Wednesday, May 20, 2015

This coqui ate so many flying termites that he could not eat any more



Today, the Rio Abajo Forest, in Puerto Rico, we had the first really good rain of the rainy season.  More than an inch of rain fell on the forest.  I knew that this would stimulate the local termites into making their nuptial flight.  I turned off all the lights in the house and left only the light of the terrace on.   I sat by the light and waited.  Al 7:30 pm the first termites showed up.  This coqui, which was hiding in a bromeliad near my terrace, quickly jumped near the light and started feasting on the termites.  It ate so many of them that it got to the point that it could not eat any more.  I scooped him up with my finger to take a photo.  I was surprisingly docile considering that normally they don't allow themselves to be picked up.  It stayed on my finger for a few moments and then jumped on the camera.  I gently put him into a bromeliad leaf.

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