Category Archives: Crypsis Challenges

Crypsis Challenge #10

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

Can you find the critter hidden on this tree trunk? Even after you find it, I bet you’d be surprised that its overall length spans more than half the height of this image!

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 6 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #9 Reveal

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

Looks like all commenters easily spotted the snake in this photo.

January 18, 2011 | Gandoca-Manzanillo NWR, Limon Province, Costa Rica

It’s about a third of the way from the top right. Here’s a closer shot from roughly the same angle.

Closeup of eyelash viper on tree trunk

As Andrea J determined, this is an eyelash viper, Bothriechis schlegelii. It’s difficult to pick up an ecotourism brochure in Costa Rica and not see a picture of the yellow variety of this species.

Look out for a separate post on this individual with many more photos.

Oh, and don’t worry, I kept a respectful distance. This encounter reminded me why I always carry around a teleconverter. read more

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 2 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #9

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

The last crypsis challenge was surprisingly difficult, but I think this one might be easier.

January 18, 2011 | Gandoca-Manzanillo NWR, Limon Province, Costa Rica

What has hidden itself here, just where an unsuspecting tourist might place their hand? A general description is fine, although I suspect someone will know exactly what this is.

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 12 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #8 Reveal

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

January 17, 2011 | Cahuita National Park, Limon Province, Costa Rica

Well, this challenge was certainly more difficult than I anticipated. Nonetheless, several people did find the frog in the image above. Below, I’ve outlined it.

Frog Revealed

Now that you know it’s there, I bet you can’t look at the image without it standing out.

Andrea J. went on to suggest it might be a Leptodactylid. I agree. Here’s a close crop from the photo above.

Overhead crop

I picked up this book while in Costa Rica:

[book:0970567804]

According to that book, all Costa Rican leptodactylids lack webbing between their fingers. In the crop above, I don’t see any webbing. There are only three genera in Costa Rica. One genus has only large species, and this one is small. Another has only a single species, easily dismissed because it has extremely warty skin. So by deduction this must be anÂ Eleutherodactylus species. There are 40 highly variable species in that genus that the book calls a “taxonomic nightmare”, so I won’t speculate further on the species. I might even be wrong about the family :). See comments below… I was fooled by the size. Turns out it’s the first genus I dismissed based on size, and it’s just a baby. read more

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 3 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #8

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

January 17, 2011 | Cahuita National Park, Limon Province, Costa Rica

It’s tough for me to know just how Â difficult these crypsis challenges are, since I obviously know what’s in them. I would think this is very easy, but then a coworker commented that others that I thought were easy were in fact hard for him.

Anyway, see how challenging it is for you to spot the critter camouflaged in the photo above. A general identification is fine, since I haven’t yet determined anything more specific.

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 16 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #7 Reveal

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Troy Bartlett

January 28, 2010 | CaraÃ§a Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Commenters had no trouble finding the cryptic critter circled above on a partially eaten leaf. No one figured out that it was a caterpillar though, and a rather bizarre one at that. Here’s a closer look.

It's a caterpillar

It does a pretty good job, I think, of blending in with the damaged areas of the other leaves. I suspect the brown leaf areas were damaged by an earlier instar that chews away at the surface of the leaf rather than eating the entire thing. It looks formidable and I didn’t risk touching it. Those black structures are unlike anything I’ve seen on a caterpillar. read more

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 2 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #7

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Troy Bartlett

January 28, 2010 | CaraÃ§a Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Can you find and identify the order of the critter hiding in plain sight above?

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 2 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #6 Reveal

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Troy Bartlett

What was hidden here?

January 31, 2010 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Ted was on the right track with his comments about the mantid-like head. It is in fact a mantid of some type. Here’s a close crop from the image above.