El Zota Biota

Tapir Track		Many mammals can be found at El Zota, including bats, jaguars, howler and capuchin monkeys.  This picture is a fresh tapir track seen in the mud beside the main road.
Hognose Viper		The lowland tropical rain forest is a herpetologist's dream.  This small hognose viper wasn't a bit troubled by students walking by on the trail.
Ferns		The understory of the mature forest includes many herbaceous plants adapted to low light.
Heliconias		The El Zota flora includes many Heliconias.  These tropical plants provide phytotelmata, or small aquatic microcosms that are used by a variety of insects and other animals with aquatic life history stages.
Canopy Trees		The canopy of the mature forest at El Zota provides a home for troops of howler and capuchian monkeys.  Many mornings residents of the station are awakened by the calls of the howlers.  This Pentaclethra  is one of the dominant canopy trees in the area, along with Dipterix and Inga.

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