El Mirador – Day 4: Wildlife and Wonders of Petén
EL MIRADOR
Day 4: Wildlife & Wonders of Petén
October 05, 2022
After the third day, still spellbound by the beautiful, mystical ruins of the ancient city, we had two more days ahead where we basically retraced our steps back to El Carmelita. It felt a bit like undoing all our hard work from the previous days, and this time, we had nothing to look forward to – except a hot shower and a good night’s sleep waiting for us back in civilised land.
Or at least that’s what we thought. Our next two days were actually full of new adventures, new discoveries about each other, and plenty of animal sightings – from reptiles and amphibians to birds, mammals, and all kinds of insects. As a wildlife enthusiast, I was pretty much in heaven. Time and time again, I’d find myself stopping to admire one thing or another, with Luis always patiently answering my endless barrage of questions.
Slytherin
Being incredibly knowledgeable about all things nature, Luis also went so far as to give us a lecture on snakes, telling us that whilst there are many families of snakes, the most important are four:
The oldest and largest members of the snake family, with boa constrictors and pythons being prime examples. These snakes are non-venomous, have rigid jaws and a heavy skull. They typically lie and wait, their colour optimal for camouflaging and ambushing prey. They use their heads to strike and then slowly wrap themselves around their victim’s body, tightening their grip whenever the prey exhales.
This family comprises two-thirds of all snakes. They may be found in trees, on the ground, underground, and even in water. The commonest include garter, grass, rat, and whip snakes. Whilst two-thirds are non-venomous and use constriction to kill their prey, the other third were the first species to develop venom as a hunting and defence mechanism – albeit a weak one delivered via their grooved rear fangs. Some have evolved survival traits such as colour patterns that mimic venomous snakes, the ability to break off their tails in emergencies, and playing dead when predators are nearby.
All are highly venomous and include cobras, mambas, coral snakes, and sea snakes. They have front fangs with venom that can be delivered quickly with one strike. These snakes utilise neurotoxins, which cause paralysis within around six hours at most, and haemotoxins, which result in red blood cell breakdown and necrosis.
The most advanced of all snakes, able to survive in extreme climates. These include fer-de-lance snakes, bushmasters, and rattlesnakes. They usually have short, stocky bodies that are not ideal for hunting, so they lie in wait to ambush prey at night. Their slow digestion allows them to eat less often and conserve energy. They have long, hinged front fangs which deliver venom deeper and faster than elapids. Neurotoxins paralyse their prey, while fast-acting haemotoxins begin digesting them before they are even swallowed. Of note, pit vipers use heat-sensing pits to hunt at night, and rattlesnakes use modified dead scales on their tails, which they shake via special muscles to make their distinctive rattling sound.
He then explained that these beings of wonder are cold-blooded, shed their skin three to four times a year, and only need to eat once every two weeks (at the very least). They also flicker their tongues to pick up scent molecules from the surrounding environment, helping them detect both prey and predators. At that point, they can use their speed or fangs as defensive or predatory mechanisms.
Adding on to that, he told us that although around 10% of all snake species are venomous, only about 2% are actually dangerous to humans. He also mentioned some ways to distinguish between venomous and non-venomous snakes, including the acronym RANA – rojo, amarillo, negro, amarillo (red, yellow, black, yellow) – which signals danger. This refers to a colour pattern seen in some coral snakes, where the specific sequence of coloured bands can help identify whether a snake is venomous or not. He also clarified a common misconception – vertical slit-like pupils are not exclusive to venomous snakes, but are rather a feature of nocturnal species. Many people mistakenly associate them with venomous snakes in general.
And that’s how we spent the entire day: stumbling upon all sorts of animal and plant species, with Luis explaining everything there was to know about them. So yeah, basically a dream come true for anyone interested in wildlife!