A few days later, the Tortuga still rests in the clearing of Costa Rica as a Harpy Eagle soars over the trees and lands on a branch of a tree.
Harpy Eagles are one of the largest of the Eagle family. They have a wingspan of 7 feet, they can fly through the underbrush of trees. And hunt and catch prey like monkeys and sloths, which are their main prey.
And their talons are the longest of any bird of prey, as long as those of the claws of a Grizzly Bear.
And since they're so large, some rumors say that some natives believe that they can snatch small children. But Harpies were never known to attack humans, even though they likely could do that easily.
Inside the Tortuga, since Amber, Tyrana, Skylie, Bumpo, Hornster and Grubby hatched, the first thing they've been teaching them is how to stand on their own 2 and 4 feet.
Like most young animals, climbing to their feet for the first time is always a challenge.
But they've been making good progress, and Amber and her 5 adoptive siblings are spending more time standing up and learning to walk.
And as the day went by, nightfall soon approaches.
They've also learned that Amber, Tyrana, Skylie, Bumpo, Hornster and Grubby have imprinted on them. Imprinting is a survival mechanism that reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals have, and as well as seeing, smell has also helped form a bond with them. Smell is strong in Reptiles, it's likely thought that most Dinosaurs did it as well.
And as the sun begins to set, night begins.
But the question is...
Who will come out?
An hour after sunset, Chris and Martin set up some headlamps as Amber, Tyrana, Skylie, Bumpo, Hornster and Grubby were already asleep. And as well as Jimmy.
And Chris and Martin decide to check out some nighttime creatures and see what they can find. And Aviva and Koki decided to join them.
It rained a little today, so some frogs were heard from a distance. So it's a good sign they'll come across something.
"Sure is noisy tonight." Koki said, hearing the distant frogs.
"Yeah, so many frogs live out here." Chris said.
As they walked, they moved slowly through a trail not wanting to miss something hiding in front of them. Since so many animals in this region are camouflaged, but another good reason is to watch out for venomous snakes everywhere they step. And they could walk up to one and they wouldn't even know it was there until it strikes.
And there have been many cases of that when people out at night are bitten by snakes.
As they walked, Chris then noticed something from the corner of his eye.
"Hang on." Chris quickly stopped them. "We almost walked by it."
"What is it?" Aviva asked.
"It's a Walking Stick." Chris announced and gently holds onto his hand.
"Wow, we almost walked by him." Martin said.
"Didn't even notice him." Koki said.
"That's the point." Chris remarked. "Walking Sticks are masters at camouflage by sitting motionless on a branch. That way, predators won't even notice him."
After having a good look at the Walking Stick, Chris gently placed the insect back on the side of a tree.
"There you go, buddy." Chris said.
And they moved down the trail.
But there are other creatures out here, and some are a bit more deadly.
As they hiked, they carefully advised to watch where they step. And soon they moved across a small pool of water as they were to their ankles, and carefully looking around in case a snake was around.
As they moved across the pool, Martin then noticed something diving under, and it looked like a turtle.
"Wait, I think I saw a turtle." Martin called.
"Where?" Aviva looked around.
And then Martin noticed a shape just in front of him. And then he quickly, but gently, grabbed it, and pulled out a White Lipped Mud Turtle.
"Cool! A White Lipped Mud Turtle." Chris said.
"He's pretty cool." Koki said.
"Okay, off you go." Martin placed the turtle down to the water.
Once Martin lets go of it, the Mud Turtle swam off and away.
Half an hour into the hike, they soon came across a Tarantula hiding in a crux at a tree base.
But as Chris moved to the opening to see if he can coax it out. The spider moves down into the hole, clearly not coming out.
"Boy, they can be quick if they wanted." Chris said.
And they begin to move off, but before they got far, they soon came across another, larger, Tarantula. And he was huge, likely 8 inches across with his legs.
"Oh, he is huge!" Martin exclaimed.
The Tarantula looked so flighty, that they decided to leave it alone and headed away.
If there's anything in the forest that can give a nightmare, it's a giant fuzzy Tarantula.
Some of these guys are almost as big as dinner plates, but he's not as nasty as he looks. His bite's actually no worse than a bee sting.
Another half hour passed, and as they looked around at some vine tangles. Martin then noticed something wrapped around a branch.
"Hey guys, look at this." Martin called out.
They moved over and saw wrapped around the branch was a Blunt-Headed Snake.
"It's a Blunt-Headed Snake." Martin said.
He gently pulls the small snake out. Luckily for him, just like the Tarantula, it's mildly venomous. And even if he did get bitten by it, it won't be life threatening. And Blunthead Snakes are rear-fanged, and not prone to biting.
And it wasn't until he brought it out that they saw how long and slender he was.
"Whoa! He's long for a little guy." Koki exclaimed.
"Yeah, he must be 3 feet." Chris said.
"He's also incredibly thin at the neck." Aviva said astonishingly. "What does he eat out here?"
"Small lizards." Martin said. "He is so well built for tree living."
"My kind of snake." Chris said.
"Wow, it's eyes are huge." Aviva said looking at the eye size of the snake.
"Yeah, he's a nocturnal arboreal snake." Martin explained. "Out hunting at night in the trees for small lizards."
As Martin was talking, Aviva glanced down at the ground for a moment. And then looked as if she spotted something, and with a concerned look.
"Don't... move!" Aviva stated.
"Why? What's wrong?" Martin asked.
Chris and Koki looked where Aviva was looking, and then had widened looks.
Martin looked down to his right, and then there just a few inches from his foot. Hidden so well camouflaged was a 2 foot Fer-De-Lance.
"Whoa." Martin quickly moved away.
"Oh man." Koki exclaimed.
Martin chuckled a bit. "He was there the whole time. Oh, uh, thanks Aviva."
"Good thing I noticed him." Aviva said.
"Wow, a Fer-De-Lance." Chris stated. "One of Central America's deadliest snakes."
The Fer-De-Lance is one of the deadliest snakes in the world, ranging midway Mexico to northern South America. It's considered the most dangerous snake in Costa Rica, responsible for 46% of snake bites. And fatalities have 9% of causes. And a Herpetologist named Douglas March died from a bite of a Fer-De-Lance.
They have a powerful hemotoxic venom that attacks and destroys skin and tissue of a victim. And kills in just hours, if Martin was bitten. He would experience unimaginable pain.
And one case of a Fer-De-Lance bite involves an 11 year old boy in Ecuador being bitten in the right leg. And most of the skin on his lower skin was rotten away by the venom.
This moment proves where one can never be too careful.
But the Fer-De-Lance not striking is proof that it really doesn't want to, unless it feels threatened.
"Good thing he didn't strike." Aviva said.
"Yeah, but he's actually showing why he doesn't want to." Martin explained. "Look, by laying motionless and camouflaged. He's thinking that if we don't bother him, everything's fine."
"Unless Martin accidentally moved his foot and touched it." Chris pointed. "Then the snake would strike."
"Good thing I didn't." Martin said. "I've read how bad their bites are. And so, you've earned the name, Scale Stealth."
"Scale Stealth. I like it." Chris suggested.
"Me too." Aviva agreed.
And they begin to move away from the small viper.
"Thanks for biting." Martin said and walks away.
And Scale Stealth continues to lay motionless, as he waits and hunts. With any luck, a prey item like a rat might come near him tonight. And he'll be able to lock onto it with his heat-sensing pits.
And after having a good look at the Blunthead Snake, they placed him back into the vines.
And headed away.
An hour later, they continue hiking down the trail after finding a scorpion earlier.
And as they looked around as Chris and Martin walked over a log.
"Whoa, whoa." Aviva suddenly stopped Koki.
"What is it?" Koki asked.
"I almost could've walked over him." Aviva said, looking at something in front of her. "Guys, you just missed something over here!"
"What?" Chris exclaimed in disbelief.
The 2 brothers came back and Aviva pointed to a section of log. And in front of her was actually a Jumping Viper.
"Wow!" Martin chuckled. "We actually walked past him without knowing."
"Awesome! A Jumping Viper." Chris beamed.
"Jumping Viper?" Aviva arched a brow.
"Yeah, he's called that because they strike so fast they can actually jump a few inches off the ground." Chris explained.
"Cool, I also can't believe we nearly ran into him." Koki said.
"Yeah, they are so well camouflage." Chris explained. "That you can walk by them without realizing they were next to you."
There have also been rumors of myths that Jumping Vipers can jump high enough to bite someone at the throat. But they actually can't even get that high. Also like the Cottonmouth in North America, they can do a mouth display as their mouths have a white color.
The snake was totally calm as they looked at him. Using his camouflage to stay hidden, but it's possible he does know they spotted him, though he also knows that they're not gonna hurt him.
"Oh, I just thought of a Wow Fact." Martin said. "The Jumping Viper is actually referred to as the pit bull and bulldog of pit vipers."
"Really?" Aviva inquired with interest.
"Really, really." Chris replied. "When they bite down on something they hold on, scrunch up their face to protect their eyes and do not let go."
"Ooh, that would be bad for us if he strikes and bites one of us." Aviva shuddered at the thought.
"Oh, you definitely earned the name, Bulldog." Martin said to viper.
And soon, they begin to walk away as Bulldog sat in his ambush spot.
20 minutes later, they continue through the trail as a small stream of water flowed by their feet.
And they even came across a Glass Frog, and the eyes almost reminded them of the famous frog Muppet, Kermit. And Kermit himself was based off of some of these kinds of frogs. They're called Glass Frogs because they're semi-translucent, and with some species you can actually see through the inside of their body.
Shortly later, they moved through the trail some more.
As they walked, and as Chris moved his light over some plants to his right. He then spotted a glimpse of red and yellow among the green.
"Wait, hold on!" Chris called out.
"What is it?" Martin asked.
"Hand me a stick." Chris inquired.
Aviva handed him a branch as long as his lower arm and with a fork at the end, and then reaches into the plants. And then carefully he pulls out a Coral Snake.
"Wow, a Coral Snake." Martin beamed.
"A Coral Snake!" Aviva beamed. "They are one of my favorites. I love that pattern." She mentioned to the stripe color pattern.
"Yeah, Coral Snakes have beautiful stripe patterns." Chris said. "But it's actually a warning to other animals."
"Coral Snakes are extremely venomous." Martin said. "These guys are related to cobras and mambas. They're Elapids."
"Of all the venomous snakes here in the Americas, the Coral Snake is the only kind of Elapid you find." Chris said.
"Now I do know that there's an old saying between a Milk Snake and a Coral Snake." Koki said.
"Yeah, red touch black friend of Jack is it?" Aviva wondered.
"Yep, and red touch yellow, kill a fellow." Chris added.
Martin then brought up a screen from his Creaturepod of a Scarlet Kingsnake and a Florida Coral Snake. "See the difference?"
"Oh yeah, the Kingsnake's red stripes always touch the black." Koki said.
"But the red always touch the yellow with Coral Snakes, cool." Aviva said.
"Do all Coral Snakes have that?" Koki asked.
"Not all of them, actually." Chris stated. "Some South American Coral Snakes have the red touching black."
"Ooh, So I better think twice if I see a red and black striped snake if I go there one day." Aviva informed herself.
"Okay, how 'bout I call you... Red Coral." Martin naming the snake.
"Okay, off you go." Chris lowering the stick.
Chris lets go of Red Coral's tail, and he soon slithers away and disappears among the plants.
Aviva soon yawned. "I don't know about you. But I'm tired."
"How bout we head back to the Tortuga now?" Koki suggested.
And they begin the trek back to the Tortuga.
"Yeah." Aviva agreed. "A nice sleep sounds-"
"SNAKE!" Martin yelled.
"WHERE?!" Aviva yelled looking around.
"Ha! Gotcha'! Made you look." Martin joked and laughed.
"Why you... Oh, forget it." Aviva said. "I'm too tired right now."
And they continue walking back the way they came.
And as the night prowlers watch them leave, and continue on through the night.
Author's Note:
The Blunthead Snake, Fer-De-Lance, Jumping Viper and Coral Snake; just a few of the many cool and awesome snakes that there are in the world.
And there are many more to come that will appear in this story.