Adventure with wild herpetofauna and scientific tourism for 5 days

Herpetofauna Science Tour 5 days

Day 01. Introduction to the Amazon.

Reception at the airport or bus station. A car will take us for approximately 2 hours to reach the banks of the Tambopata River (Philadelfia) where we will take a boat and navigate two large rivers upstream, first the Tambopata River and then the Malinowski River, for approximately 01 hour, until we reach Jiboai Jungle Lodge during this trip we will enjoy the beautiful scenery and animals found on the banks of both rivers.

Upon arrival at Jiboa Jungle Lodge, the family will welcome you with a natural seasonal fruit drink and then show you to your room, which has a single bed, a bedside table, private bathroom and a large window open to the jungle. This house is made of a palm tree called wasai and a roof of chrysneja leaves, which produces a cool, calm and harmonious atmosphere with nature.
One of the researchers of our research project will explain about the project “Diversity of gastrointestinal parasites and their relationship with health in snakes of the Boidae family”. This project is carried out within the Tambopata National Reserve, which seeks to sensitize the local population about the importance of boas in the ecosystems.

Extreme hike, we will hike for approximately 2 hours, through the trails of the Lodge, during the hike we will know the area and the ecosystems that are in the area, which we will be visiting the 4 nights, and we will also know the flora with its important trees, also the fauna of the place.

At 20:00 we will go out to navigate in a boat on the Malinowski River, with the help of a flashlight, we will look for white caimans, which usually come out to rest in the sand to regulate their body temperature.

Day 02. Search for Anaconda and herpetofauna

After breakfast, together with the research project team we will go out to look for anacondas, in a small boat with motor we will go into a ravine of Aguas Negras, with trees that cover part of the ravine, giving a dark and mysterious aspect. Here the anacondas are usually found sunbathing on branches and sticks. If we manage to catch one of them, we will take biometric measurements and feces samples for laboratory analysis. After sailing for approximately 1 hour, we will arrive at a mammal lick. This is a place where mammals gather to eat clay, as it is rich in mineral salts, and this helps them in their daily diet. We will also have the possibility to observe the wild black spider monkey, the red howler monkey, the tapir and the collared peccary consuming clay in this clay lick.

Nocturnal herpetofauna, we will go out on the trails to look for amphibians and reptiles, with special emphasis on the ophidians of the Boidae family, using the “Visual Encounter Sourvey” (VES) methodology. Upon finding individual boas, you will participate in taking biometric measurements, and we will also take fecal samples for the project.

Day 03: Fishing and search for caimans.

In the afternoon, we will go piranha fishing in the Barbón Lake, where you can observe a great diversity of birds and spectacular views of the sunset in the jungle. With a paddle boat, we will explore the lake in search of giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis), a charismatic species, biological controller and top predator. Today this species is threatened by illegal mining that destroys and contaminates its habitat, and its intensive capture in lakes and streams is an example of this.

In the afternoon we will navigate the Malinowski River until we reach Lake Barbón, we will walk along the trails that border the lake, during the walk we will look for amphibians and reptiles. Then we will return to the boat and paddle along the lake in search of the 4 species of caimans: black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), white caiman (Caiman crocodrilus), the smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) and the dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), all registered in this lake.

Day 04: Search for boas.

In a boat with a small motor, we will go out in search of anacondas, together with the research team, we will navigate through the black water ravine until we reach a lake that rises from bushes, where we will search among the bushes and grasses for the anacondas that usually come out to sunbathe. If we find them, we will have the opportunity to hold an anaconda very close and participate in taking measurements and samples.

The Malinowski is a river where commercial fishing is not practiced, so you can catch large fish weighing up to 50 kilos, as well as small fish. For this, in the afternoon, we will navigate until we find a strategic place where we can fish with a line and hopefully catch big fish.

Last search for Herpetofauna. After dinner, we will walk along the project trails with the project researchers in search of terrestrial and arboreal boas. On these walks it is common to find different species of amphibians and snakes. If individuals of the boidae family are found, we will participate in taking biometric measurements and collecting fecal samples for the project.

Day 5: Return to Puerto Maldonado.

After breakfast we will return to the city of Puerto Maldonado and transfer to the airport and/or bus terminal.

End of the service.