We come to an opening, a pond beside the trail.
Overhead, where the leaves are in full sunlight, we spot
a sizeable Green Iguana (Iguana iguana; plate 4- 17). The
iguana is basking, likely having eaten its fill of leaves
earlier. Iguanas are carnivores, like virtually all other
lizards, but only when they are small. As they mature
into adults, they switch to a mostly vegetarian diet and
remain arboreal, like reptilian sloths.
Before we have finished looking at the arboreal
lizard, a tiny, brightly colored, green and rufous bird
pauses on a branch before us over the pool of water. It
is an American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea;
plate 4- 18). At 13 cm (5 in) long, it is the smallest of
the six kingfisher species that inhabit the Neotropics.
Kingfishers will be discussed more in chapter 9.
Suddenly our eyes are drawn to the rapid, bouncing
flight of a large, brilliantly colored Blue Morpho
butterfly (Morpho didius; plate 4- 19). This impressive
lepidopteran appears dazzling electric blue in flight, as
its shimmering upper- wing surfaces are illuminated by
the sun flecks. Butterflies and moths are lepidopterans,
a group very well represented by numerous tropical
species. Some are brightly colored, others are cryptic;
they are discussed in much more depth in chapter 11.
Another butterfly, boldly perched on a flower as it
feeds, draws our attention. It is a heliconius butterflyPlate 4- 19. The large Blue Morpho butterfly, which rarely sits for
its portrait, is most often seen flying with purpose along forest
trails, openings, and along streams, all the while flashing its
electric- blue upper- wing coloring. Photo by James Adams.Plate 4- 20. One of many Heliconius butterfly species inhabiting
the Neotropics. The group, composed of many look- alike
species, presents a remarkable example of coevolution and
mimicry (chapter 11). Photo by John Kricher.
Plate 4- 21. A cracker butterfly in a typical head- down position
on tree bark. The name cracker is given to these butterflies
because they make an audible sound when in flight that has
been described as a “cracking.” Photo by John Kricher.Plate 4- 18. At 13 cm (5 in) long, the diminutive American
Pygmy Kingfisher is the smallest of the New World kingfishers.
This bird is a female. Photo by John Kricher.
64 chapter 4 finding animals in rain forest