Samantha Monier PhD
monier.samantha@gmail.com
La Selva Biological Research Station
As an undergraduate, I visited Costa Rica as part of of tropical ecology field methods course
Leaf cutter ants are one of the only animals besides humans that cultivate their own food. They don't eat the leaves directly, but use the leaves to grow their own fungal gardens. Workers cut and carry the leaves while the smaller caste, the minims, hitch a ride back to the nest on top of the leaf, prepping and protecting it
Two tent making bats roosting in the underside of a leaf. These bats use their teeth to perforate a leaf such that it folds in on itself, creating a "tent" for the bats to sleep in
A well camouflaged basilisk
After dark, this mantid (above) and sphinx month (below) were attracted to the UV light we shined over a white sheet
Orb weaver
Nicknamed the “blue jeans” poison dart frog because it looks like it's wearing pants. This frog carries a tadpole on her back, about to deposit it in a bromeliad full of rain water. A video of this species vocalizing can be downloaded here
Eye lash viper
Peccary
Accidentally snapped a photo of this howler monkey urinating! These guys are called howlers for a good reason, click here to hear them vocalizing
Stumbled upon this monkey skull while out for a hike
Heliconias
Bananas
Easily the best food I've had out in the field!
Capuchin monkey, foraging up in the trees
Known as the walking palm, this tree is mobile! It grows new shoots in one direction while killing off roots in the opposite direction, allowing the tree to exploit light gaps and other resources
Invasive pink bananas
Overnight flood at the field station (below). While most of the water had receded by morning, mud lines on the trees show just how high the water level was (left)
