Wildlife Weekly 12.3.25

The Blue and Gold Macaw

The Blue and Gold Macaw

The blue-and-gold macaw is a large neotropical parrot, measuring around 36 inches in length and a wingspan of up to 4 ft! They possess a powerful, hooked black beak, used for crushing nuts and seeds, and are recognized by their brilliant blue backs, wings and tail. They have vibrant golden breasts, bellies and underwings , with bright white faces and  flashes of black and bright green across their forehead and eyes. 

The species is widely distributed throughout South and Central America. Countries include Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru,Venezuela and Panama.  They primarily inhabit forests and savannahs and are frequently found in swampy tropical rainforests and woodlands and are able to reach flight speeds of up to 35 mph!

In the wild, macaws are gregarious and live in flocks. They form strong lifelong monogamous pair bonds. Pairs are often seen flying or sitting side-by-side, preening and vocalizing. They show affection by holding feet preening and in some cases regurgitating food for their mates.They thrive on companionship. 

Blue and gold macaws are diurnal, social birds that spend their days flying between roosting sites and feeding grounds. Macaws are also known to be “messy eaters”, dropping a lot of food and dispersing seeds that promote forest growth. They are herbivores, using their strong beaks to crack open nuts, fruits  seeds, leaves, bark and clay. Typically macaw nests are found in tree hollows or  cavities, most commonly in upper parts of dead palm trees, however, macaws often flock to mountains of clay along riverbanks  known as “macaw licks”. This is a vital part of their diet, as it provides necessary minerals and helps them digest toxins from unripe seeds. 

Macaws are very vocal birds, using loud screams, squawks and squeaks to communicate. They are also extremely wary of potential dangers. At the slightest sign of danger, the birds will immediately take air. They use  loud , high-pitched calls as an alarm to warn others. A flock may go completely silent for a moment before all taking flight at once. This sudden, noisy, and colorful escape can startle the predator. Predators include large raptor like harpy eagles, hawk eagles, and orange-breasted falcons which attack them in flight. In addition to these, various predators like snakes , monkeys  and large cats can also prey on the young while still in the nests.

Wildlife Weekly 12/1/25

Amazonian Manatee 

Amazonian manatees are gray , streamlined aquatic animals distinguish by white or pink spots on their chests. Although these large large creatures can reach up to 3 meters in length and weigh around 992 pounds, they are harmless and and among the smallest of all the manatee species. They have a large flexible upper lip with thick bristles to help them gather food and a square shaped snout with nostrils that open and close when submerged. To help gain speed they use a large, flat paddle shaped tail to help propel them through the water.  Interestingly, Amazonian manatees have two forelimbs that have evolved into flippers, however , they were born without nails on these flippers, unlike other manatee species. 

Flippers act like paddles to help manatees steer through the freshwater environments throughout the Amazon River Basin. They also help with stabilizing and “walking” along the bottom. Amazonian manatee specific habitat preferences change with the seasons.  During the wet season, they move into flooded forests and backwaters. However, during dry season they return to deeper rivers and permanent lakes to survive on stored fat reserves. They are the only species found exclusively in freshwater environments. 

Manatees  spend their days grazing, resting and slowly traveling through the water. With the help of their trunk-like, flexible upper lip and adapted straight snout that allows them to feed  easier at the surface, amazonian manatees spend 6-8  hours grazing on emergent aquatic vegetation such as grasses , water hyacinths and water lettuce. They also eat floating fruits and seeds.  The vegetation is then sent on a week-long journey through their digestive system. 

These unique aquatic animals can eat up to 10% of their body weight in food each day. By consuming large amounts of vegetation, they play a vital role in keeping the Amazonian waterways healthy by controlling plant growth. They store energy as fat. During periods of low water, when the season changes, they may be restricted to deeper water and can survive for extended periods by fasting and relying on fat reserves. They are the only aquatic mammals in the Amazon that are exclusively herbivorous! As for the remainder of the day, manatees devote up to 12 hrs a day too resting, often submerged. Manatees must surface to breathe, doing so every few minutes when active and every 20 minutes when resting.

While they are generally solitary, they are also described as semi-social. Sometimes being spotted in small groups of 4-8 individuals for mating or other interactions. However, they are slow to reproduce , typically giving birth to a single calf only once every two years after a gestation period of 12 months. 

Interestingly enough, manatees have few significant natural predators due to their size, Including jaguars , crocodiles and sharks, however humans pose the most threat due to hunting for meat and fat. Other threats include habitat loss and boat collisions.

Wildlife Weekly

Spider Monkey

The Spider monkey is a new world monkeys, meaning it has very little to no thumbs, despite old world monkeys having opposable thumbs. They also spend their time in the trees opposed to old work monkeys that spend most of their time on the ground.They can have fur that is golden, red, brown or black ,although their hands are typically black. Their faces are usually hairless, but some species have flesh-colored rings around their eyes. Spider monkeys are only about 14-26 inches in body length and can weigh anywhere 13 to 24 pounds. They have extremely long arms and legs, giving them a lanky appearance. Their hands are narrow with long , curved fingers and reduce or non existent thumbs. Their tails are exceptionally long and can be used to grasp objects and swing from branches . They have a special friction pad at the tip of their tails that helps with grip. Spider monkeys are highly adapted to arboreal life, meaning they spend majority of the times swinging through the high canopy of the trees.

Spider monkeys are found in vast areas of the Americas, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras,Belize, El Salvador, Coast Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. They thrive in mature, pristine tropical rainforests, but can also adapt to less pristine environments. For example, cloud forest, tall evergreen forests and lowland tropical forests. 

Spider monkeys are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They spend their time high up in the limbs of the rainforest canopy, foraging, feeding and traveling. Spider monkeys are social animals. They exhibit fission-fusion, meaning they live in large groups  ,called troops , that break off into smaller foraging parties during the day and then merge back together in the evening. They communicate with various vocalizations , gestures and facial expressions. They are known for their loud calls , screeches and barks , which they use to communicate with each other and warn of threats. While grooming is a common primate social behavior, spider monkeys do not frequently groom each other due to their lack of thumbs, which makes grooming difficult. 

Male spider monkeys have a hierarchy, and dominant males may be more prone to aggression. While primarily friendly with their troop, the males can exhibit aggressive behaviors towards rivals , including screaming tossing feces and shaking branches. However , within the troop embraces are frequent, especially during fusions between subgroups and approaches to mothers of young infants. They use them as a a conflict management mechanism. Spider monkeys also engage in social play, with acrobatics, cuddling and rough and tumble play being common.

When the troop breaks off into two to forage, they search for a wide variety of things. Spider monkeys are primarily frugivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of ripe fruits, however they also eat leaves, nuts and seeds, as well as spiders and insects

Spider monkeys in the wild face threats from large cats  like jaguars, pumas and ocelots. As well as large snakes and eagles. Spider monkeys are also susceptible to diseases like ,malaria carried by insects that are consumed in their habitat. Despite their agility and arboreal lifestyle, spider monkeys are facing increasing pressure from both natural predators and human activities , making them vulnerable to extinction.

Lisa Brown, RUJT

Is it safe to travel to the Amazon?

The New Normal

A lot of people are wondering when they can resume international travel after experiencing a global pandemic that has changed the travel industry . In this blog I will explore some of the things that have made it difficult to enjoy vacationing in a post pandemic world. PCR tests, mask mandates, cancelled flights are just a few of the new obstacles travelers face. Whether you are new to traveling abroad or a frequent flyer it is important to know what to expect when purchasing flights, booking trips, and investing your money before you leave home.

Flight Insurance

It is important to know the insurance policies of your flights when you are booking your vacation. Third party flight locators, while they may offer cheap flights, also may not offer any sort of refund for cancelled flights. Always check the refund policy of your airline in case of unexpected emergencies. In the event that you contract COVID 19 while travelling abroad your flight plans could change dramatically, especially given the rapidly changing boarding policies that are mandated by the Federal government.

Vaccinations

It is important to be vaccinated while travelling to limit the spread of disease and to protect yourself in the event that you contract a virus. Health resources are limited in the Amazon, which leaves the local communities incredibly vulnerable. The Amazon rainforest is an uncompromising ecosystem which is home to a plethora of beautiful botany, entomology and and wildlife but it serves as the home to several different viruses. The CDC recommends to be vaccinated for COVID 19, Hepatitis A & B, Malaria, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever. While the rate of transmission of these viruses varies, it is better to be protected against the elements.

To be continued….