Our friends of Fauna Silvestre Foundation have had a tough time finding mammals (except for the bats) in the farm. Because of the dry season, the soil is very hard, almost like baked clay and in some places, covered with dry leaves. In this condition, animals can't leave footprints.
On the other hand, mammals tend to be shy and even prefer to get out of their hiding places at night.
The only trace we could find was this footprint. To find it, the team had to get down to a little stream where there is some water and soft mud.
On the other hand, mammals tend to be shy and even prefer to get out of their hiding places at night.
The only trace we could find was this footprint. To find it, the team had to get down to a little stream where there is some water and soft mud.
photo: Fauna Silvestre
We still don't know what animal left this footprint, but hopefully, the biologists will be able to identify it looking at special guides.
During the past semester we observed rabbits in the farm. The gardeners and our teacher, Wilmer, who knows which animals visit the cropfield based on observation of their bites on plant stems and corn ears, says that in the land plot there are mice and common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) locally known as zorra- chucha or chucha.
We expect that the rainy season will bring these misterious animals as soon as the fruits and flowers, and crops, begin to grow back.
Another interesting research topic, as in the case of amphibians, is how do mammals survive the dry season in the Tropical dry forest of the Caribbean.
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