If I Were Going...: Ecuador: Hangin’ at the Lodge

The star of Sacha Lodge

Besides our two big jungle outings, there was plenty to see just walking around the Lodge. I already talked about it a bit, including telling you all about the two coolest on-property birds ...

Snail Kite and Hoatzin

And, I mentioned how excited I was to find that there was a Harpy Eagle nearby, only to be dashed to learn I couldn’t go see it (I would have paid big bucks). Still, it is nice to know it is breeding.

The ramada at the Sacha Lodge was a great place for bird and critter watching …

It was here that Blue-and-white Swallows rested on the railings ...

… and a Gray-breasted Martin rested on the roof

There were Tropical Kingbirds (upper left) and Great Kiskadees (right and lower left)

An occasional Pale-vented Pigeon sat in a distant tree

I just happened to see this Slender-billed Kite out of the corner of my eye

Two Vultures: Greater Yellow-headed and Black

A very, very noisy Yellow-rumped Cacique

I had hoped to see tons and tons of Caimans like I did in Costa Rica.

A river full of teeth in Costa Rica

Indeed, we went on a night canoe ride where I expected to see hundreds of glowing eyes in Lake Pilchicocha.

I had seen a photo like this from Sacha; Photo: NatureIsF***ingLit

We saw none at night and, overall, I saw only two (or possibly the same one in two places) …

Ecuador has Black Caimans rather than Spectacled

We also saw a few Turtles, but, surprisingly, no snakes …

Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtles

I was really looking forward to lots of up-close encounters with Monkeys and small furries, but I saw only the Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkeys high in the trees about the cabins …

So cute

They looked very much like the Central American Squirrel Monkeys I saw in Costa Rica …

Very similar

I briefly saw the tail-end of an Agouti and Scott managed to grab a quick photo.

Left: An Agouti in Costa Rica; Right photo: Scott Stevens

I didn’t see or hear any Howler Monkeys on property (I really expected to hear them at night), but some of our fellow travelers did see some Howlers on their initial hike into the Lodge. And, sadly, I saw NO Tamarins, although another guest said she saw one.

Oh, and I saw some Bullet Ants, which I talked about in one of my Costa Rica blogs.

I didn’t touch!

But, even if the Lodge wasn’t as wildlife-rich as I hope, there were some highlights.

Butterfly House

The Sacha Lodge is home to one of the largest butterfly farms in Ecuador. Designed as a live exhibition conservatory, the Butterfly House breeds nearly 40 local butterfly species.

Sacha's Butterfly House (well, Butterfly Tent really)

Despite the enclosed tent being one of the hottest, most humid places I have ever been, it was fun to go inside and see the pretty creatures as they flitted about.

Kathy made a friend

They must have different reproduction schedules because there certainly weren’t 40 species in there when I went. But, we did see a couple of very pretty Butterflies, including …

Amazon Owl Butterflies (the same as I saw on my way back from the Kapok Tower)

Female Deidamia Morpho Butterflies

Female Orange-banded Shoemaker Butterflies

Malachite Butterflies

Paryphthimoides Poltys Butterflies (I never found a common name)

Red Cracker Butterflies

Red-bodied Swallowtails

Fun to see, but we couldn’t stay long because of the heat. It almost melted me.

I didn’t get positive Butterfly IDs while there (I suspect that there was a sign I should have photographed) and most were super easy to identify when I got home. But, a couple stumped me. I was very pleased that, when I sent an inquiry for an ID to Sacha Lodge via email, they responded almost immediately.

The one that was the hardest was the female Orange-banded Shoemaker Butterfly.

Left: Male Orange-banded Shoemaker Butterfly; Photo: Flickriver; Right: Female

I knew by its appearance what family it was in (Longwings), but I simply could not find an exact match (close doesn’t work with bugs). It turns out that that was because it was female; the Internet showed hundreds of photos of the male, but none of the female (until I knew the name; then I found them).

Night Hike

The first event that we did after Wilson split us into two groups was a night hike in the jungle. Our group saw a few interesting things …

A Blue Dasher and a Crystal Frog

… but generally, not much. It seems the other group had a more successful adventure …

Sightings from the other group; Photos: Jenny Owen

Giant River Otters

By far, the coolest thing we saw at the Sacha Lodge were the Giant River Otters.

The Giant River Otter was a new animal for me -- and a spectacular one

Yep!!

That’s right!

Giant! River! Otters!

There were four of them living in Lake Pilchicocha and swimming around the ramada: Mom, Dad and two youngsters.

I had read that they lived there, but, somehow, I wasn't expecting good views of them. But, I was wrong.

Here are three of the four; Photo: Scott Stevens

The Giant River Otter (AKA Giant Otter) is the longest member of the weasel family, reaching up to almost six feet long.

It was hard to see the whole body

Highly social, they usually live in family groups supporting three to eight members. Although generally peaceful, Giant River Otters can be territorial and aggressive toward interlopers. They are active exclusively during daylight hours (good for us!) and, as we experienced, highly vocal.

The loudest were youngsters begging for fish from Mom or Dad

Losing ground

Ranging across north-central South America, Giant River Otters live primarily in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal. While they used to have uninterrupted territory, habitat destruction has created discontinuous pockets of animals. They have lost almost 80 percent of their original range.

Decades of poaching for their velvety pelts, peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, considerably diminished population numbers. The species was listed as endangered in 1999 and wild population estimates are typically below 5,000.

The Giant River Otter shows a variety of adaptations suitable to an amphibious lifestyle, including exceptionally dense fur, a wing-like tail, huge webbed feet and the ability to close its ears and nose underwater.

Look at those paws! Look at those claws!

They prefer freshwater rivers, streams, lakes and springs where they constructs extensive “campsites” close to feeding areas, clearing large amounts of vegetation. Giant River Otters also build dens in riverbanks, usually with multiple entrances and multiple chambers inside, where they give birth during the dry season.

They almost exclusively eat fish (including Piranha), but may also eat crabs, turtles, snakes and small Caimans (maybe that’s why we didn’t see many).

Favorite food

Giant River Otters have no serious natural predators other than humans, although they must compete with other predators, such as the Neotropical Otter, Jaguar and various Crocodilian species, for food. Of course, pups can be taken by Caiman, Anacondas and Jaguars.

Giant River Otters hunt singly, in pairs, and in groups, relying on sharp eyesight to locate prey. They coordinate hunting when prey cannot be taken by a single Otter, such as with small Anacondas and juvenile Black Caiman.

Head first!

The chase is rapid and tumultuous, with lunges and twists through the shallows. They can attack from both above and below, swiveling at the last instant to clamp the prey in their jaws. They consume their catch immediately by grasping the fish firmly between the forepaws and eating noisily starting at the head.

The entire family group, including non-breeding adults, which are usually older siblings, collaborates to catch enough fish for the young and to teach the pups to hunt.

This baby doesn't want to hunt; it wants to eat

In Brazil, the Giant River Otter it is known as Ariranha, from the Tupí word Ari'raña, meaning Water Jaguar (I like that). It is also often called a River Wolf or River Dog.

Maybe River Dog paddling?

Research indicates that before hunting took its toll, the Giant River Otter was even bigger, sometimes exceeding seven feet in length. Even though it is as long as a human, it generally weighs between 50 and 70 lbs. Its fur, the shortest of all Otter species, is so dense that water cannot penetrate to the skin. Guard hairs trap water and keep the inner fur dry; the guard hairs are approximately one-third of an inch long, about twice as long as the fur of the inner coat. Unique markings of white or cream on the throat and under the chin allow individuals to be identified from birth.

You can see a little of the creamy white here

The Giant River Otter’s highly sensitive whiskers allow it to track changes in water pressure and currents, which helps it detect prey.

The whiskers are useful tools

The longest documented Giant River Otter lifespan in the wild is eight years. In captivity, this may increase to 17, with an unconfirmed record of 19. They are susceptible to a variety of diseases, including canine parvovirus, and a variety of parasites. Other threats include poaching (unfortunately, their curious nature and daytime activity make them easy to hunt), habitat destruction and degradation, conflict with indigenous fishermen, who often view the species as a nuisance, and general human interaction.

Local people sometimes take pups for the exotic pet trade or even for pets for themselves, but the Otters rapidly grow to become unmanageable.