Epiphytes in Indonesia!

[BenR]

Some of you might have seen the second picture in the thread and thought that's a pretty cute little fella.. Don't be tricked, they are blood thirsty monsters!

 

I was climbing a Ficus microcarpa about halfway through the trip, I had finished the second order limbs and was starting work on the stem(s) from the 10m crown break point downwards, when out of a hollow about a foot from my face, pops a small, timid looking Tarsier.

 

Tarsiers are endangered and have a brain equivalent to the size of one eyeball (may explain why they are endangered). They cannot move the eyeball, so they rotate the whole head.

 

So said Tarsier looks at me and squeeks, which I thought was pretty cute and a cool experience to see one this close and even rarer in the day as they are noctural. However, it then decided to try and jump on my face! I quickly moved and as the poor thing fell the 10m to the deck, it turned it's head and looked at me as it flew past, letting out the classic cartoon scream/squeek as it fell to what I thought was it's certain death.

 

After 10mins not being able to breathe for giggling, I finished sampling and made it down to find the little fella had disappeared. It turned out they can't reach a fatal terminal velocity from any reasonable height. I half thought about trying to catch it as it fell, thankfully I didn't as a friend studying them told me afterwards that they have 100s of tiny razor sharp teeth and they are actually quite vicious. Close escape! Didn't manage to escape getting attacked by hundreds of biting ant and getting stung by 10, 1 inch long bees however... Gotta love the rainforest!

[BenR]

A few more by my friend Reza:001_smile:

[David Humphries]

What the blinking hell is that last one

 

Looks like its just hitched a lift here from LV-426 via a passing meteorite

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[BenR]

Some sort of estuarine starfish.. We are not sure. The mangroves are close to the sea there though. Maybe it got lost.

[David Humphries]

Some sort of estuarine starfish.. We are not sure. The mangroves are close to the sea there though. Maybe it got lost.

 

Nah, I'm not having it

 

That's a face sucking alien If ever i've seen one

 

 

 

Did it..............'tamper' with you ?

 

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[BenR]

Hahaha! That could explain some of the weird stuff that has been going on recently...

[Ewan Murray]

Will post my photos tomorrow been super busy will sort the out asap

[BenR]

Ive put the video up in the video section of the forum. Where's the photos you promised Ewan!? Clearly everyone is desperate to see them.... naaat. Hope you are nice and hot bro

[BenR]

Its come round fast! Time to go off to the Indonesian rainforest of Buton again. This year with one university student collection data for his dissertation and one student coming as a research assistant. Big thanks to everyone who has contributed to the trip/project thing.

 

This is my favourite photo from last year. If you look carefully you can spot the tiny spider the dragonfly is after.

[gibbon]

Have a good trip Ben.