Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Black Iguana in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve





The tropical dry forest habitat found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is ideal for the Black Iguana (Ctenosaura similis). The Black Iguana is much more numerous here than the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana). These animals can easily be found in the late morning, taking sun on limbs of tall trees. Here we find a refuge for the animal in a hollowed trunk of a dead palm, in the yard at Estacion Biologica.

Black Iguana

Iguana Nicaragua
The animal slowly leaves his hole, so slowly that he is almost not noticed. It's morning-time to get some sun to raise the body temperature.
Ctenosaura similis in Nicaragua

The black iguana is far more common in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve than the green iguana (Iguana iguana), and is hunted for its delicious meat throughout its range in Nicaragua. Although it spends most of its day still or moving very slowly, it can move explosively, and is the fastest moving of all lizards.

Iguana hunting peaks during the dry season, because many unscrupulous hunters use fire as a weapon, setting fires to hollow trees with iguana nesting holes in them to make them jump out. These fires often spread to remaining forest and go out of control. These fires destroy habitat for many animals and plants, and destroy numerous environmental services of a forest: soil quality and integrity, water capture, and carbon fixation are all compromised by forest fires. As a result, we recommend to avoid consuming iguana.

Wildlife photography is not difficult in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. We can arrange a professional guide to accompany you to the forest and help you find wildlife. Several members of our staff are professionals involved in studies of the wildlife in the area.

nature tours wildlife photography Nicaragua
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Monday, December 13, 2010

Salvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys salvini) I

The most abundant of the terrestrial rodents (mice and rats) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is probably Salvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys salvini). Near houses, their principal competitor appears to be the House Mouse (Mus musculus), which is an exotic, invasive species. Liomys salvini lives in underground burrows with many entrances, and the terrain of the volcanic crater interior in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is ideal habitat for this species. We even have a family living in the yard of Estacion Biologica!

Pocket mice can be identified by the foot pads, as shown above. Pocket mice can carry food in pouches in their cheeks, allowing for rapid foraging with ingestion occuring later. We are investigating the diets, population, and distribution patterns of this species in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

We are seeking volunteers who would like to assist in our studies of the rodents of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Would you like to participate? Please contact us.  

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Video-endemic fish species in Laguna de Apoyo





Six fish species are known to inhabit only Laguna de Apoyo. Our research group at FUNDECI/GAIA in collaboration with scientists from US and Europe discovered five of those six, and we have a few other taxa targeted for species recognition from this lake. We are conducting a long-term fish population monitoring project in Lake Apoyo, in part to provide information about the populations of each species in order to assure their continued existence. We gather this date while SCUBA diving. See the film of one of those dives, below.


Volunteer divers participate in monthly monitoring of fish transects in Laguna de Apoyo.

The fish species found in Lake Apoyo are:

Amphilophus astorquii^
Amphilophus chancho^
Amphilophus flaveolus^
Amphilophus globosus^
Amphilophus supercilius^
Amphilophus zaliosus^
Parachromis managuensis
Poecilia sphenops
Atherinella sardina
Gobiomorus dormitor*
Oreochromis aureus*
Oreochromis niloticus*
^-endemic to Laguna de Apoyo
*-recently introduced by human activity
The volunteers and staff at Estacion Biologica FUNDECI/GAIA are conducting long-term fish population monitoring in a program that encourages "citizen participation". Certified divers can join us in the dives and help us collect data. 

Our work has led to more than a dozen scientific publications on the fishes of Laguna de Apoyo, and five species of fish have been discovered by our staff in this lake. Furthermore, one of these species, the arrow cichlid (Amphilophus zaliosus), has recently been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Would you like to help us monitor and protect the endangered fishes of Lake Apoyo? Certified Open Water divers are welcome to join us in this vital work to protect the natural heritage of this beautiful lake. Please contact us for more details.

Dive Nicaragua
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Friday, December 3, 2010

Scenes from Laguna de Apoyo by Cindy Skeie

Cindy Skeie is a professional photographer and nature lover. She studied Spanish at Laguna de Apoyo Spanish School, and then volunteered with us several days in the documentation of the awesome scenery in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. We hope you appreciate her photos.






Laguna de Apoyo



Laguna de Apoyo

Laguna de Apoyo

Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve

Laguna de Apoyo Nicaragua


Laguna de Apoyo

Laguna de Apoyo

Laguna de Apoyo birdwatching
Laguna de Apoyo photography
Laguna de Apoyo nature

Nicaragua Laguna de Apoyo

photography Laguna de Apoyo

Lake Apoyo Nicaragua

See more of Cindy's great photography at http://www.skeiescapes.com/. To see more about our research on butterflies, click here

photography nature
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Monday, November 29, 2010

Amphilophus astorquii in a multispecies school





Lake Apoyo is populated by several endemic fish species. These fish species have all derived from the Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus) in Lake Nicaragua. Being a volcanic crater lake, it is isolated completely from other bodies of water. The first discovery of a fish endemic to Lake Apoyo occurred in 1976, while others have been discovered in 2008, and in 2010, and yet more are to be discovered. Estacion Biologica FUNDECI/GAIA conducts a monitoring program which keeps track of the fish populations and other environmental aspects of Lake Apoyo. Here is a photographic summary of the past week's monitoring, thanks to our SCUBA dive buddy Balazs Lerner, as he and our technician dive Laguna de Apoyo.
amphilophus astorquii

How many species do you see in this photo? All the fish in this photo are endemic species from the Midas cichlid species complex. It was taken at about 35 feet depth (11 meters), in Lake Apoyo, while SCUBA diving.  And yes, there are several species in this photo. This season's breeding is just beginning in Lake Apoyo, but most of the fish in this frame have not begun breeding behavior. We count fish and nests monthly in the lake.


Dive Nicaragua
This is an excellent example of Amphilophus astorquii, the Little Apoyo Cichlid. It was named after Father Ignacio Astorquii, a Spanish biologist and Jesuit priest who dedicated his scientific efforts to the fishes of the Nicaraguan Great Lakes watershed, which includes Lake Apoyo. This fish is in basic (i.e. nonbreeding) coloration.

dive Lake Apoyo
A mixed-species school of Amphilophus cichlids.

underwater photography

This fish suffers from cataracts, likely induced by parasite infection. We are monitoring the environmental health of the lake as well, as blindness is related the recent introduction of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) into Lake Apoyo.

Midas cichlid species flock
Ascending at the end of another dive. Job well done!
You can help us continue to discover and protect rare species of fish in Nicaragua by participating in our monitoring program as a volunteer or by making a financial contribution. You can accompany us on a monitoring dive (certified SCUBA divers, of course), also. The fish of Lake Apoyo are in danger of extinction, and your contribution to our efforts helps us inform the Nicaraguan government and international scientific community regarding the conservation status of these species. Please give (via PayPal) to our program! Thank you!

Dive Laguna de Apoyo
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Friday, November 5, 2010

Un-real Estate III: Developers threaten Laguna de Apoyo


Once again, developers are trying to build more houses in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Friday, October 28, the staff of FUNDECI/GAIA attended a presentation of a proposed construction of twelve houses in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. The people making the presentation wore nametags "Huellas del Camino", but questions were raised regarding whether this was yet another attempt on the part of the developers who destroyed many hectares in the failed attempt to build houses in "Finca Los Congos". Although the developers were stopped by unanimous decision of the National Assembly and the Ministry for the Environment, they continue to sell lots in their website.

The local community was outraged by the prospect of more houses in the reserve, and they made their voices heard:
Nicaragua real estate

You can read more about this meeting in La Prensa and in El Nuevo Diario.

Nicaragua real estate is subject to foreign influences which do not always respect issues such as protected areas. Laguna de Apoyo needs more protection, not more houses for foreigners!

If you would like to keep Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve pristine and natural, please contact us and help us make our opinions a united force against the attacks of unscrupulous real estate developers. There are conscientious real estate agents, so check carefully. Does your real estate agent tell you that building is not permitted in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve? 

Nicaragua real estate
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