#wildlife: central america

[snototter]

A tiger bromeliad spider (Cupiennius salei)

by Thomas Piepe

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Have you ever seen an argentinian black and white tegu?

[spinus-pinus]

Scarlet Macaw Ara macao

7/29/2023 Guanacaste, Costa Rica

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

The Princely Tiger Moth: these strikingly colorful moths can be found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras

The princely tiger moth (Chrysocale principalis) has a unique, almost rainbow-like appearance, with iridescent/metallic scales that produce a broad range of colors across the wings, thorax, and abdomen. These colors can include shades of pink, gold, green, blue, and purple.

This species is particularly colorful, but aposomatic coloration in general is a trait that occurs in many different species of tiger moth; the moths often store toxic and/or unpalatable compounds within their own bodies as a way to discourage predators from eating them, and their brightly-colored markings then warn the predators to stay away.

Moths are often viewed as the boring, more plainly-colored version of butterflies, but they are much more diverse, more interesting, and more colorful than people generally realize -- as the princely tiger moth (and many other species) clearly demonstrates.

Chrysocale regalis: this species belongs to the same genus, and has a similarly colorful appearance

Chrysocale ignita: also known as the ignita wasp moth

Sources & More Info:

The Lives of Moths: Page 73

Texas Entomology: The Princely Tiger Moth

The Macrolepidoptera of the World: Chrysocale principalis

iNaturalist: photos of C. principalis, C. regalis, and C. ignita

[illustratus]

Sailing in the Tropics by Norton Bush

[wildlifetracker]

Panamanian Golden Frog, Atelopus zeteki

Endemic to Panama. Extinct in the wild.

[blackleopards-whitelions]

65th post.

[fenrislorsrai]

A face only a mother could love by Andrew Snyder Via Flickr: Wrinkle-faced bat (Centurio senex) from Cusuco National Park, Honduras, Central America. June 2010.

[cogumellow]

great mayan mesoamerican barrier reef // caye caulker, belize // 2016 // ©

[cyallowitz]

The Giant Anteater: Tougher Than I Thought

I’ve had the giant anteater on my list of potential animal posts for a while.  It was actually the whole anteater family, which is why it was going to take longer to put together.  Then, I started learning about how the giant anteater isn’t as gentle as I believed.  In fact, it can be downright aggressive.  So, I’m going to focus on it with the usual conservation status and list of facts. First,…

[snototter]

A brown throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) hangs from the canopy in Panama

by Roger Wasley

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

This animal was requested!

[spinus-pinus]

Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris

7/27/2023 Guanacaste, Costa Rica

[nickysfacts]

If you wish to help save the real Mudkip, then please visit Axol and Friends, they sell adorable axolotl plushies and donate the profits to conservation efforts!

💙🇲🇽🧡

[travelbinge]

By Davidmrule

[agnel]

The jaguarundi

via Luiz Mosca on Flickr