Balloon Vine

Balloon Vine, Cardiospermum corindum

Balloon vine, also known as Heartseed and Love in a Puff, is a continually blooming climbing vine with inflated capsules full of seeds and air giving it its common name. The species Cardiospermum corindum is considered an invasive species with possible exception to a subspecies in southern Florida. It is currently reported to be found in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Its range includes parts of South America, Central America, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; however, it can be found in a number of other countries including India and the Galápagos, and there is debate on its native status in Africa. Some of the movement has been purposeful as medicinal and horticultural species while some movement can also be attributed to weather phenomenons such as El Niño.

Tangles of balloon vine found on the edge of a patch of prairie.

Of the Cardiospermum species, the most widespread distributed species are Cardiospermum corindum, C. grandiflorum, and C. halicacabum which has resulted in their native statuses being highly debated. Current research points to C. corindum as possibly being native to both South America and southern Africa. As for its ecological role, balloon vine may play an important part in the life cycle of the endangered Miami blue butterfly. It may also be medicinally important in parts of Africa where the powdered dry roots are boiled and consumed for stomach pains, snake bites, and chronic body discomfort.

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, Bradypus variegatus

The brown-throated three-toed sloth is one of only four species of three-toed sloth, and one of the only two three-toed sloths that are not endangered. They weighing between 2.25 to 6.20 kg (4.96 to 13.7 lbs) and have a body length between 413 to 700 mm (16.3 to 27.6 in). Their forelimbs are longer than the hind limbs As they spend the majority of their time in the trees, their grip is strong and their three digits have long, curved claws. Compared to the rest of the body, the head is smaller and the tail stumpy. The coarse, thick fur has longitudinally grooved strands to allow for green algae to grow which provides as camouflage. Other organisms found within the grooves of sloth fur include cyanobacteria and diatoms while moths, beetles, cockroaches, and nematode roundworms have been found in other parts of their fur. Male brown-throated three-toed sloths have an orange-yellow patch with a brown stripe through the middle between the shoulders. Unlike most mammals, sloths have nine cervical vertebrae instead of seven allow greater mobility of the head. They are active during both the day and the night, but sleep the majority of the time.

Leno the Sloth of the Dallas World Aquarium.

Sloths are a neotropical animal that live and flourish on a steady diet of tree leaves, shoots, and fruit. Often a sloth will remain within a tree for days and may have a preferred tree. With a difficult to process diet full of tough cellulose and potential toxins, their digestive system is slow. The large fluctuations of their body temperature can also hinder digestion which causes sloths to practice thermoregulation similar to reptiles. Due to such slow digestion, it may take several days or more for food to pass through the gut of a sloth, and waste eliminate averages once a week or less. Still, sloths are adapted for the diet of foliage with the stomach containing complex pouches that separate batches of food in different stages of digestion. Sloths have also been observed to specify which foliage to consume with pregnant females seen choosing the easier to digest Lacmellea panamensis when possible. They will also choose spots to sleep where they can bask to aid in digestion, but without getting too overheated.

Brazilian Giant Cockroach

Brazilian Giant Cockroach, Blaberus giganteus

Also known as a glass-wing cockroach, a giant cockroach, or simply a Blaberus roach, the Brazilian giant cockroach is one of the largest species of cockroaches. These roaches are found from Central America down into South America with a preference for tropical forests and caves. Both males and females have wings, but as they are poor navigators, they prefer running to flying. They are omnivorous and feed on a variety of decaying and decomposed matter.

Sharks

Shark off the waters of Belize.

The earliest shark ancestor so far discovered can be traced to the Ordovician Period over 450 million years ago. During this time, there was a vast marine diversity, but little diversity on land. While different from modern sharks, the ancestor was still a high-speed predator with sharp teeth.

Fossilized Shark Tooth

As one of the fiercest marine predators, sharks also harbor a disproportionate amount of fear. Of the number of total confirmed shark attacks recorded for centuries, less than a fifth have been fatal. There are greater dangers in the seas such as rip currents and jellyfish, and while jellyfish are deadly, the number of deaths they cause have likely been seriously underestimated due to lack of confirmed deaths. Still, it is far easier to fear a large, sharp-toothed predator rather than a tiny insect no matter the fatality rate.


This post is in response to the recent culling of sharks off the Western Australia coast. The policy states that it is to reduce the risk of shark bites and fatalities. Unfortunately, all this will create are unstable populations in species, which could easily led to a sudden collapse and extinction as was seen in passenger pigeons a century ago. All have their place in their world including large carnivores such as sharks. They help keep populations in check, and if removed, the effects ripple down the food chain until the whole system becomes unbalanced. As with everything else, they have a place and purpose in our environment.

The Google+ post I did mentioning sharks, but with different wording is here.

Clearwing Butterflies

Clearwing Butterfly, Ithomiini

The Ithomiini is a tribe of Neotropical butterflies within the subfamily of Danainae, along with the tribes Tellervini and Danaini, which together contain close to 400 species. The theories of both Batesian and Müllerian mimicry were developed thanks to this tribe which is known for the unpalatable adults. This is due to their sequestered dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids, most coming from the nectar of Eupatorieae and the leaves and stems of Boraginaceae. As the males visit these sources more frequently, the role of these alkaloids may play a role beyond defense.

Scales are not completely absent as seen in the edges of the wings.

Belonging to the tribe Ithomiini, the clearwing butterflies capture the imagination with their translucent wings. Butterflies and moths are of the order Lepidoptera, or "scaly wing" as the wings are covered in hair-like structures called setae. These are overlapping pieces of chitin, referred to as scales, which give the wings color and distinction. In the clearwing butterflies, the scales are missing. One hypothesis points to the difficulty of spotting these butterflies when in flight as the sunlight goes through the wings. The glasswinged butterfly, Greta oto, is the most well-known, but is not the only species with the characteristic clear wings. 

Common Potoo

Common Potoo(s), Nyctibius griseus griseus

The Common Potoo, or Grey Potoo, is a neotropical bird of the nightjar family found throughout most of South America. As with many of the members of the Caprimulgiformes, these nocturnal insectivores are sometimes confused for owls. While there has been debate as to the classification of this order, there are some similar characteristics such as a wide gaping mouth and roosting spot preference.

Excellent camouflage of mother and juvenile common potoo.

Camouflage plays an important role in the survival of this species where during the day they look like simple tree branching. The common potoo has a large range, but population trends show a decrease likely from habitat destruction. The vast range, nocturnal habits, and limited research within the region has left much to still be discovered about this particular species and its proposed subspecies.

Sundew

South American Sundew, Drosera

A carnivorous plant of the Drosera genus, Sundews can be found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. Although a preference for wet habitats such as bogs, the sundew can also be found on sandy banks and other soils poor in nitrogen and phosphorus. After ensnaring prey, the sundew curls its prey to the spoon-shaped leaves. A few species may hurl insects into the sticky dew with additional tentacles. It can take at minimum four days to digest the prey, but collectively sundews can trap over six million insects within a 0.008 km² (2 acre) area.

While this dew plays an important role in capturing prey to obtain the nutrient otherwise lacking in the soil, it also plays a role in research. The sticky, biodegradable dew is a possible candidate in the field of  tissue engineering. With its highly elastic nature and high biocompatibility, it could also prove useful for other biomedical applications.

Miner Bees

Miner Bee found in Brazil

Miners are ground nesting bees that come from many families including Apidae, Andrenidae, Anthophoridae, Halictidae, and Colletidae. They are solitary bees which do not form long-lived colonies or live in a single queen-run nest. While many bees may dig nests near each other, most often the female bee digs her own burrow to rear her own young. They do not collect honey and rarely sting. In North America, the miner bee makes up the vast majority of the native species of bees. Bees face many risks including non-native species and pesticides. In South America, the threat of habitat fragmentation is a huge factor.

Bess Beetle

Patent Leather Beetle, Passalidae

Bess Beetles, or Patent Leather Beetles, are common names for the diverse Passalidae family of beetles found mostly in the tropics. Of the over 500 names species, only two are found within North America. These are large beetles ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm long most often found in rotting wood. There they live in subsocial, or family, groups in galleries excavated by the adults. While the common name Patent Leather Beetle is in reference to the shiny leather-like shell, the common name Bess Beetle is from the sound these beetles make. From the French word baiser, to kiss, this beetle makes a squeaking noise when handle that has been described as a kissing sound.

Phototropism

Phototropism at Caverna Laje Branca

The directional growth of a plant in response to the stimulus of light is known as phototropism. It is a permanent, positive or negative change, in the position of a plant part. The different classifications of plant movement are either autonomous or induced movements. While autonomous movement has no detectable external cause, induced movement is a stimulus response. This is further organized as nastic responses and tactic movements. A nastic response is non-direction, such as temperature or humidity, whereas a tactic movement has a directional orientation, such as light and gravity.

Atlantic Rainforest

Near Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira (PETAR)

The Atlantic Rainforest, considered one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots for conservation priority, is composed of two forest types: coastal rainforest and semi-deciduous forest. It extends over mountain slopes, goes to the sea, over coastal plains, contains swamp forests, and includes open thicket vegetation. While it once covered the majority of eastern Brazil, the Atlantic Rainforest has now been reduced to only 7% of its original area. Of the vast number of species found in this habitat, many endemic, an estimated 60% are classified as threatened or endangered.

I wanted to start the year off with one of my favorite photos I have taken (and the scene for the blog background). It should also be worth mentioning that, after mulling it over for a few weeks, I'm switching the updates to every Tuesday and Thursday. Depending on how that pans out, it may or may not end up being a permanent switch. The only other change this year is an addition to the title. I've focused more on facts than photography as I've been going along, and I don't see that changing! 

Carioquinhas Waterfalls

Cachoeiras Carioquinhas (Carioquinhas Waterfalls)

What the Carioquinhas Waterfalls do not have in height, they have in width. As a watershed of the Amazon basin, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros is full of river valleys. Of these, the Black River, a tributary of the Tocantins, has one of the biggest impacts. Many of the waterfalls, including the Carioquinhas, are part of the Black River.

Carioquinhas Waterfalls

Cachoeiras Carioquinhas (Carioquinhas Waterfalls)

Located in Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veaderios, Carioquinhas is just one of many waterfalls that can be found within the 265 km² World Heritage Site.

Bare-throated Bellbird

Sounds of the Bare-throated Bellbird, Procnias nudicollis
Known as one of the loudest birds in the world, the male Bare-throated Bellbird is a brilliant white bird found within the Atlantic Rainforest. The call itself is a result of extreme sexual selection where the less striking female lacks the far carrying metallic cry. This rapidly declining species is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List category. The reason is not only due to the increased rate of habitat loss, but also the more intense trapping pressures as its call and plumage make it a popular demand for a caged bird.

They are still quite common in Brasil near Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira, also known as PETAR, where this video was shot. While quite easy to hear, spotting one is surprisingly hard.

Cerrado Soil

Aluminum red soil is a characteristic sight of the Cerrado.

As mentioned on a previous post, the soil in the Cerrado of Brazil is a unique composition. The characteristic red coloration is due to a high concentration of aluminum and iron oxides. While this is toxic to most cultivated plants, native species are resistant to the toxicity of aluminum. Even with the poor soil, the Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot. The climate of the Cerrado, moist during the rainy season, and hot year round, weathers the soil leeching out all but the most resistant minerals. As the soil also has low nutrients, it previously went uncultivated. The rise of fertilization use has resulted in great development in the area. It is now one of the most threatened ecosystems, even more so than the Amazon.

Fire and the Cerrado

Cerrado where ashes still remain on trunks from earlier fires.

The Cerrado is a tropical savanna where fires maintain a healthy ecosystem in one of the world's main biodiversity hotspots. This particular savanna is characterized as woody savanna, with grasslands containing little to no foliage, to dense tall forests. The soil is the most unique characteristic of this area, with low nutrients, depth,  good drainage, and full of oxisols giving a distinct red hue in part due to the high concentration of aluminum. When a fire spreads through the area naturally, it is usually classified as a surface fire. These fires do not consume much beyond live and dead grasses, plus thin-stemmed trees. While leaves in the canopy may be damaged by the heat, not all are killed and some plants have developed cardboard-like leaves to help resist fires along with thick bark. The reason for surface fires in this area is unclear, whether due to high water content of live fuel, the fast movement of the fires, or the height of the flames. The fires of the Cerrado have a number of effects, including a short duration of soil microclimate change, encouragement of new grass growth, intense flowering and reproduction of flora, and an increase in concentration of soil nutrients especially for the first three post-fire months. The temperature rise in the soil during the fire is not significant or deep enough to cause a loss of nutrients.

For parts of the Cerrado, fires still have some freedom to rage as movement into this ecosystem is still relatively new. The development of Brasilia, the new capital of Brasil as of only 52 years ago resulted in an increase of population movement inward. Fertilization improvements for permanent agriculture have now made this ecosystem a place for human habitation, and therefore, highly threatened. One concern is the result of using fires in deforestation which may have a negative impact on the Cerrado. Unlike other parts of the world, too much fire may be more cause for alarm than the repression of it.

Rio Preto Falls

Rio Preto Falls, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros

The Rio Preto Falls of Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros stands at 120 meters tall, but is just one of many waterfalls found within the park. The Rio Preto is a tributary of the Tocantins River, which though it is popularly regarded as a tributary of the Amazon River, is technically a separate system. The Tocantins River is not considered navigational due to the various rapids, waterfalls, and the Tucuruí Dam some 1500 kilometers north of the Rio Preto Falls.

Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros

View within Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros

Establish in 1961 and located within the heart of Brazil, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros is a 265 km² protected World Heritage site. The Chapada dos Veadeiros plateau has an altitude ranging between 600 and 1650 meters and contains many hiking paths leading to multiple waterfalls. The area had once been mined for the rock crystals, with remains of both still present. As it is located in the tropics, there is a distinct wet and dry season and little temperature variation. Both the plateau and the national park are located within the tropical savanna, the Cerrado.

Toxic Caterpillars

Unknown sp.

An important rule of thumb for Brazil: never touch a fuzzy caterpillar. One such species, known as Lonomia obliqua, is commonly found in southern Brazil and has the reputation of being one of the deadliest caterpillars in the world. The reason for this reputation is due to the toxin preventing blood from clotting causing anywhere from skin irritation and bruising, to death. This is not limited to this species, but can be found in others. This rule of thumb, while highly important in Brazil due to the species found there, applies to most places in the world.

Tropical Raspberry

Raspberry?, Rubus?

As many would imagine, the tropical rainforest is host to a variety of fruits and other edible plants, more so than a temperate region. One of the seemingly common fruits we kept passing in this section of the Atlantic Rainforest was what could be described as a raspberry. A proper botanist could likely identify whether or not it actually belongs in the Rubus genus or possibly Vaccinium family, either by identifying features or molecular study. What I find interesting is that this well-known temperate fruit might have a tropical cousin, which certainly doesn't seem to be common. Either way, the locals knew it as a sweet treat off the trails.

One word of advice, as given at a lecture in college: never gorge yourself on what you think is a safe plant. I'm unsure if it was ever picked up in the news, but a team of scientists exploring a region of South America plateaus were stranded due to weather preventing helicopter pick-up. Thinking themselves lucky, they found a bush of blueberries which is one of the safer genuses in botany. Some members gorged, other had one or two then waited. Unlucky to the gorging members, they happened upon a previously unknown toxic genus member. Thankfully, no one died, but they did need treatment. Those who waited, didn't have to wait too long before seeing that this was not an edible fruit.

The point being, the locals knew this raspberry-like fruit as safe, but even then we'd have been careful for you never know what immunity they developed that we foreigners hadn't.