Iguana Island Wildlife Refuge
PedasÃ, Gulf of Panama, Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
Station 10:
The Creepers
Location
Continue the trail until you leave Uvita, you will come across a tangle of vegetation. These are the creepers.
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Rastreras are the most common type of vegetation on Isla Iguana
Creepers grow faster than most plants. In addition, they are adapted a environments arid, with very little water, which is the primary characteristic of the climate and geography of Isla Iguana; there is little or no water for several months of the year. These features allow them to quickly take over sites that have been severely hacked. They began to dominate the island when the bombing ended. Minsin Espino He told us that it was difficult for them to keep the areas they used clean .
Once MinsÃn withdrew from the island, in 1972, the creepers dominated the landscape and can be seen from the boat around the entire island. Today they are killing the few remaining trees from the era of MinsÃn and Gringa.
The creepers reach various heights and have colonized all habitats and types of vegetation, such as wooded areas, palm groves and banana plantations.
Some species are thick and form tangles that can only be penetrated by reptiles.
When the rains stop, they drop their leaves and dry up, becoming stunted.
When the rains begin, they bloom and take on various colors.
The rest of the rainy season they are painted green.
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Other species without thorns color the forest at the beginning of the rains. Even the risk to feet of the Visitor Center, next to the House of the Park Ranger is dyed purple and green.
It is very rare to find a Boa ( Boa constrictor ), which is the only snake on the island and is not poisonous.
It prefers to live under the nests of Earwigs ( Fregata magnificens ) to feed on their chicks.
It no longer frequents the beaches as it did until the end of the 20th century.
This specimen had just eaten.
Bibliography:
Diaz Villani, Marco Lisandro. 2005. Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge: Field Guide. Illustrations by MarÃa Gabriella DÃaz de Restrepo and Juan Sucre. 2a Edison. Panama: Post Depot Press. 70 pages. 593.6 D542.