Introduction - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 25

Anacondas
A favorite image of Ecuador is a group of half-naked natives carrying
a monster-size anaconda. (This semiaquatic reptile can reach 29 feet
in length!) In fact, the snakes have been eliminated throughout the
more developed portions of their range, and the locals now dress in
shorts and T-shirts. The anaconda is not often seen, but it's not un-
common in rivers and tributaries throughout the Amazon region, in-
cluding areas where there is a tourism infrastructure. When they are
sighted, they're usually sunning themselves on a beach along a river.
Frogs
Of the approximately 375 species of frogs and toads, most can best be
seen at night after a heavy rain. The poison-arrow frogs , or dendro-
bates, are perhaps the most spectacular of themall, colored bright or-
ange and green or red with black dots. Natives from throughout the
tropics used to derive poison from the skin of these frogs for the tips of
their hunting arrows. A good six-foot-long blowgun is strong enough
to project these arrows quite a distance in order to drop monkeys,
birds, and other larger game. Although relatively benign to the touch,
the toxins can cause paralysis if they enter the bloodstream.
Other frog species include tree frogs , that never approach ground
level, even though the young tadpoles require water to develop. The
cup-shaped bromeliad plants, which catch and pool water, create a
perfect mini aquarium-like habitat for the young.
Insects
Imagine an electric-green ant-like creature almost an
inch long, or a hand-size, hairy, purple bird-eating spider.
Well, they're here. Insects - in all shapes and sizes - form
the majority of species living in Ecuador. The number of
different kinds of insects in the country is staggering. In fact, insect
biomass far outweighs human biomass across the globe. And most of
these species remain unidentified. These so-called “pests” are an in-
valuable component of forest development and survival, providing in-
numerable ecological services. Without these helpers, there would be
no forest. Quiet solitude and close inspection of any forest in Ecuador
will open your eyes to a fascinating newworld of insect life. Just don't
let a fire ant climb on board your body while paying them a visit.
'Ouch' doesn't even come close to what you will say when it bites!