Creepy-Crawlies

The river valleys have an essentially tropical climate and so are home to a wide range of beautiful and spectacular plants and animals including jaguars, toucans, and coatimundi. Of course, you never get pictures of these, but we did manage to get photos of some of the smaller, more interesting creatures that you find there (more often than not in your house!).

The animal in the picture above is a Whip Scorpion or Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus). Unless you are a small insect they are harmless, though they can spray an irritating substance that stings if you get it in your eyes. The insect on the left is a Dobsonfly (Order Megaloptera Fam. Corydalidae), which often appears on the outside walls of your house at night if you leave a light on. This specimen was nearly 4 inches long. They have an aggressive, predatory aquatic larva, but the adults don't seem particularly interested in biting. The local people used to catch and eat the larva. The more familiar creature on the right is a Praying Mantis (Fam. Mantidae). This one isn't very large.

In my opinion, this guy isn't especially creepy (although I guess he is crawly). This is an immature specimen of the Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), which can be up to three or four inches long. As you might expect from their name, they are very common in houses; they are aggressive eaters of moths and other insects, and make a pleasant chirping noise, the source of their Totonac name, chukchuk.