Description: Another herpetology and photography trip in early 2023. Join us for 1 night in Iquitos, Peru, and 11 nights in the Amazon jungle at the Santa Cruz Forest Reserve and the Madre Selva Biological Station on a tour designed for reptile and amphibian lovers and photographers. Veteran Amazon trip leaders Matt Cage and Mike Pingleton will be your hosts. These trips regularly encounter over 100 species of snakes, lizards, crocodilians, turtles, geckos, frogs, toads, caecilians and salamanders. There is a good chance of seeing a bushmaster (Lachesis muta), the holy grail of Amazon herpers at the Santa Cruz Forest Reserve, a site which has become known as “Bushmaster Central”. Possible rarities include the Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus batesii), the Amazon Harlequin Toad (Atelopus spumarius) and many others. A list of the reptiles and amphibians recorded from the two sites is available on the Project Amazonas website. There is also much to engage the interest of non-herpers as well. The birding is fantastic, the vegetation is incomparably diverse, and with both pink and gray river dolphins, marmosets, many other small mammals (bigger ones are there too, but hard to spot!), and fantastic butterflies and other insects, there is no time to be bored. Where else can you find a spiny devil conehead?
Participants have the opportunity to hike or kayak on your own, or with a guide, both day and night. We prioritize immediate access to great habitats at the field stations. Hear a weird frog call at 4 AM? Get up and look for it!. Want to hit the trails at 6 AM for early morning birding? Fresh coffee will already be on. To join the conversation about Amazon herp trips, visit the MT Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MTAmazonExpeditions/) or Matt Cage’s website (www.cages.smugmug.com). Many past trip participants post regularly on these sites, so you can obtain first-hand, honest, and unfiltered information on what a trip is like. Don’t just take our word that the trips are great fun, and be sure to ask about the food.
IMPORTANT: This trip is at capacity, but if you’d like to be on a wait list (in case of a cancellation), or kept updated on future trips of this nature, send us a message.
Cost: $1960 (1st time adult rate). This includes airport reception and drop-off, 1 night hotel in Iquitos (at beginning), all meals, lodging and fees at field stations, river and ground transportation, field station fees, guides and crew services. Repeat client rate is $1760 (adult). Discounted rates are available for teens (ages 13-18) and pre-teens (age 12 and under).
Itinerary: Includes the Madre Selva Biological Station (Orosa River, south bank tributary of the Amazon), and the Santa Cruz Forest Reserve (Mazan River-north of the Amazon and west of the the Napo River). The two sites are separated by a major biogeographical barrier (the Amazon River) which adds considerable additional diversity of reptiles and amphibians (and birds) over what would be seen at just one site.
21 Feb 2023 (Tue) - Participants should arrive in Iquitos by 2 PM if possible. Overnight in Iquitos in a standard hotel room (w A/C- hotel is included in trip costs). Those with the energy are invited to do some afternoon and nighttime road cruising for herps outside of Iquitos (van transport included). Opportunity for a chicken dinner in Nauta (your dime) before slowly returning to Iquitos. For those who might stay in Iquitos, there are many restaurants close by the hotel.
22 Feb 2023 (Wed) - Breakfast (included) on the Plaza de Armas (8 AM), followed by transfer to the port of Iquitos at 9 AM for travel via speedboat to Madre Selva Biological Station (3.5 to 4 hours travel time, but with a mid-way stop). Nights of 23-26 Feb spent at Madre Selva.
27 Feb 2023 (Mon) - AM travel from Santa Cruz to Madre Selva Biological Station (~4 hours). Nights of 27 Feb-3 Mar spent at Santa Cruz.
4 Mar 2023 (Sat) - Light breakfast at Santa Cruz, followed by travel back to Iquitos (~2 hours) with arrival by ~11 AM. Early good-bye lunch (included) on the Iquitos waterfront, with participants free to depart Iquitos for onward destinations from ~2 PM onward.
Leader(s) & Contact:
Matt Cage or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cage150 (herp identification, photography)
Mike Pingleton (Expedition Co-Leader - herp identification, photography)
Devon Graham (MTAE - logistics, booking, payments)