Mucuna Drift Seeds
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Mucuna drift seeds are called ojo de venada (eye of the deer) or ojo de buey (ox) by locals. Beachcombers call them “sea beans” because they wash up on beaches.
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Virginia Opossum
The Native American Algonquians called the Virginia Opossum apassum, or “white beast.” This opossum is quite common in Belize’s rain forests.
Emerald Cicada
The loudest and most beautiful cicada in the Belizean rain forests is the Emerald Cicada. There are numerous Zammara species, many of which look pretty similar, but the one that lives here is turquoise with glowing red eyes, which make it a real stand-out.
White-lipped Mud Turtle
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̶This particular turtle, about 6-7” long, was probably a female. I found and sketched her crossing Hydro Road just south of the Arenal exit when the area was still planted with orange groves.
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Golden Silk Spider
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This is a large, colorful spider, orange, brown and white, with black furry tufts on its legs. It has a body length of 1½”- 2,” and a leg-span of 3½”- 5.” That’s pretty big and a maybe little scary, but you don’t have to worry about its bite because the venom from a golden silk spider bite typically has little effect on humans.
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African Tulip Tree
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Native to East Africa, this gorgeous tree grows to over 100’ in height, and has enormous clumps of red-orange flowers. It is also a terrific pest in tropical areas.
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Collared Araçari
This brilliantly-colored cartoonish bird is a medium-sized toucan, about 16″ long (¼ of that is beak) and is found at BIB in the mid-canopy and forest edge.
Polybia Wasps
You may have noticed elongated papery globes hanging from tree branches or palm leaves in the forest at BIB. Usually a pale tan or gray, these are nests built by tiny Polybia wasps over the course of several months.
Red Mushroom
This pretty little thing was growing from a rotten branch on the ground, and its flesh was fairly tough, the red surface velvety and smooth, the underside, as you can see, a bit rough but without gills (that bit is for mushroom folks).
Owl Butterfly
The most dominant feature of the Owl Butterfly is the large, very owlish eye marking on the undersides of its wings. But even if you only see one side, it’s easy to think SOMETHING is staring at you.