How to attract a parrot

One of Rainforest Expeditions’ three Peruvian eco-lodges, the Tambopata Research Center, focuses on one of the top wildlife spectacles of the world, the largest known clay lick in the Amazon, frequented by hundreds of parrots, parakeets and macaws. It is just a five-minute boat ride from the 18-room eco-lodge. A wall of clay over 200 feet across draws hundreds of 13 species of parrots, parakeets and macaws every morning to feed on sodium-rich clay.

Because of their brilliant colouring, macaws are popular and very expensive pets in some countries. But did you know that the hyacinth macaw is the largest member of the parrot family. These macaws are social birds and generally live in pairs or small groups. Pairs are extremely faithful and share the tasks of raising their young. The hyacinth macaw's natural lifespan is estimated to be 30 to 50 years or more. Males tend to be much larger than females.  This macaw’s beak is the most powerful of all birds and is used to crack hard palm nuts, which is their main diet.

There once was a spider....

Other surprises include the only known location of a recently discovered decoy-building spider that constructs a bigger, scarier version of itself on its web from debris and dead insect parts. These false spiders likely serve to make effective decoys that confuse predators. "We've never seen anything like this before,” claims Phil Torres, a Cornell-educated biologist who found the spider while taking wildlife photos in September 2012 near the Tambopata Research Center.

If you were at all supertitious, this human-like apparition might have you high-tailing it further into the jungle. 

A very fine rug

Unflatteringly, this has been referred to as resembling some sort of hairpiece. It's actually the caterpillar of a megalopygid moth. If you happen on it in the wild, don't be tempted to try it on! The yellow fuzzy hairs are full of urticating spines that can inject a very painful poison if touched. This caterpillar was spotted at the Posada Amazonas Lodge.

These belong to a group of insect species known generally as crinkled flannel moths, or simply Flannel Moths.  The larvae are called Puss Caterpillars, and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls. They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms.

The gift-wrapped moth

The incredible woven lattice structure of the urodid moth's cocoon is an astounding example of art in nature. The cocoon dangles from a silken string about a foot long, likely to prevent ants from feeding on it, and the bright orange color serves as a warning to potential predators that this cocoon may be poisonous to eat. The adult moth eventually emerges from the pupa, exiting through the tubular 'escape hatch' at the bottom of the structure. This pupa was seen at Refugio Amazonas Lodge.

Watch a video  of it…

Seeing triple!

Imagine seeing in the distance an upside-down rainbow above the trees. A recent sighting of this rare optical event resulted in the best photos ever taken of this unbelievable, rainbow-filled display. These solar halos result from interactions of the sunlight with ice crystals high up in the atmosphere, and according to experts, Tambopata just happens to offer the right conditions to make this the most impressive sighting of these halos ever recorded.

Since 1989, Rainforest Expeditions, a Peruvian Company, has created a work-in-process for sustainably exploring the miracles of the Tambopata–Candamo Reserved Zone, 1.5 million hectares of pristine, still-wild tropical rainforest encompassing an area of land the size of Connecticut and stretching from the Andean highlands to the Amazon lowlands.

Through conservation and ecotourism it is helping to protect some of the last untouched lowland and premontane tropical humid forests in the Amazon.

Guests of first one, and now three, Rainforest Expedition eco-lodges have added value to the region’s standing tropical rainforest. A sensitively conceived and managed (in some cases by native communities) touristic infrastructure creates a competitive alternative to such unsustainable economic uses as clear cutting the forest for timber or for cattle grazing. The partnerships Rainforest Expeditions has forged with local people eager to share Amazonian traditions with guests provide connection, expertise, adventure and access to wildlife in the jungles of Tambopata. Rainforest Expeditions has been verified and certified “a sustainable tourism business” by the Rainforest Alliance.

Rainforest Expeditions’ string of three jungle lodges is accessed from Puerto Maldonado airport with flights arriving daily from Lima or Cusco. Motorized wooden canoes then take guests on a 45-minute trip to the first lodge, Posada Amazonas. Refugio Amazonas, the second lodge, is a 3.5-hour boat trip from Puerto Maldonado. The third and most remote is Tambopata Research Center, requiring a 4-hour additional upriver boat ride from Refugio Amazonas.  Each lodge is only a few minutes on foot from the river bank. 

Three day tours available from $375 per person double will reveal some of these surprises, promises Jeff Cremer, company spokesperson and resident photography specialist.

(Peru’s visionary leader in sustainable tourism, Rainforest Expeditions has kindly shared these five creations  of nature.)