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Collecting trip to Philippines (May-July 2009)

In May-July of 2009 I collected material from vertebrates on the Luzon Island, Philippines, together with a large team of researchers from the University of Kansas and several research institutions in Philippines. This expedition was a part of the NSF BS&I project awarded to researchers at the University fo Kansas and the University of Utah. The trip was not easy and after several days of torrent rain and high winds one wishes he did not come, but 2 hours of sunshine and another great animal and great parasites always quickly improved the spirit. The diversity of life is amazing and the country is beautiful. Every zoologist need to see that if hs/she had a chance. I do not use exact scientific names of animals because many preliminary identification have been changed after s thorough study upon return to the U.S. So just enjoy the photos!

A grasshopper pretending to be a leaf.

This is how the ground was most of the time.

Camp kitchen. Our philipino friends were good at builfding camp, collecting animals, making skins, everything, including cooking.

Scott Snyder with a large Emydura macquarii at the Yass River

Earthworms can be huge and brightly colored

Friendly army visiting the campus.

Emerald dove

Trogons have this curious look

A skink resting on a piece of wood Agamid lizards can be very brightly colored
A flying dragon! Walking stick diversity was astounding
Looks attractive, but I did not dare to try these berries One of the arboreal frog species
This bull finsh made our ornithologists ecstatic. Apparently it was found a a few dozen miles from its known distribution range on Luzon island. A milliped
Camp site at high elevation I wish I had more time to observe spiders during the trip
Dissecting on my knees Even cockroaches are cute when they are in the wild, not in your kitchen
Protective coloration Producing coconut oil
Fruit bats can bite! Taking a ride on the open bed of a large truck
Removing fruit bats from the mist net Guess what does Macroglossus mean...
Kingfishers are brighter in Philippines than in the U.S. Sea urchin hiding under the rock
A pretty crab Brittle stars are abundant on fringing reefs
Mantis shrimp This beautiful fish ended up as a lunch for local people
Mites on flying lizard's wings Mudskipper
Local students were interested in our research Preparing banana flower (this is what it is) pancakes - yummy...
Using a minute to rest Turbellarians can be terrestrial in humid environment
Grasshopper in a role of medieval knight Hard at work
The sleeping quarters Sunrise
Amazing complexity! A brightly colored beetle
Crossing the river using a tiny canoe. I have not idea how it did not sink My tent
WInd took away our tarp roofing One of several Boiga species (venomous) collected during the trip
Strangely, but this frog is a Rana, not a "true" tree frog. The brightest colored bat I've ever seen
Coral snakes are deadly This caterpillar look like a coral snake!
Rafflesia are parasitic plants.They have no stem or leaves, but some of them are known to be among largest flowers on earth. A quick rest on the descent from the camp site
More frogs. They are all different and unusual looking for someone who only saw frogs in temperate zones
Gorgeous colors A (small) reticulated python
I wonder if anybody can explain the need for these decorations. What a tail!
Putting up mist nets Ears to be proud of!
Fresh papaya just from the tree Rafe is sorting very important tadpoles
The visible result of the centiped bite (right hand). The pain was extremely intense. Fruit of pandanus tree