpunzel @avallachs @fuckitwebhaal @hexdruid @sovereign-spaw @galesgrandad @thefathersbride @dandeyrain @doggybone @swanfey @voerman @full---ofstarlight @chaos-storm @covenscribe @raphaelsboudoir @simtalics @kymal @graynstairs @neonbutchery @hungryblackbird @moxley @thlix @isayashai @darlinghowl @astarionsfordf150 @moon-jun @lovaboy @ratscrap @picklepals @crazy-lazy-elder-sims @rigaudon @neosunbrella @sternenstaub28 @centipisde @kirkwall @lusus--naturae

[projectmoon-smash-or-pass]

propaganda for chesed

propaganda for caiman

[marshmallow-biscuit-blog]

jaguar!

Oo, fun.

Jaguars are actually the cat with the strongest bite relative to their size, strong enough to crush the animal's skull that they're hunting without much effort. Even scarier, they choose to just kill and eat caiman because they're abundant in their ecosystem. You know, this thing.

Because they like to snack on caiman, it would be obvious that they're not adverted to water. In fact, they love it and use it often to cool off. They like it more than tigers, who are often known to also hang out in water sources.

'Black panthers' are actually just a jaguar with melanism. They're not a separate species of big cat, though it's commonly mistaken. Leopards with melanism are also called a black panther. Again, it's still just a different coat pattern mutation.

Jaguars are one of the 4 cats that can truly roar. Others, like cheetahs cannot do this because the hyoid bone is completely ossified. With jaguars, leopards, lions and tigers, their epihyoideum is stretchy and allows them to roar, though it revokes their ability to purr. (whereas it's the other way around in other cats) They're also near threatened, very close to being on the endangered species list because of habitat destruction and poaching. Hope this was as fun for you as it is for me! Images have links to their sources.

[minami-no-shima]

画集『風の中』発売に合わせ、space caimanにて個展を開催します！ パイ インターナショナルより発売予定の画集『風の中』をこちらで先行販売いたします。（画集についてはこちら：https://pie.co.jp/book/i/5765/）

また、個展にて新しいグッズなども色々作っていただいたりしております！ サイン会やイベントも予定していますので、ぜひお越しいただけたらと思います。

🍃みなはむ画集発売記念展『風の中』🍃

会期： 2023年9月2日(土)~2023年9月24日(日)

休廊日：祝日を除く火・水・木 開廊時間：12時〜20時 　最終入場19時45分 入場料：無料 会場：space caiman 東京都中央区日本橋本石町4-5-15 門倉ビルB1 最寄駅：JR神田駅 南口より徒歩5分

詳しくは以下にてご確認ください。 https://space-caiman.com/special/2023_minahamu/ よろしくお願いします。

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Fire Hits Animal Sanctuaries in the Brazilian Wetlands, in Scenes that Repeat the Tragedy of 2020

Folha returns to a farm in Serra do Amolar where a charred howler monkey became a symbol of destruction 4 years ago

Jaguars, agoutis, monkeys, tapirs, snakes, caimans, among other animals, have once again suffered from the fires spreading across the Pantanal. The scenes of charred animals now repeat the tragedy of 2020—a memory that still haunts those who witnessed the situation that year, considered the record for destruction of the biome.

This week, the report traveled to places where wildlife species were recorded charred four years ago, such as the Santa Tereza farm in Corumbá (MS). It is located in Serra do Amolar, a region on the border with Bolivia that is among the most preserved in the Pantanal.

Continue reading.

[lightningfilledsaber]

hiii I’m doing this draw yourself/fursona as 4 different creatures meme, if you have any creatures you’d like to see Mars or Nemesis as lmk!!! Leaving the template (made by heresvix) for anyone else who wants to do it

[sinosauropteryx--prima]

National Fossil: Brazil

Last time Argentinosaurus won the title of Argentinas National Fossil (not surprising) and Argentavis came in second (kinda surprising; I didn‘t know you guys liked big-ass birds that much). This time we‘re looking at some Brazilian fossils!

Once again, you get to vote on which one should represent the nation. As always, it could be a fossil that is just exceptionally well preserved and beautiful, had a huge impact on paleontology and our knowledge of the past, is very common/representative of the area, is beloved and famous in the public eye, is just a very unique and interesting find, or has any other justification.

Here are the contestants:

Tupandactylus/Tapejara (Art by Gabriel Ugueto): There are no big-ass bird competitors this time around, but I can offer you the next best thing: Pterosaurs! There have been many pterosaur species described from Brazilian fossil sites and they have greatly improved our understanding of these creatures. I picked Tupandactylus/Tapejara (there is some dispute about naming/species) to represent this group, because their big creasts make them some of the most visually interesting pterosaurs and with a wingspan of up to 4 m they also reach quite impressive sizes.

“Ubirajara“ (Art by Bob Nicholls): Next up is a small theropod dinosaur. The fossil has been found in Brazil, but then was smuggled out of the country (allegedly) and found its way to Germany. A lot of legal dispute and campaigning later, the dinosaur became a bit of a symbol against colonialism in paleontology. Just this year the fossil finally found its way back home, and probably will be re-named soon, since the original paper about it has been retracted.

Irritator: This relative of the much more famous Spinosaurus got its name because of how frustrating and challenging the restoration of the fossil was: Fossil hunters had made a lot of changes and “repairs“ to the original skull to make it more appealing. Scientists then had to spend a lot of time undoing all those changes. But even after all of that, Irritator‘s skull is one of the best preserved spinosaur skulls ever found.

Purussaurus: This relative of modern caimans lived during the Miocene epoch. With size estimates of well over 10 m it was one of the biggest crocodylians ever, rivaling even some of the biggest carnivorous dinosaurs in terms of size.

Prionosuchus (Art by Thomas Sutton): You might be wondering why I‘m showing you yet another crocodile - you are mistaken! Prionosuchus is not a croc, it is an amphibian. It lived during the Permian, so it is older than all other creatures on this list. Some of the biggest specimen found suggest that it might have reached a length of up to 9 m, making it one of the largest amphibians ever.

[theanoninyourinbox]

The RealM Monster Maker Game

SO many years ago, when I was a wee artism child, I loved creature generators, mythological creatures, and rolling dice. So I made myself one, and for several years, would continue to use it to make Weird Critters, until my hyperfixations drew me elsewhere. I even gave the creatures a little backstory and world to inhabit - the RealM! (Real inventive, I know /sarcasm)

The Backstory

In 20xx, Humanity discovered a portal to another world, one with magic and medicines and technology that would greatly change and improve the world. The Guardians of this RealM were willing to share the fruits of their world, so long as humans came to visit, as their emotional energies would feed the RealM's magic, thus making both sides stronger.

But there was a catch...no Humans existed in the Realm, nor could they. For many ages ago, a Human had nearly destroyed the RealM, so Humanity was banished.

So the Guardians proposed that any Human who came through would temporarily become a denizen of the RealM, reassuming their Human form when they returned to the Earthside of the portal. Thus a deal was struck. What form will YOU take when you enter The RealM?

(I THINK I wanted to make this into a video game or a tabletop experience, but it's more fun as just an art game)

THE RULES

You need a d6 (six sided die), a paper and pencil/pen or a way to record your results, whatever your chosen art medium is, aaaand that's it!

There are six categories of changes - 1 Mammal, 2 Avian, 3 Reptile, 4 Amphibian and Fish, 5 Insect, and 6 Other. Each category was broken down into six more categories, and a few into six after that!

Mammal broke into Feline (which included mustelids), Canine (included vulpines), Rodentia (somehow bears ended up in here???), Hooved Mammals (even and odd toed), Seafaring Mammals, and Extinct Mammals. Sometimes I put Other Mammals instead of Extinct, which makes sense. Apes were in the Other Mammals category, and were supposed to be rarer in the RealM because of their similarity to Humans.

Avians were Predatory (owls, hawks, eagles, and the like), Seabirds (penguins too), Waterfowl, Songbirds, Pigeons (and doves), and Other Birds (like emus)! Not too much to say here, they could have been better put together.

Reptile was Lizards, Crocs/Gators (and caimans and gharials and so on), Turtles/Tortoises, Snakes, Other Reptiles, and Dinosaurs. I know science says they're closer to birds BUT I was little and needed another reptile category!

Amphibians had Frogs/Toads, Newts/Salamanders, Other Amphibians; Fish had Cold Ocean, Warm Ocean, and Freshwater. You could probably make each of those their own category of 6, but i NEEDED the Other Category!

Insect was Flies, Moths/Butterflies, Beetles, Mantises, Spiders (and anything in the arachnid family), and Other Insects (worms baby!).

Other is a Fun One - the categories were Other Animals (which also could include apes, but was mostly for echidnas and platypi, and octopi too), Mythological Creatures, Alien (literally just any alien from any media), Mechanical, Plant, and Missing! You could get a headless creature, and roll to place the face...buttface teehee...

If you roll a certain kind of creature, it's entirely up to you to pick what kind! You roll a feline - tiger or house cat? Roll a beetle - herculese or stink? You get the idea!

You could also roll for a color scheme instead of a feature - make your fella look like a monarch butterfly!

You could also roll for what part to replace, but I usually just went in this order anyway. The body parts for each roll are 1 Head, 2 Torso, 3 Arms, 4 Legs, 5 Hands, and 6 Feet. Hands and Feet could be switched out for upper/lower torso, wings, or tail!

I don't have time to draw a critter tonight but for old times sake, and the sake of this post, I rolled up someone with the head of a gecko, the body of a swan, the "wings" of a batfish, the legs of a lemur, the tail of a manticore, and the color scheme of a nudibranch! Wow that is...that sure is a critter...

Anyway, please feel free to make one of your own, and PLEASE tag me if you do! I would FLIP if someone did this!

[herpsandbirds]

your work history is super cool! do you have any favorite experiences or anecdotes that you're willing to share?

The Amazon

Some of these jobs were so quotidian, as to have nothing to report, and being in the Amazon for is to much to tell.

I can just say that I wanted to work in the Amazon since I was at least 4 yo. Waking up everyday to the calls of howler monkeys and toucans, picking up boas and moving them off the trails so that the tourists could pass by, and watching the eye shine of black caiman pass back and forth over the lagoon at night (while a pretty quichua boy laughs at your corny jokes) was all pretty magical.

If you ever get a chance, spend some real time in the rainforest.