Everyone is very familiar with the idea of pet dogs coming when they are called, and possibly even the odd, extremely talented cat.  Very few people whom I have met (including myself), however, are very familiar with a great horned owl leaping off of its perch, soaring through the air and peacefully alighting on a trainers hand when called by name.  To accomplish this was my end goal when I arrived at el Refugio de Potosi as an inexperienced but eager biology student, and I had no idea how I was going to get there.  Luckily, Tesi Carmona, the intern who was working at el Refugio de Potosi before me did an amazing job outlining a training program for not only the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), but also a broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus), and a crested caracara (Caracara cheriway).  Tesi had already done much work with the birds, and this made it somewhat easier for me, but I definitely still had my work cut out for me.  Being able to interact with these birds every day and get to know their personalities and watch how they learn was an amazing experience that I relish.  In addition to working with the raptors, I also was able to stretch my public speaking skills as a tour guide, my arts and craft skills while making a gigantic pink and blue sperm whale float, and, of course, my Spanish while trying to make myself somewhat comprehensible in my day to day life.  The amount and diversity of projects that are always evolving at this little place is mind boggling, and offers someone like me tons of opportunity to amass a wide range of skills.

Coming from British Columbia Canada, almost everything about this experience was new and exciting for me, and 2 months later the feelings of enthusiasm for the work I was doing, the people I met, and the country I began to discover are still very strong within me.  I was extremely lucky to be able to get involved in such an ambitious project, and  el Refugio being a young non-profit entity (read: Do-it-yourself) allowed me lots of opportunities interact with a wide range of animals.  It is astonishingly easy to go through a biology degree without ever having any hands on experience with wild animals, so I feel very privileged to have worked here.  Within a week of arriving, I was routinely handling snakes, iguanas, parrots, a hairy dwarf Mexican porcupine named Lala, and of course my good friends the raptors.  These experiences, along with getting to watch Jorge Guzman, the wildlife vet there perform treatment on animals, as well as long night time talks with Laurel about anything of interest were amazing learning experiences for me.

Although I am about a million miles away right now working in the Yukon, I am finding my thoughts wandering back down South and lingering amongst the thorn forest of el Refugio watching the many species of local birds flitting through the trees, searching for the elusive painted buntings, or trogons that bird nerds like me hope to see.  I do not know exactly what the future has in store for me or el Refugio, but whatever it is I can be sure that the time that I spent there will definitely go a long way in shaping my future, and I can only hope that it helped to get everyone involved in this ambitious project one step closer to their goals.  

Arriba el Refugio!!

Jamie Godfrey

El Refugio de Potosi joined in the fun for Carnival in Zhiuatanejo’s second annual parade and festival.  The theme of the parade was “fantasy” and I think everyone could agree that a pink paper flower whale with a blue flower baby riding on top is a real fantasy.

Speaking of paper flowers… hours and hours and many, many hands were required to prepare a whale and a half of paper flowers. Local Playa Blanca resident Zoe Watkins spearheaded the volunteer winter visitor efforts with work parties cutting, folding, stapling and unfolding the never ending reams of crepe paper. Marifer and Elisa, young biology students from Mexico Autonomous University (UAM) in the area for their field work semester, joined Diana, a student volunteer, and Marbe, with out whom nothing would get done, and worked endlessly and tirelessly to decorate the leviathan.

Much thought and creativity were required to construct the frame for the whale; Luis managed the thing in panels that were then covered by chicken wire squares that had been stuffed with the flowers. The structure was then fitted over the Refugio pick-up and driven to town in the wee hours of the morning where the float crew waited four hours for the parade to start – patience is everything!

Luis finally drove the float into the tail of the parade, he had disconnected the fan to be able to play music, but the loud speakers of the float in front drowned out all the sweet whale music and two Refugio staff members crawled inside to “dance the whale” in time to the ambient music. So Luis and the whale dancers managed the entire parade without air conditioning – a true labor of love.

Around twenty volunteers, family and friends joined in the fun of marching along in the parade while others watched from the side lines. El Refugio staff passed plastic snakes, frogs, lizards and Refugio bracelets to delighted children along the route. Many floats were far more sophisticated but in the end, El Refugio’s whales took third place.

The Carnival festivities are now an annual event, so next year…perhaps bigger and better? And hopes that even more folks can join in the fun.

We all shouted “adios” when the first 50 kg green-black turtle slipped away beneath the waves and again when the larger second one disappeared as well. Back in their natural environment they are swift and even graceful. Everyone in the boat wished them well, hearts a little fuller for the success of the release.

Profepa and the Department of Ecology contacted wildlife vet Jorge Guzman regarding approximately 40 turtles stranded or dead on the beaches from Troncones to Playa Larga. The species found were a mix of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Black Turtles (Chelonia mydas agassizii).  The majority of the turtles both dead and alive were males. Of the eight found still living, all showed signs of aspiration pneumonia. This is a consequence of being trapped underwater unable to take a breath of air and consequently taking a gulp of sea water into the lungs ~ also known as drowning. No evidence of other injuries or disease was noted. The eight survivors were taken to the home of Jorge and treated with antibiotic injections. Of the eight surviving turtles, five were males, three were females.  Two of the males survived. One was taken to El Refugio for further convalescence in the turtle pond.

El Refugio de Potosi has the only local license to receive, rehabilitate and release wild creatures. Since it is illegal for anyone to touch marine turtles or their eggs, the rescue and release was made possible only under the trained supervision of Jorge and the Refugio staff.

Laurel, Marbe, Jorge and his family and visitor Lee Post brought the turtles to the edge of the lagoon in the pick up and they were carefully loaded by various volunteers into the bottom of Omar’s launcha. A 50 kilogram marine turtle fills a lot of boat bottom and it takes two men to lift. The black turtles are not the biggest marine turtles, but even so these were impressive creatures. Marine turtles cannot retract their heads, so they seemed to give us all baleful looks from the bottom of the boat.

Launch captain Omar had made his boat available – on a Sunday no less, when he normally provides the Banana Boat rides to happy wave riders. The waves were big and the bar is shallow so Omar needed an extra push to keep the boat straight in the water until he could gun it over the waves. Then we crashed through a big one and were soaked one and all. Omar gunned the motor and we were off to Los Morros islands, the light sparkling off the boat spray.

On the way out, an upside down dead turtle was spotted; birds marked the carcass’ path in the waves. Despite the laws requiring commercial shrimp boats to use TED (turtle excluding devices) devices on their nets, great numbers of marine turtles still drown or are fatally injured in these enormous nets. Just this week five dead turtles were spotted on Playa Blanca.

Last April, 2010 the US Department of State banned the import of Mexican wild shrimp for lack of TED net enforcement. The ban was lifted on October 18, 2010 after the Mexican government implemented a plan to strengthen enforcement of TED devices in its trawl fishing industry. Turtle conservationists are hopeful this will make a significant difference, although here in our area there has been little enforcement in the past.

Today however, we were celebrating. Two turtles went home. We road back in the boat feeling happy and hopeful for the continued survival of marine turtles.

Playa Blanca is know as a nesting beach for the Olive Ridley and even some Leatherbacks, now with the rescue of the two Black  turtles, it seems plausible to assume they nest here as well. There are eight species of marine turtles in the world; seven of them visit various Mexican beaches, four of them come to our area, and all are endangered.

We have the unique opportunity to witness part of the life cycle of these ancient and wonderful beasts and perhaps share some responsibility to help protect them.  The sex of the beached or dead turtle can help determine where the incident occurred as the males tend to stay far off shore where as the females come to the sand to nest.

Here is what to do when you see a dead or beached turtle:

Call and leave a message if there is no answer:

Laurel Patrick 755 557 28 40

Jorge Guzman 755 108 8787

PROFEPA  755 554 92 14  This is the local organization in charge of the coast

SEMAR: 755 554 26 70  The Marines (Marines control the Federal Waters around Mexico and are charged with turtle protection)

SAGARPA Federal Level Tel: + 55 3871•1000

contacto@sagarpa.gob.mx

To see a reproduction of a turtle nest, visit El Refugio de Potosi.

An introductory blog for me may prove to be a challenge to write! As a fourth year geography student from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, I have been here at El Refugio de Potosi for two months now, which is the half-way point of this summer long volunteer opportunity.

I choose to volunteer at El Refugio because wildlife conservation has been an educational and career interest of mine. As an outdoor orientated person, the thought of spending time on a ecological park in a dry tropical forest of Mexico was very appealing. So far, the outdoor experience has been wonderful. The diversity of flora and fauna at El Refugio offers a wide diversity to any visitor, be it those who are interested in the species of host plants for butterflies or the reptile enthusiast who wishes to come face to face with a green iguana living in a closed, but still natural environment. For me, my interests are more broad and they have yet to develop within the scope of wildlife conservation and so for now, I am open to just experiencing the daily activities that go on at El Refugio.

Some of my daily tasks include: feeding and caring of the animals, guiding English speaking tours and helping with schools that come to visit El Refugio. Wild animals are constantly arriving to and leaving El Refugio so my exposure to new species is ever expanding. Being a tour guide has been an experience in itself. Public speaking is a great skill to master and guiding a tour is very different from doing a public presentation. Tours are more interactive, so this gives the visitors a chance to talk as well, which makes for a less formal environment. In addition to all this, I am researching possible grant opportunities that may offer funding to El Refugio in the future. This project, I hope, will give me some insight into the grant seeking process.

Not only is this volunteer experience beneficial to my academic goals, but it also offers the opportunity to experience a new culture and language. I had never travelled to Mexico before this summer, so everything has been new for me! And living in a rural area of Mexico has made for many exciting adventures. Taking the public buses from Los Achotes into Zihuatanejo was a daunting thought at first so I ended up going with a fellow Canadian who was more fluent in Spanish than me. Aside from needing to use the language to talk to the bus driver or ask pedestrians for directions to a bus stop, my prior experience with city transit paid off and the whole experience turned out positive. When I stayed in Morelia for two weeks to study Spanish at a language institute called Baden-Powell, a lot of Pictionary work was going on between my host family and I. Regardless, this home stay experience was a great jump start to learning Spanish and the Mexican culture, most specifically the cuisine. I generally prefer food with mild spiciness, but my taste buds are slowly adapting and I can now tolerate stronger chilies.

Signing off for now,

Karilynn DeWolff

A new resident to El Refugio de Potosi is thank you Avi). At that time she was a ball of spines and strawberry colored hair. Though tiny in size, her eyes were open and she had both upper and lower teeth. After many encounters with spines (think Edward Scissor hands), she accepted water and milk by syringe and was patiently fed on a schedule of 3cc’s of fluid every 3 hours.  Now she eagerly consumes milk, water, fruits, and hibiscus flowers. Beginning May 4^th she entertained herself throughout the night, heartily ate a plate of fruit and let her keepers finally sleep.  A young / baby Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine is called a ‘pup’. The females are called ’sow’ and males ‘boar’, a porcupine group is called a ‘prickle or family’.

The Mexican Hairy Dwarf Procupine or Mexican Tree Porcupine (Coendou  mexicanus  / Sphiggurus mexicanus) is found in  Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama.  They are a nocturnal and arboreal species and as such rarely seen. The species stability is classified by IUCN as of by ‘least concern’ however there is question as to whether this is a reliable classification.  The species is listed (as Coendou mexicanus) in Mexican legislation (NOM-ECOL-059-2001) as threatened based on its rarity, its relatively small overall distribution in the country, and the high rate of destruction of tropical forests along its entire distributional range (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, (SEMARNAT  2002). Unfortunately for the Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, they are used as a food-source for humans; though the collection and gathering must be done carefully.

These fascinating creatures range in size from 54.6 to 81.cms in length and come with a prehensile tail that is approximately one third to two fifths of total body length. Adults weight approximately 1.5 – 3 kg, with males being heavier. Their clawed, four-toed feet on short, strong limbs allow them to be excellent climbers.  Longevity is estimated at 17 years. Their dark fur covers most of their spines which in turn are present across the porcupine’s back. The belly is without spines. The head is usually marked by yellow or pale color spines that are visible through the fur itself, and also by light pale colored fur fuzz around the ears. The long tail has almost no fur and can be curled around a branch for security.
Porcupines are very territorial and males will not tolerate other males nearby. They will allow females to remain close. The reproductive biology is poorly known, it appears that female porcupines are generally either pregnant or lactating for most of their life. Gestation is commonly around 200 days and soon after giving birth, the female mates again. Solitary offspring (or, rarely, twins) are born fully developed, with open eyes, and are able to climb trees within a few days of birth.  They are fed by the mother for two to three months, and generally reach adult size in about a year, and sexual maturity at 1.5 to 2.5 years of age
Their famous weapon, the quill, is a primarily defensive one, in which the specialized hairs are extremely sharp and detach easily. The quill, once embedded in flesh, will continue to go inward, as each quill has microscopic fibers that are pointed away from the tip toward the other end. The quills themselves can reach up to three inches in length, and make for a painful removal due to their microscopically barbed nature. A common misconception is that a porcupine can ‘fire’ a quill’; this is not true as contact must be made for the quill to stick, and there is no mechanism for flinging a quill except for a minor shaking for grooming reasons.

Profepa recently brought a female Jaguarundi to El Refugio, the wild cat had been kept in captivity for years in a small cage: our intention is to teach her to hunt and release her to the wild. She is in good health and despite her years in captivity, she shows no sign of domesticity, so we are hopeful! Release of wild animals brought for rehab at ERP is one of our goals, even though many could be in danger as most locals do not appreciate wildlife in their backyards, so to speak.

The jaguarundi is a medium-sized wild cat related to the cougar and classified as genus puma. The jaguarundi is native to Central America and the northern and central countries of South America down to Argentina. It can be found, on rare occasions, in extreme southeast Arizona and Texas. It is one of six wild cats in Mexico; the others being the Jaguar, Puma (Mountain Lion, Cougar), Bobcat (Lynx), Ocelot, and Margay. The jaguarundi is a federal endangered species in the United States.

They appear to be relatively common over much of their range, but jaguarundi are quite rare in Mexico and Central America. Their habit of raiding domestic poultry and pets has not endeared them to farmers or families, and they are likely subject to hunting pressure around settled areas. Their fur has never been in demand for the fur trade because of its poor quality and lack of spotting, although they are undoubtedly caught in traps set for other species. Habitat destruction and human encroachment are the main threats to their existence.

It has a total length of 88–128 cm (35–50 inches) and a weight of up to 9.1 kg (20 lbs). It has short legs and an appearance somewhat like an otter; the ears are short and rounded. The coat is unspotted, uniform in color, and varying from blackish to brownish grey or from foxy red to chestnut. Unlike house cats, the jaguarundi has long powerful back legs and a tail as long as her body.

The jaguarundi hunts both at night and during the day. It stalks its prey and then pounces on it. It is a good swimmer and also eats fish. It will occasionally eat fruit. They are thought to hunt mainly on the ground and have a varied diet, including small rodents, rabbits, armadillos, opossums, quail, wild turkey, reptiles, frogs, fish and domestic poultry. They may occasionally eat leaves and fallen fruit as well, but this is probably only for the moisture content. The body shape would suggest terrestrial habits, but jaguarundi have been observed seeking refuge in trees, often moving from branch to branch.

Recent reports of a young female crossing the Los Achotes road with babies in tow have not been confirmed.

Starting with the discovery of 22 dead Olive Ridley turtles on Playa Blanca April 6^th, more than 300 others have since been observed beaches stretching from Playa Larga to La Barrita south of Petatlan.

Wildlife Vet Jorge Guzman conducted initial necropsies on several turtles found on April 6^th and concluded that the turtles had most likely died from drowning, partly as they did not have other obvious injuries.

Original speculation and reporting by local press focused on commercial shrimp boats that use enormous nets. Given that the US recently banned the sale of Mexican wild shrimp because of turtle deaths resulting from nets without adequate turtle escape features, and the local arrest and impoundment of one shrimp boat, this seemed a likely possibility.

However, with the turtle death toll reaching over three hundred, shrimp netting seems a less obvious answer.  While dead turtles are often observed on beaches after large commercial fishing boats have been in the waters, locals report that they have never witnessed dead turtles washing up onshore in such numbers.

Mr. Guzman and the local, state and national environmental authorities from Semarnat and Profepa and the federal agency Semaren have visited the affected beaches and Jorge has performed more necropsies. It is difficult to determine the exact cause of death when the turtles are in a state of advanced decomposition. Biological tissue samples have been taken to be analyzed for evidence of infection or other pathogens and will be compared with tissue samples taken earlier this year from turtles rescued and brought to El Refugio de Potosi while still alive.  These rescued turtles ultimately died.

Mr. Guzman is hopeful, as are we all,  that answers can be found to explain this devastating and tragic loss of marine turtle life.

Link to article on Mexican Wild Shrimp Ban:

http://www.seaturtles.org/article.php?id=1533

(more…)

Professor Alejandro Melendez from UAM (University Autonomous de Mexico) gave a comprehensive presentation on the three years of work he and his biology students have completed here in Barra de Potosi and Playa Blanca. Professor Alejandro spoke to a packed house of students, local winter residents, and secondary school children at El Refugio de Potosi.

The professor warmed up with some background on his objectives; creating sustainable tourism opportunities and fostering wildlife conservation. In order to meet these goals he and his students have created a biodiversity study of local habitats along with a diagnostic survey of wildlife here, with a focus on birds. For the past three years, once a semester they have tramped through salt flats and palm groves, swam and boated in the lagoon, climbed Guamilule, sweated buckets and looked everywhere for birds, butterflies, insects and any wildlife they can see and identify. They are the first to make any kind of study for this area and hope that their work will impact development planning here.

The lagoon is the most important habitat here, as it is home to many migratory birds as well as resident bird populations and provides an important source of local income; with tours, fishing and shrimping. Also considered specific habitat are the following: salinas (salt flats), swamps, palm orchards, selva baja, Los Morros, beach, town, and mouth of the lagoon.

In the lagoon we have the all important red and black manglar or mangroves which support both fish and bird populations. Manglar also provides protection from wind and flooding. Manglar is protected by law in Mexico, but sadly suffers from frequent exploitation.

Guamilule is considered selva baja or tropical deciduous forest. There is selva baja in many places here, you can tell it as it characteristically looks dead or at least very dry after the rainy season but is, in fact, living native vegetation and shelters many species of wildlife.

Palmar is the name the scientists use to describe the palm orchards, and though they are not native to Mexico they were planted many years ago and provide incredibly and surprisingly rich habitat and support abundant wildlife.

Los Morros are particular habitat for marine birds and provide important rookeries for nesting birds, especially the boobies. They provide a haven for many fish and are important fishing grounds for local and visitors.

The other habitats for birds, the salinas, swamps, gardens and the town have a lot of crossover with the other habitats.

Here are some bird population stats for the various habitats (the numbers don’t add up as there is crossover in some habitats:  (Birds are captured in mist nets and checked for health, migratory status, and ovulation status, then they are banded and released).

Professor Alejandro mentioned that we must be aware of the realistic actual situation here at Playa Blanca. Mexico has a special designation for important areas for bird habitat protection: AICAS. http://conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx/aicas/doctos/aicas.html Of the more than 70 areas designated for protection, there are only three in Guerrero: Coyuca-Tres Palos, Tlacoyunque, and Copala-Punta Maldonada, in the southern part of the state.

In Zihuatanejo and Petatlan there are no plans for designating areas for protection, no plans for protection of shore birds or lagoons, and no plans for any type of ecological conservation. This creates a precarious situation since there are many plans for development. Professor Alejandro feels that his intensive and in-depth study can provide the framework for conservation planning in this area.

In closing Professor Melendez pointed out that the area of Barra de Potosi and Playa Blanca, approximately 490 hectares in total area, is host to .25 bird species per hectare. This may not seem like a lot or important until you look at the comparison with some large well known areas that have been designated for conservation planning:

Tabasco: .046 species per hectare

Gulf of Mexico: .0001 p/h

Huatulco: .0257 p/h

Professor Alejandro is in the process of publishing his findings and will continue to bring students here to collect data and band birds. He left us with encouragement to focus on conservation and to help build a program for nature guides that will bring more interest in the fantastic diversity of wildlife we enjoy here and hopefully bring increased pressure for sustainable conservation alongside the plans for development.

Doña Mariposa

PS time to break out the binocs!

Have you seen her? Ana Luisa Figueroa has been traipsing about now for the past three months hunting butterflies as she goes. Not just all around El Refugio de Potosí, but in the mangroves, the palm forests, the sand dunes and the brush. She is here to make the first scientific study of the species of butterflies that live all around us and to take a population census in order to establish a base line for future studies. All of this to achieve her dream of becoming a biologist and to spend her life working to help preserve Mexico’s incredible biological diversity. Mexico is home to 10% of the butterfly species in the world with far more species than all of Australia. Guerrero alone hosts 777 different species. Most butterfly studies have been done in mountain and cloud forest areas, so Ana Luisa’s study is particularly important for our area. Thanks to Ana Luisa we enjoyed a delightful presentation on her work to date at El Refugio de Potosí this past week.

Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly, but in Náhuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the name for butterflies is papálotl. Butterflies are represented in the iconography and the myths of Mesoamerican civilizations, symbolizing movement, representing heroes or important people and gods. Papálotl were even paid as tribute, after all, they are indeed as lovely as jewels. If you visit Teotihuacán you can visit the temple of papálotl and enjoy the incredible friezes with carved Xochiquetzal mariposas, one representation of diurnal “beautiful flower” butterflies. This butterfly goddess symbolized love and movement, protected flowers and vegetation, was considered the mother of artisans as well as a representation of beauty. The nocturnal butterflies had their own god; Itzpapálotl. These dark butterflies symbolized movement too, the movement of souls in death and the god of human sacrifice. Today in Mexico, during the ceremonies honoring ones departed family members; the Day of the Dead, mariposas are considered representations of souls returning for their annual visit. Now I have to say that I always thought that the idea of butterflies as returning souls was related to the annual migration of monarch butterflies that gets underway right around Day of the Dead – October 31. Little did I know that butterflies as a symbol for souls was so ancient. Now when you see a butterfly in your garden, you might want to greet it warmly, you just never know who it might be!

Hasta la Vista!

More than you ever wanted to know about hummingbirds with many thanks to the World of Hummingbirds website! See the link here.

http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/nest.php

• There are, according to the IOC, 338 species of hummingbirds. Only ten species of hummers have significant ranges north of Mexico!!!!
• Females find iridescent feathers attractive.
• Hummingbirds do not mate for life.
• Male hummingbirds do not help raise the young.
• Female hummingbirds do all the nest building.
• A hummingbird baby is about the size of a penny.
• Females will lay a clutch of two eggs.
• Baby hummingbirds cannot fly.
• Baby hummingbirds will remain in a nest for three (3) weeks.
• Most hummingbirds die in the first year of life.
• A hummingbird will take about 250 breaths per minute while at rest.
• A hummingbird’s metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.
• Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can barely walk. They prefer to fly.
• Hummingbirds do like to perch and spend most of their life perching.
• A hummingbird’s brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.
• Hummingbirds are very smart and they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.
• Hummingbirds can hear better than humans
• Hummingbirds can see farther than humans.
• Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.
• Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.
• Hummingbirds do not drink though their beaks like a straw A hummingbird will use its tongue to lap up nectar from flowers and feeders.
• A hummingbird’s tongue is grooved like the shape of a “W”.
• Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar.
• A hummingbird’s beak is generally shaped like any other bird beak, just longer in proportion to its body.
• The edges of the hummingbird’s top beak will overlap the edges of the hummingbird’s bottom beak.
• Hummingbirds will not get addicted to a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar. The hummingbirds will leave when they need to.
• A hummingbird can eat anywhere from half (1/2) to eight (8) times its body weight a day.
• A hummingbird can dive up to 60 miles per hour.
• Hummingbirds have an average life span of about 5 years.