(Photos to come with descriptions: Cut me some slack I’m in the jungle for crying out loud…and yes there is WiFi here…sigh…I guess remote is just a state of mind now and no longer a destination)

Over the following days I would see more and more of my equipment fall by the wayside, of little use. Lee filters, linear polarizers, gels, even my 24-70 lens they simply didn’t leave my bag. I thought about the effort it had taken to get them up to this mini-mountain and made a note to make a concerted effort to use each and every piece (of course noble intentions! Most still remained couched deep within the protective folds of my bag). While I lay in my hammock at night I had time to reflect on how my kit has evolved and despite a meteoric rise in weight (this trip the bags tipped the scales at about 40kg!) functionally I hadn’t seen a concomitant rise in function. In fact quite the opposite, the sheer weight was enough to inhibit either my desire or my ability to take photos in certain situations. A problem faced by all travellers I suppose, and one that is rather mundane on the face of it. Though I assure you that agonizing over gear while at home is much better than the agony it will put your body through later!

The Altamira ranger station in La Amistad has all of two trails. One is a serious affair, a 20km, mostly uphill trail that wends its way through numerous ecotypes and terminates in isolation in the aptly named “Valle del Silencio”. One might be forgiven given my previous track record that I would jump at the opportunity to strand myself in remote jungle with a recovering hip. However, I decided to exercise the small bit of caution that I reserve for special occasions and refrained. Perhaps the incessant warnings and consternations of the family were finally being heard… or perhaps I’m just saving up for something even more daring and audacious…

This meant that in the meantime I was stuck on the only other trail: a measly 3km loop optimistically named “Gigantes del Bosque” though which constitutes mostly disturbed forest that borders a farm for the first part of the trail. The first couple days passed without much to speak of, the usual plethora of common grasshoppers, and crickets in the secondary growth and an intrusion of cockroaches underfoot, making the forest floor literally seethe and pulse with a beat all its own. I was beginning to despair when I came across an army ant column.

Now I have a fascination with the leafcutters and army ants that borders on the obsessive. Every time I see a column there is an instinctual need to get down on my hands and knees and pay homage. To observe the minute goings on and wonder what that collective brain of theirs will come up with next (Hint: It usually involves sending out small snaking trails of soldiers to flank and bite me while I’m down. Fortunately these maneuvers simply heighten my respect for these warriors since they’ve naturally read Sun Tzu somewhere down the evolutionary line and are aware of the effectiveness of surprise…but I digress). Prior to arriving in Costa Rica I had read Army ants: The biology of social predation by William Gotwald. Written in a remarkably accessible manner not only was it entertaining but it provided me with my impetus for visiting Central/South America rather than Asia/Africa. Enter the mimics. It seems like every army, even one made up of ants travels like a circus with a retinue of bewildering creatures to service every form and function. Though the army is chiefly composed of the original faction and its queen which splintered from a former colony (fission) along with its descendants, a few are not true army ants. Sure they look like them, run like them and smell like them (some physically steal the colony specific pheromone from the pleural and pygial glands of their host ants), however they don’t bite like them (perhaps the true marker of the army ant!). These charlatans are necessarily rather few and far between so as not to draw too much attention to themselves (usually 1/1000) and they range from commensal (innocuous) to parasitic in behaviour. Gotwald writes an entire chapter on these interesting interlopers but I just thought I’d mention two that I found while examining the hordes. The first is a Staphylinid beetle and the second a rove beetle.

Pictures to come.

Of course the finds didn’t come easy. I pored over the flowing river of ants for hours while swatting at the swarm of mosquitoes eagerly hovering overhead. We, the mosquitoes and I, moved in tandem, as I leaned closer to examine any irregularity in the tide of ants, I found every exposed speck of flesh targeted. Their favourite being the small of the back where my shirt rode up over my pants… seems like I was just another piece of ass to them! After an hour and enough mosquito bites to keep me scratching for days to come I thought I had it! About the same size as a small worker, the form was just a little off. Excitedly I snapped away, my adrenaline rendering me temporarily oblivious to the party going down on my ass. When I glanced up at the screen playback, however, all I encountered were out of focus and slightly blurry snaps. Not entirely surprising given that army ants are almost constantly on the move when in-between camps and rarely stop unless they are busy tearing something apart or are helping their peers with some form of labour. Of course inserting a probing finger into a column of army ants ins’t exactly well advised and so the mimic made good its escape, successfully delving into the leaf litter and away from my lens. Though frustrating, I also found this heartening, the proof of existence had been right there in front of me, capturing it on the other hand might prove a little difficult! And so I hunkered down, pulled my pants up and my shirt down and determined to weather the biting while formulating a new plan. I had a microscope case with me that would act well as a specimen jar. It wasn’t ideal since I wouldn’t be able to photograph it in its natural environment running and hiding in plain sight, though it seemed like the only suitable alternative. Another hour passed and I was beginning to despair when I saw a form similar to the first mimic. I positioned the jar and flicked it into the jar. At least I thought I had. The tenacious bugger was holding onto the stick and had reversed directions. Other ants began to break formation and mill about, steadily approaching my prostrate form. Either clueing into my scent or picking up on cues from their comrades others began to break ranks. For a moment I was afraid that I had triggered a full scale assault! Still keeping my eye on the mimic though I made a daring exfiltration from the heart of the swarm. I had only a moment to eye and confirm that I had in fact succeeded before I beat a hasty retreat and tap danced off the last of the ants that had managed to gain purchase. “Success”! I beamed inwardly while absently scratching my behind on the long, itchy trail back to camp.

The following day I opted to take off right away rather than spend a rest day in San Jose, so I kitted up with dry soups, rice and tuna and headed for the Tracopa bus depot to Buenos Aires. Fortunately the buses are respectable, somewhere between the economy and deluxe class of their South American counterparts. From B.A. I took another bus to Las Tablas; however, buses tend to have a narcoleptic effect on me and so I fell asleep about 20 minutes into the ride. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes about an hour and half later, when I asked how much longer to Las Tablas the other passengers looking out the rear window pointed and jabbered at me in their strong Tico accents. I gathered that we’d passed it at least 30 minutes ago. I hurried off the bus was letting off the last of several passengers in a small town. I motioned to the driver to get my bag, told him I was supposed to go to Las Tablas. Again received some indecipherable harangue before he dropped the bag at my feet and mounted the bus. Still groggy and somewhat out of sorts I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. I’ve got my backpack, my shoulder bag…oh, OH! I pounded on the bus that was pulling away with the one bag packed with expensive camera gear stowed in the overhead above my seat (Now I never usually do that, not just for this reason that I might forget it, but it is also pretty welcoming to thieves). The bus gained speed, looked like it was about to take off unheeding of my frantic poundings, but finally stopped, and with it my heart. I reached the front doors limping and told the driver that I still had a bag onboard. As I mounted the steps he chided me discouragingly and said that he would get it if I could kindly describe the bag. Breathlessly I described it and he returned a minute later holding my precious cargo. Accepting it I sagged into the ground, a puddle of relief.

Now of course I was in some town that never counted on being in, no real idea where I was and the last of the buses going back in the direction of Las Tablas had already left (or so the admonishing bus driver and vulturish taxi drivers told me). Eschewing the cheaper option of just staying put I let myself be persuaded to take a taxi all the way to Altamira (About the price of a cheap flight I got totally screwed yet again by a taxi driver quoting first American and then Costa Rican currency). Nevertheless it took the guesswork out of taking several buses the following day and it did turn out to be about an hour, most of it along an unsealed road. Night falls and I manage to adhere to plan of reaching the park, only just!

Amazing how early the day starts here. Already at 5:00 am I hear the birds chirping away and the early stirrings of people. Having not seen a single gas station since arrival, I enquired from the hostel owner where I could get gas and where the park entrance was. Having made the requisite reconnaissance I returned to the hostel, packed my things for travel-readiness, took a shower and finally after much procrastination took off for the station. Now it’s only a couple of kms, but it is all uphill. The road is bereft of any leaf or shade and the sun was as merciless as it has ever been. Every few hundred meters I collapsed, prostrate like road-kill, not a sign of life until 10 minutes later, taking a judicious sip of water I would revive myself for long enough to drag my sorry corpse another 100m. And so the uphill battle to Altamira station was waged. It didn’t take long for my water to run out and I looked longingly at the rivulets of sweat, tempted like seaman dying of thirst on the ocean. All the same, the sweat continued to fall, the skin burned and the muscles complained.  For a brief moment I took a self-portrait and as I lay withering under the sun, my limbs curling inward into the entomological form of death I instantly regretted capturing this moment for posterity. Why on earth would I want to remember this years hence? I ticked off the unnecessary items in my bag. Why did I bring that? I am a macrophotographer, what am I doing with a 300mm lens? If only curses were grams so that I could readily do away with the weight. A mere 2 km, but it took me well over 3hrs to make it, my sorry hip complaining the whole way.  Water I gasped when I reached the top, where can I get some water?!! I looked around but saw only a cement topped storage well. I had reached the summit but there was no one to hear my faint cries of “Agua. Por l’amor de dios, Agua!”

I had finally made it to this ‘remote’, ‘isolated’, ‘off the beaten track’ station only to find that they had power, water and any number of utilities which rendered the majority of my survival gear redundant. The tears of bitterness were a bitter draught that did nothing to assuage my seemingly unquenchable thirst.

What’s kept me away from here and travel for the past year? Well, last month I had hip replacement surgery of the left hip after an interminable waitlist. This has been a long time in coming since I’ve been in chronic pain since 2010 after it was confirmed that the dexamethosone, a steroid used in the treatment of testicular cancer from the previous year, had damaged the capillaries surrounding the head of the femur, resulting in bone death and collapse. So after 3 years of morphine use I’m finally off the drug, fevering for new opportunities and chilling on the beach…though in the absence of travel I’m settling for just the fever and chills of withdrawal. Progress is slow since they had to cut through the muscle to saw through the bone. However, after a month I’m back on my feet, walking a few trails with the dog, and although I can’t yet bend over to tie up my shoes or put on my socks, it’s a start. The tedium has been mounting during my convalescence, and now at  roughly 6 weeks which marks the time of “basic” healing I’ve purchased a ticket for a little over a month in Costa Rica. Perhaps not the most adventurous of destinations but a good way to ease back into the rigours of the traveling lifestyle.

21 stapled suture on the left hip. Just be glad I didn’t post a more prominent ass shot.

Unfortunately April is high season and with Costa Rica being stable, having great infrastructure and an abundance of wildlife, it will undoubtedly be overrun, a far cry from my usual travel destinations. To elude the masses I’ve chosen La Amistad and Corcovado national parks as my main destinations, spending a couple weeks in both.

La Amistad (friendship) park is a joint venture between Costa Rica and Panama founded in 1988 and is not only the largest park in either country, but was also voted a world heritage site by UNESCO. Biologically, it’s importance cannot be overstated. Comprising an unbroken mountain chain, the Talamancas, which range from X meters to over 3000 meters, it like the Andes provides a hugely varied landscape with an array of ecologically diverse niches. From the lowland slopes to cloudforest to the upper paramo, the park is home to over 90 mammal species including the 6 big forest cats, over 500 bird species (including the harpy eagle), 112 reptiles and amphibians and countless insects… sounds like my kind of place!

Corcovado in comparison is strictly lowland tropical rainforest and although remote with only dirt roads to lead into it, it has apparently become increasingly popular. One can enter via Drake Bay which is remote and almost strictly confined to posh lodges which operate in the area, or else by Puerto Jimenez where the park’s offices are located and has the option of camping. Fortunately it is still the dry season and access won’t be choked by impassable muddy roads.

Despite the remoteness of these parks, I’ll probably be bushwhacking more than I usually do to avoid crowds. And so here I am, 4:00 in the morning sharpening my machete in anticipation (of the travel, not the crowds!).

2

The Spider Assassin (Archaeidae)

As the sun sets, the high pitched buzz of cicadas winds down and a chorus of frogs greet the night. An array of insects and animals with adaptations and appearance so bizarre as to be almost incredulous emerge. Amongst the oddest are the Archaeids.

These strange spiders go by a variety of names which reflect their form and behaviour, though they are most commonly referred to as spider assassins and pelican spiders. The former epithet refers to their araneophagic diet, while the latter pays homage to their morphologically unique ‘necks’ (actually an extension of the cephalothorax). Despite the natural interest which these spiders garner by their looks alone, little is known about their natural history which can be explained by a variety of factors; their diminutive size (2-8 mm), nocturnal habits, location under foliage suspended head down, or by their short-range endemism. Not to mention that their cryptic colouration, browns and greys, which facilitate their camouflage as they drop evasively to the leaf litter. As a result, these spiders are poorly represented in the scientific literature, leaving it up to the imagination of the reader or better yet, the observer to fill in the details of their lives.

Even scarcer are images, most of which show specimens preserved in amber from up to 50 million years ago. These relictual specimens from the Mesozoic era bear an unmistakable resemblance to present day Archaeidae, demonstrating a remarkable conservation of phylogenetic traits. These archaeological findings elucidate a former range which extended up into the sclerophyll (woody stemmed plants with evergreen leaves) forests and mesic (moisture-rich environment) heathland of the European Baltic (1), mirrored in the present day ecology of the Austrachaeidae of Australia, to Burma, Kazakstan and the Xunan province, China.

Though no longer present in Europe, recent findings have shown an extended range in Australia from montane to tropical rainforests (2).

As one recedes further and further in geological time, one can observe a progressive shortening of the ‘neck’ and chelicerae until they resemble more and more the infraorder of Mygalomorphae (Orthognathae). The chelicerae now appear to move from side to side rather than up and down as in the Araneomorphae. Therefore, it may be inferred that the length of the neck has evolved hand in hand with the length of the chelicerae. Otherwise as the former lengthens, the distance between the mouth and the chelicerae becomes too great to efficiently transfer the food from one to the other.

Not only can we see a change in this morphometric ratio through time, but also across the various species and genera. Even within the monophyletic graciliosis group (Eriauchenius), the evolution of appropriate ‘neck’ and chelicerae ratios appears to have evolved as two separate events, an interesting example of convergent evolution.

Phylogenetic analyses have placed the Arachaeidae in 3 genera (Eriauchenius, and Afrarchaea [Madagascar, Africa], and Austrarchaea [Australia]) with a combined total of 37 species. Most species can be separated based on gross morphological features present in the pedipalps, the differences in ‘head’ and ‘neck’ (based on various morphometric ratios), eye positions and surface details of the haplogyne (female) genitalia. However, more discerning methods include the use of genetic markers such as mitochondrial c cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the adjacent COII genes in combination with 12S and 16S mitochondrial DNA (4).

Despite the genetic approach being extremely helpful in clarifying genealogy (found at the base of the Araneomorph lineage, close to where they diverged from the their sister clade, the Mygalomorphs), the deconstructionism of phylogenetic and morphological analyses can only yield helpful insight into the function accompanying the form of preserved specimens. Therefore, the natural history can often only be determined by field observation. Up to this point there is only a small representation of live Archaeid photos which best represent our knowledge of in situ behaviour, and those that exist are divided between the Archaeidae and the sister family Mecysmaucheniidae. The latter being better represented in the literature and having an extended range from Southern South America to New Zealand. Additionally, these spiders lack the araneophagic diet of the Archaeidae and behave more like other generalist spiders. The Archaeidae on the other hand are found in Australia, South Africa and Madagascar with the latter two comprising the lion’s share of the research (this is perhaps due to the relative abundance of specimens in these countries compared to Australia which may have more Archaeid predators).

Bearing this in mind, an excellent dichotomous key with some distinguishing morphological characteristics (the colour of the bars represents the mean morphometric ‘neck’/chelicera ratios) has been created for 15 species of the Eriauchenius genus.

Perhaps the most striking features of this family are the elongated ‘neck’ and slender chelicerae (jaws) with recursive fangs, which together with the head comprise the seemingly teetering cephalothorax. Of note are also the long delicate legs with modified tarsi that enable the legs to extend beyond even the chelicerae. Each of these features; however seemingly bizarre has a specific purpose essential to its predatory, araneophagic diet. The aptly named spider assassin, nomadic in nature and lacking a web of its own can often be found in the leaf litter foraging for prey. As it navigates this landscape, the spider assassin is particularly attuned to finding the draglines of other spiders (a silken line which serves as a safety line) by mechano- and perhaps chemosensory means. With its long forelegs, it traces the path like a skilled hunter until it happens upon its hapless prey and spears it with its long forceps-like chelicerae.

However, Archaeids may also go so far as to invade the webs of other Araneomorphs. With its anterior legs barely touching the outermost draglines of another spider’s web, it may strum the silken lines like a siren, its deadly tune irresistible to its prey. Archaeid pattern recognition of spider-prey courtship web strumming has not yet been been thoroughly investigated. As such there is no evidence that it approaches the complexity of the Portia spp. jumping spiders’ remarkable interspecies differentiation. However, like the Portia they appear to be quite adaptable and opportunistic. This is demonstrated by their boldness in plucking prey right out of their own webs. They achieve this dexterous act of negotiating their prey’s web thanks to the length of their legs, which essentially act as shock absorbers. Simply put, this aspect of their morphology minimizes the amplitude of disturbance such that it is no greater than that normally attributed to more benign natural causes (wind, rain, etc.).

Due to the relatively poor eyesight of most Araneomorphs, the Archaeid is able to approach within striking distance without alerting its prey. Thanks to its disproportionately long chelicerae, it impales its prey without exposing itself to collateral damage. Able to move both horizontally and vertically, the jaws close upon the prey like a vice. The fangs pierce the exoskeleton, and venom is pumped into the other spider. As the poison circulates in the hemolymph, the prey struggles even more violently but the hooked fangs remain embedded. Next, in a still unexplained behaviour, one chelicera lowers 90 degrees in a stereotyped action. Meanwhile the other chelicera holds the prey at a safe distance as it continues to thrash about in its death throes. Minutes pass and the struggling becomes weaker and weaker until it stops entirely. There may be a sporadic jerk, autonomic neurons releasing their final action potentials. But it is now safe to consume. The Archaeid lowers its meal to its mouth and feeds. The proteolytic enzymes in the venom have had time to work, and have broken down the internal organs, rendering them sufficiently liquid to imbibe.

The concomitant lowering of a single chelicera with feeding as aforementioned has yet to be explained. However, a couple plausible theories might account for this behaviour: 1) lowering one chelicera minizes the risk of injury from the potentially dangerous flailing movements of the dying prey or 2) conservation of energy (imagine holding 1 arm out in front of you instead of two).

[Please note that these conclusions are drawn from my own field experience and observations, though I did find a corresponding lecture video seen below (as presented by researcher Hannah Wood) which corroborates my own reasoning. Unfortunately there seems to be a dearth of readily available information with regards to the natural history of Archaeidae.]

At rest, Archaeids dangle head down under leaves or between branches with a dragline or two to support them. This position seems to be the most comfortable to accomodate their unique form (Nb. most online photos have been rotated for easier viewing, often without mention that this is not the in situ behaviour). Another possibility is that they are more suited to the microclimate of the leaf underside. Consider not only that the underside offers greater protection from potential predators with keen eyesight, but also that the temperature can vary by as much as 10 degrees C compared to the upper surface. Humidity is also trapped and wind minimized creating a warm microhabitat.

Even more poorly understood is the courtship and mating behaviour of Archaeids. The extent of my personal experience is the observation of a single female holding an egg sac well above her head with one of its mid-legs. She was able to maintain this posture while galloping along the bottom of a leaf.

Their cryptic nature and seemingly low abundance have kept Archaeids as one of the best kept secrets of the arachnid world. Fortunately, recent photos (J. Miller, 2008) have spotlighted this fantastic creature, which has since appeared in diverse fora easily accessible to the public. Hopefully this newfangled celebrity will encourage further study and illuminate the many mysteries surrounding one of the strangest spiders on the planet.

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As more information becomes available, I will update this Article.

References

1) Penney D. Afrarchaea grimaldii, a new species of Archaeidae (Araneae) in Cretaceous Burmese amber. Journal of Arachnology 2003: unit 31: pp.122-130. doi:10.1636/0161-8202(2003)031[0122:AGANSO]2.0.CO;2

2) Michael G. Rix, and Mark S. Harvey.Australian Assassins, Part I: A review of the Assassin Spiders (Araneae, Archaeidae) of mid-eastern Australia. ZooKeys 123: 1–100, doi: 10.3897/zookeys.123.1448. http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/1448/australian-assassins-part-i-a-review-of-the-assassin-spiders-araneae-archaeidae-of-mid-eastern-australia.

3) A revision of the assassin spiders of the Eriauchenius gracilicollis group, a clade of spiders endemic to Madagascar (Araneae: Archaeidae). Hannah, Wood.  2008. The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 152, 255–296. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00359.x/abstract

4) Wood HM, Griswold CE, Spicer GS. Phylogenetic relationships withing an endemic group of Malagasy ‘assassin spiders’ (Araneae, Archaeidae): ancestral character reconstruction, convergent evolution and biogeography. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2007 Nov;45(2):612-9. Epub 2007 Jul 19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17869131.

To whet the appetite, perhaps a brief look into the future.

Ile ste. Marie, just a 40km by 20km island, and at its Northernmost point, the natural pools. “They’re magnifique!” The German hostel owner bellows, his mix of French, German and beer a quixotic mélange that left me straining my ears to understand the fellow. “Is it far?” I ask. He rummages through is addled thoughts and manages to string together a semi-coherent answer. “Oui, c’est pas far. You need to aller almost 30km from here”. I ponder a moment thumbing the bills in my pockets with dread. “What’s the best way to get there?” “Well, you can go by taxi…expensive. By 4×4. Or by motorbike. Motorbike most cheap”. No contest. I may have neglected to share that I had never ridden a motorbike before as a passenger let alone the driver, but it’s just a bicycle with a motor, right? The following day arrangements are made for the motorbike, and a young Malagasy swerves expertly around the serpentine road leading to the hostel. He hands me the keys, helmet and registration and looks up at me expectantly. “Well, aren’t we going to go?” “We?” I ask. “Yes, you need to drive me back to the bike shop. Don’t worry, it’s along the way”. I strut up to the bike confidently, turn the key, and hit the ignition. We jutter forward several metres, and threaten to fall into the rice paddies before the clutch is released and the bike motor dies with a cough like wheezing laughter. “I have a confession. I’ve never driven a bike before”. The Malagasy bike owner looks at me with rolling eyes, though it was pretty obvious that he had already determined that I’d never ridden a bike in my life. And he probably had doubts as to whether I had even mastered a tricycle based on how I wobbled to keep balance of the heavy bike. “Get off” he said a little harshly. I promptly lower myself shamefacedly. “It’s very easy, you turn the key, release the emergency brake, keep the bike in first gear, press the ignition and hold the clutch. Now slowly release the clutch as you accelerate. The guy twirls the bike around like a fucking ballerina and stops in front of me. You see, simple”. “Okay…”. Well, shall we skip ahead the monotonous hour of failed attempts, near misses, falls and lots…lots of cursing until I finally get the bike partly under control like some barhouse bucking bull and we drive off.

“Ignition, release clutch and accelerate” I mutter under my breath. “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” I scream, echoed by the Malagasy as we take off down the road full throttle. Out of the corner of my eye I see the German wincing and shaking his head. “Gear down, gear down!” come the frantic pleas from behind me ripped from his mouth by the 90km winds. I kick at the gears haphazardly. I’m no religious man, but God I prayed! Fortunately after several attempts my flailing legs hit the gears and we slowed, and slowed, and slowed still further. Petrified, I heard the motor croaking on first gear, begging to go faster. “Beg all you want you Bastard” I cursed at it.

Several minutes past as we puttered along. DRING, DRING. I look around to find the source of the sound and the bike, following my torso, following my shoulder, following my head, nearly takes us off the road. I quickly jerk back into the centre of the lane from the perilously close edge. DRING, DRING. “Use your mirrors” the Malagasy says helpfully. So I glance at my mirror only to see a little girl on her bike, tassels streaming in the wind, a pink bike…it was the full on Barbie experience! complemented by a whimsical smile on her face. DRING, DRING. She smiled patiently, signalling that she wanted to overtake. My guide, a wide grin on his face while I…I pull the visor down to mask my embarrassment.

I drop the Malagasy off at his shop and wave goodbye. “Au revoir”. Ummmm… I release the clutch, accelerate, move 1 meter and stop. Embarrassment. This is a word that hugs me close like a best friend and has already followed me since the beginning of the trip.”Au revoir” I say again, hope and dread in my voice. I must have said goodbye 4 or 5 times before I actually left, flying with my bull out of the gates a few hundred metres before I see a police checkpoint in front of me. “Gear down, gear down!” I kick like an epileptic as I see the policeman signalling for me to pull over…

Borneo Q & A

Q: Hi there, I am thinking about trying to maybe do the hike independently as well. Could you please tell me what each part of your hike cost? Was it relatively easy to organise?

A:

Q: I read your post in the Lonely planet forum regarding the trip to the Maliau basin. I wanted to ask when exactly you went there and what weather you found. Did it rain every day? Are the trails very muddy? I’m asking because I visited the Danum valley a year and a half ago. It rained a lot, there was deep soft mud on the trails and my footwear got completely wet. It wouldn’t dry because of the humidity. Are leeches a problem in the Maliau basin? There were lots of them in the Danum valley. When doing the trek, is it possible to leave the big luggage somewhere and only carry around a small backpack? How much gear do you need to carry with you? Can you provide a split of the costs? By the way, what camera did you use for the shots you posted on Flickr? Can you provide the cost split?

A: I went there in March of 2009 and I was pretty lucky with the weather, I don’t recall a single day of rain, at least not extensive rain. But always bring and wear rubber boots on the trail in  case I want to check out water pools. The trail on the first day from Agathis to Camel trophy camp climbs quite significantly and so while it is steep, the water generally runs off and so you don’t get super muddy trails. Second day the trail levels a bit and so you might get some muddy spots, but I wouldn’t worry too much. No leeches in Maliau, at least I had no experience with them. I left a substantial chunk of my gear both at the main research station, and at the Agathis base camp. I took all of my food with me, enough for 4 days, backpack, camera, knife, rope, flashlight, lots of extra batteries since there is only a generator provided at Agathis for 2-3hrs/night, and at the main research station. An umbrella is a good idea since it will allow you to take pictures even in the rain, where the rain jacket won’t. I managed to fit all of this into a daypack and camera bag though, so don’t overdo it. The hike is moderate-challenging. First day is 4-6hrs, second day 6hrs, 3rd day 4-6 hrs. Depends on your pace. Recent pictures were taken with a canon 5D mark ii. But all of the Borneo pictures were taken with a Pentax K200D and a dedicated 100mm macro lens (pentax manufacture). I’ll have to root around for the receipt with the cost breakdown, so I’ll get back to you on that one. If there’s anything else, I spent 7 months in Borneo and did pretty much all the national parks in Sabah, Sarawak and a little bit of Brunei. So ask away…Mulu was exceptional!

Q:

thanks a lot for the extensive reply. Since you mention that you did all parks in Malaysian Borneo, may I ask if you have been in Kubah and Batang Ai (Sarawak), and Tabin (near Lahad Datu). Did you also visit the Imbak canyon ( http://www.borneoforestheritage.org.my/imbak/view.htm )? If yes, how were all these places?I noticed that in your Flickr page there are no photos of mammals, only smaller animals. Didn’t you see any mammals or larger animals while in the Maliau basin?

A:

Sorry I couldn’t get around to this sooner. Unfortunately I haven’t been to those places. I heard mixed reports about Tabin, some saying that it was great for wildlife, others saying that it was another one of those parks sandwiched between palm plantations.

I see a lot of your pics where made in Borneo…..im planning to go aprox 16 October till 6 of November when rain season starts….If you could please tell me wich are the best places to make macro´s (i have the 100mm+Kenko+Raynox and the Mpe-65+Metz anular flash) and places to avoid…. You have very interesting pics there! I will take with me: 7D+Mpe+canon100mm+Kenko Plus non macro rig: Canon 100-400mm / Panasonic G1 (14-45mm) Thanx in advance!

Glad you like the blog, at the time it seemed normal, I suppose it is just one of those coping mechanisms. Rereading it when I’m back home I am a little baffled at some of the things that happened! Really great to hear that you are making it out to Borneo, an AMAZING place! I really wish I had gotten a chance to visit Kalimantan but even 7 months was only enough to visit the malaysian/Brunei side. I would skip Brunei, it is overpriced and you won’t find much in that sliver of rainforest you won’t find elsewhere. Highlights of my trip were definitely Mulu national park, and Bako in Sarawak. Mulu has incredible diversity and so many great adventure activities at relatively good prices if you can latch onto a group. I spent 3 weeks there. I did two spelunking trips, Mulu summit hike and the pinnacles. Pinnacles are a little overrated in my opinion but the others were awesome. Spend time around the main area as well. There is accommodation just outside the park that is $10 or less per night, a much better alternative than the 30+ you’ll pay for dorm rooms in the park. In Sabah, my favourites were Kinabalu park, and Danum valley. Danum valley is cheap if you use the military cots and bring your own food. They won’t tell you about this option unless you ask. I pay equivalent of $15 or less per day. Otherwise you may pay as much as 40-60 for basic accommodations. Kinabalu park you should again stay in a hostel outside the park. I saw almost no one on the trails, everyone comes to climb the mountain but there is such a huge diversity! If you do climb the mountain the administration wants you to go up and come down by the same route. However you can take an alternative route down which will take you to another lodge from which you will have to walk several km’s and then hitchhike to the main highway. It is definitely more scenic than the normal path though it requires pretty good fitness. No facebook unfortunately, just flickr/blog. If you have any specific questions I hope I’ll have internet in the cloud forest village I’ll be in for the next month.

The image below is a case of flare from shooting directly against the bright sky. The result is an image with very washed out colours and loss of detail. Flare and fog plagued images can be treated in a similar manner. Below are some steps that you can follow to recover the image to a certain extent.

The original image

Original shot of a chameleon against strong background light.

The haze is the first thing that needs to be taken care of since it obscures any other adjustments that may need to be made (eg. Do we need to adjust the white balance, definition, etc?). Moreover as we cut down on the haze we will need to readjust some other elements of the photo to compensate (ie. Decreasing contrast typically requires boosting the definition/sharpness due to loss of detail accompanying that adjustment).

Step 1 - Applying Enhancements

Whether we apply the tools under the Exposure or the the Enhancements menus first is a matter of personal preference. However, in a photo that is as affected as this one I like to apply crude adjustments first. Hence my first adjustment was to the contrast slider bar which I moved all the way to the right (+o.5). I left the saturation and vibrancy as they were but increased the definition (+0.21). Sharpness and contrast are two very good ways of cutting through haze/fog, however, you need to be careful in your balance between these two adjustments. .

Nb. In photos that are less affected than this one I won’t use the contrast slider bar at all but rather prefer the black point slider (found under exposure) which is essentially a fine tuned contrast bar.

Original photo with the applied enhancements

Step 2   – Applying Exposure and Brush changes

Already we can see that a great deal of haze has ‘disappeared’. Nevertheless enough remains to be distracting and to ruin the image. Therefore we will need to add to the contrast which can be done by increasing the black point. Again, this is an extreme example, and so I have increase the slider all the way to the right (+50.0). All the other adjustments under this category have remained the same. Now despite all these adjustments there is still some haze. The background is more forgiving with respect to the low contrast/haze that is acceptable to the eye. However, any lack of clarity or definition in the subject stemming from haze is immediately apparent and must be dealt with. Having said that the contrast and black point slider bars a) affect the entire image and b) are already at their maximum. To overcome these two problems we resort to the Brushes.

The Brush menu is found in two places. The first is in the heads up display (HUD)/inspector normally on the left hand side of your image, or else accessed by pressing ‘H’. You can then click on the ‘Adjustments’ pull down menu under the histogram and it is the first option ‘quick brushes’. The second place is at the bottom of the image that you are working on with the little brush icon.

Once you’ve found the brushes you can apply a local contrast brush. Start with a low contrast strength like 25% and gradually increase it until the desired effect is achieved. Be sure to use the feather tool to smooth the transition between the adjusted and non-adjusted pixels (I typically use this at 100% strength). Here I applied 40% contrast and 20% sharpen to the subject only.

Exposure controls have been applied.

Step 3 – Level tool

Now we can start focusing a little more on the composition. By using the ‘level’ or ‘straighten’ tool (which can be accessed by the keyboard shortcut ‘G’ or at the bottom of the image next to the brushes we just used) we can create a little dynamism by having the chameleon appear to be looking directly at the viewer. The greater the degree of inclination, the greater the magnification.

The above image has been 'straightened'

Step 4 – Cropping

The cropping tool can be found right next the ‘level’ tool or else can abe accessed by pressing ‘C’. Be sure to tick the “Do not constrain” option on the aspect ratio so that you can control the size of the cropping box more exactly. To increase the “in your face” aspect of the photo we will now need to crop the photo. Behind the subject is essentially dead space which can be cut with little effect to the overall presentation. We still want to maintain space in the direction that the subject is looking however, and so we will leave the foreground intact. One needs to be careful when applying level and crop tools to an image since any problems with quality in an image will become increasingly apparent the more you magnify the subject. This is especially true the more you modify and apply changes to an image which increase the amount of noise.

Crop has been applied to the image.

Step 5 – Colour Temperature

Colour temperature can be changed by simply moving the colour temperature slider bar under ‘White Balance’ in the HUD/Inspector. Now I applied a slight decrease in the colour temperature to cool the image. The effect is slight and partly based on personal preference. The 5D Mark II tends to give overly warm images, especially given the settings that I use and so I tend to overcompensate in the opposite direction.

White balance slider has been moved slightly to the left to cool the image.

Step 6 – Finishing touches

Finally I applied a little more intensity (polarization) to the subject. This is applied to the subject only and not the entire image by means of the polarization brush found in the along with the other adjustment brushes under the photo.

Polarization has been applied at about 25% strength with heavy feathering to decrease the discrepancy between regions with and without polarization. Polarization was only applied to the chameleon, leaving the background intact.

As you can see we used several methods to cut through the haze. First and foremost is increasing the contrast. Usually this is enough and can be achieved through the much less invasive black point slider; however, if you have a picture that suffers from an exceptional amount of glare/fog like the above example then you may need to decrease exposure, increase sharpness/definition and burn/polarize certain parts of the image.

If you have any comments or other helpful hints for dealing with haze and fog please feel free to leave a message.

(Click on the names to be redirected to the photographers’ respective site)

Igor Siwanowicz:

As far as I can tell he does mostly studio photography but don’t let that detract from your appreciation of his amazing photos. The lighting is exceptional and probably the best that I have seen. It has crisp details, and everything appears very sharp with no softness like a lot of very diffused shots from other photographers. He has some very interesting subjects which as far as I know he rears himself, has access to through friends, breeders or various facilities. He manages to catch them in a variety of poses. I look at his photos and can’t imagine how one would improve on it, which is really the highest compliment I can think of.

John Hallmen:

Blog / Flickr

Swedish photographer that specializes in natural light field photography and studio work. Every photo looks like a work of art. What I love about his photography is how he explains in detail the effort and steps needed to attain the photo. The dedication to create such photos truly is impressive. He is also super approchable, if you have any questions about technique, lenses, etc… he is happy to field any questions. His photos feel a little soft compared to Igors’ but that is somewhat the nature of the beast when dealing with natural light and he manages to make it work to his advantage.

Brian Valentine (aka Lord V):

Blog / Flickr

I consider him one of the ‘original’ macrophotographers. He has a huge database of photos all from his UK garden. He has written a number of very helpful articles with regards to his techniques on diffusion (particularly popular is his homemade pop can diffuser). He has also been published in a number of magazines and is very active in a number of online fora. If you are into Macro you will definitely run across him.

John Kimbler (aka Dalantech):

Blog / Flickr:

If you’re looking for bee and butterfly pictures look no further. He has probably some of the best that I have seen. He works mainly with the Canon mpe-65mm lens and so lots of closeups of tongues sucking nectar, bees covered in pollen and drinking at nectaries. His blog is very helpful for the novice and expert alike.

Linden Gledhill (aka Linden.g):

Flickr

Linden has stunning insect in flight photos. Thanks to an incredibly complex rig that involves infrared beams, external shutters and multiple flashes he has managed to capture an amazing variety of insects in flight in extremely clear and crisp detail. Viewing his stream is a real treat.

Lucas M. Bustamante-Enriquez / Alejandro Arteaga:

Website

These are two Ecuadorian herpetologists interested in documenting Ecuadorian herptiles. They have a lovely variety of Ecuadorian reptiles and amphibians and are extremely knowledgeable on the parks and local fauna. In fact they have started up their own company that aims to promote herpetology by guiding tourists, photographers and researchers in search of reptiles and amphibians. Their company is Tropical herping (see website). Their photos include both outdoor studio and in situ photography. Very clean shots that often show the subject in its environment, though they also have an excellent variety of portraits.

Melanie Eliades:

Flickr

I have only recently begun admiring her work but she does excellent insect portraiture. Her lens of choice is the mpe and she manages to capture a variety of interesting poses.

Macroshinsky:

Flickr

Focuses mostly on closeups, he has an excellent control of light providing very clean and evenly lit subjects. His jumping spiders which constitute the majority of his subjects are especially nice.

Kvejland:

Flickr

It is particularly his studio work that I find impressive. Lovely soft backgrounds with amazing details, he has mastered the art of stacking so that there are essentially no artifacts. An excellent repertoire of incredibly detailed portraits.

Tomatito rodriguez:

Flickr

Does primarily studio work with lovely backgrounds and perfect lighting.

Marc_grosskopf:

Flickr

Like John Hallmen Marc has embraced natural light photography. It doesn’t have quite the detail as John’s remarkable work since he doesn’t appear to use stacking but rather single shots. He has captured mostly dragonflies and damselflies against lovely pastel backgrounds. It is an excellent opportunity to compare how two excellent macrophotographers go about shooting a subject.

Collin Hutton photography:

Flickr

Nikolarahme:

Flickr

Another amazing studio photographer. I find his handling of reflective subjects to be exemplary. Many shiny beetles he manages to capture with just the right amount of diffusion. He also has a number of very informative posts on his microscopy technique and lens reviews.

Thomas Shahan:

Website / Flickr

If you are into jumping spiders his photos are simply the best hands down. They are almost all portraits and so they seldom show the subject in its environment or displaying behaviour. However, he employs lovely, smooth backgrounds, perfect lighting, sharp details and a very interesting variety of spiders (mostly Salticidae) though the occasional robberfly (Holocephala) will creep in. He appears to be very busy conducting workshops, writing music and of course photography and so he may not be able to answer questions.

Kurt (aka orionmystery):

Blog / Flickr

Kurt leads his own photography workshop in Malaysia and it is not difficult to see why he is so esteemed. His photos are well diffused thanks to a vellum light tent. Despite this often impractical addition which usually scares insects, he has managed a variety of excellent shots of everything ranging from herptiles to insects. He has also begun to incorporate a lot of natural light and fill flash. The amazingly adapted insects of Malaysia make for a really excellent viewing experience, especially when so well captured. He is also present on a variety of photography fora and is quite active.

Anthony tancredi (aka Bandi):

Website

Anthony is an Australian photographer again with excellent light, interesting subjects, and a newly created and fascinating blog of his experiences as a photographer. It’s fascinating to read of the trials and tribulations that the photographer faces to get their ‘perfect’ shot.

Cyrus khamak:

Pbase / Website

Cyrus has a very small collection on Pbase; however the ones that are displayed are first rate.

Matt Cole1:

Blog / Flickr

An award winning macrophotographer. Matt uses natural light as much as possible which can be a challenge (especially when dealing with greater than 1:1 magnification), however, he manages very well and where he doesn’t use NL he has such excellent lighting that one can hardly tell the difference when he’s using flash.

Terrance kiernan (aka Kiertner):

Flickr

Terrance specializes in spiders of all types. A quick look at his photostream will show a huge diversity of spiders. He focuses on portrait work though he manages the occasional behavioural shot ie. spiders feeding/mating. Light is excellent and the catchlights are particularly pleasant in the 8 eyes.

Adegsm, TrongHieusSG (2hiu) [has a very similar style to Adegsm leading me to conclude that it is simply another account of the same photographer]:

A unique style unlike many of the other photographers which employs backlighting to give the subjects a translucence and ethereal quality. His backgrounds are usually simple but very pleasant, being light greens or beiges but with seldom any telltale lines, curves or varying colours, indicating that he probably uses some type of studio or colour cards  behind the subjects. I have only ever seen him photograph insects, though he manages to capture them in a variety of amazing poses that really illustrates their natural history.

Melvynyeo:

An excellent collection of Malaysian insects and herpetofauna. He could probably afford a little more diffusion, but the majority of his subjects are well lit. All shots are in the field and he has some excellent natural history shots.

Arthur Anker (aka Artour_a):

Arthur has a photostream of some of the most unique animals and insects that I have ever seen. He doesn’t confine himself to terrestrial species but also photographs a huge number of aquatic animals, particularly molluscs and crustaceans. The quality of his photos does not approach the others on this list, but for sheer wonder of the natural world his photos deserve a visit. As a zoologist he is also well versed in taxonomy and can readily help identify many species.

Peter Robinson (aka FISHNROBO):

Flickr

In addition to the excellent technique, Peter creates some very interesting compositions by juxtaposing subjects. In many of his photos it’s possible to see ants or flies or other insects next to, on top of, or underneath spiders and other critters.

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You’ll notice that all these photographers have one thing in common. Their ability to have complete control over the macroenvironment. Light will essentially determine the quality of your photo after you have mastered the basics of focus and framing. Many people, myself included struggle to find a balance and to achieve appropriate lighting. Many of these photographers address this issue in their blogs.

Headaches soon follow which have me confined to bed. “Cerebral malaria, it’s cerebral malaria” I prognosticated with a solemnity bordering on funereal. Of course I didn’t really know anything about the symptomology of cerebral malaria except that it was caused by P. falciparum, was the most serious form of malaria and that it eventually resulted in coma and death. Cancer had changed my nonchalant, laissez-faire attitude with respect to my health to a state bordering on hypochondria- “Yep, definitely cerebral malaria”.

At the isopoint, where temperature, and pain became one fluid reality I simply languored in bed. I took consolation in the brief flashes of lucidity – “maybe the headaches are caused by my new prescription glasses. Maybe I simply ate something that didn’t agree with me, it is the first week after all”. Then the curtain would fall – “No it’s cerebral malaria, you’re going to go into a coma and die…now try and get some sleep!”

The following day…at least I think it was the following day I dragged myself from bed and accompanied the guide. Up to this point we had failed to see any mantellas or giraffe weevils, both of which I insistently harangued the guide about. “Lemurs”? Would be the inevitable response, until I hammered home my macro background. So she took it upon herself to take me on a specific mission outside of the park to find these elusive subjects. We took the taxi-brousse 30 minutes from the park to a small village and then walked another 30 minutes up a hot road until we hit a small creek. It didn’t look like much…the surrounding vegetation was all secondary, people passed by every few minutes going to a from their rice plantations. I was a little skeptical, but followed the guide and the rabatteur down into the creek. We all stopped to listen.

Peep. Peep. Peep.

The calls weren’t the long trill or honk of some other species, but a short chirp, much like a cricket. We stalked around the bushes a little. “There’s one right around here”, the rabbateur said pacing back and forth in front of a small patch of bushes, his keen eyes probing the depths. Peep, Peep. “I’ll go over there and search, you keep an eye out here”, he told me with a gravity that was completely out of proportion with the occasion. I worried that if I moved I’d be committing a crime (Which isn’t so far out of the realm of imagination, as I have since come to learn that the Malagasy countryman is a rather superstitious creature. ‘Fadys’ or taboos surround daily life. Most are in line with some kind of logic or mainstream religion such as eating halal foods, the disavowal of pork or alcohol,  though some seem as bizarrely evolved as the flora and fauna of this unique island. For example it is strictly prohibited to carry peanuts on the sea voyage from Mahajanga to Baly bay).

Just as he passed into the bushes on the other side of me, “There!” I cried. The rabbateur came hurrying back, “Where?!” I pointed at the now empty spot. His hands searched the vegetation until they came away with the brightly painted mantella, Mantella madagascariensis. “Yes, here it is!” His voice was at once proud and yet a little disappointed that he hadn’t been the one to first spot the fantastically coloured little creature.

Painted mantella (Mantella madagascariensis).

Whilst mantellas are related to the South American poison arrow frogs, they lack their cousin’s toxicity and so can be safely handled, provided one washes ones hands afterwards (This may have to do with either an alkaloid-poor diet, or else the secondary loss of the mechanism used in toxin bioaccumulation). Endemic to Madagascar, they have successfully spread across the rainforested part of the island (North-South axis of the Eastern part of the island, which receives the greatest rainfall.

The way back and a bright orange speck that floated down from the the tree-tops like pollen landed not 10 feet away. The rabatteur looked ready to jump on it. A moment passed. And then he actually did jump on it, his had streaking out and catching the giraffe weevil mid-flight. “I believe you were looking for this” he said casually, though from his tone it was evident that he felt redemption at not having been the first to see the mantella. “This is the female, you can tell from the short neck”. “That’s short?” I asked, never having seen a beetle with a neck before. The guide chortled, “you’ll see…you’ll see”.

Female Giraffe weevil.

We finally headed back to camp after 8hrs of hiking around. Tired, but the fever had broken, I was weak yet well. Turns out all I needed were a mantella and a weevil taken once as directed by the guide.