In the search for unique wildlife...

And off we went, with so much happiness in our faces to the Proyecto Ecoturistico La Tarde. It was Saturday 1pm and the happiest of all was probably Jessica, our logistic and sales manager who knew she could close the office early; we were heading to see something way better than sitting in the office chair and answering emails. We took the 1pm bus that goes to San Isidro and got off at La Palma, where Berni, La Tarde's owner's brother, picked us up and took us on an 8 km car trip.

Osa Wild Team (left to right: Luis Daniel, Ifi, Jessica, and Veronica) 
enjoying our time together at the rainforest

La Tarde is a hot spot of biodiversity, located in the northern part of the Corcovado National Park. On the way to La Tarde, after driving through the community of La Palma and Guadalupe, you can observe from the highest point the "Laguna de Corcovado", a pristine ecosystem that is surrounded by a special type of palm locally called “yolillo” or Raphia sp.

Walking next to Quebrada La Tarde 

Some members of our team forgot one of the most important things you need to bring when visiting this pristine place: boots, rubber boots. Jessica, Vero and Luisda had all to borrow boots; luckily it seems there were enough for us all. At La Tarde you can observe an outrageous amount of snakes. If you go for a night hike, you can encounter many Fer-de-Lance. Last time I heard they had seen over 12 Fer –de-Lance (Bothrops asper) on a 3 hours night tour!

So our guide, Amador was ready to take us to the spot where a unique and incredible species was seen. It has been 8 years since Eduardo, La Tarde's owner, last saw the Black-Headed Bushmaster. We took some water, binoculars and a spotting scope and started our journey. The hike was great, La Quebrada La Tarde is absolutely beautiful, and it’s like walking in a river and having the tropical rainforest just next to you. Huge trees and stunning sounds accompanied us in this pleasant hike.

Lachesis melanocephala

It took us less than 45 minutes to get to the place where more than 8 other passionate naturalists and herpetologist where waiting for the perfect light to shoot a picture. Among them, my teacher, second father, friend and one of the most important persons for me in our community; Mike Boston an specialist in snakes who has waited for more than 18 years for this particular moment to come. He received us with great enthusiasm and we all stayed for at least one more hour admiring the beauty and talking about its ecology.

The Lachesis melanoceophala is a member of the Viperidae family, one of the most specialized predators among all snakes. Their long, hollowed, retractable fangs stab and inject lethal venom into prey animals, which are usually rodents and marsupials. This is the only viper I know that lays eggs (oviparous), and that is endemic to the southern part of our country.

Can you see the snake here? Terrestrial species of snakes are often found coiled, with their head resting on the top of the coil. The coloration tends to mimic their surroundings, especially when coiled. 

We share our gratitude to Eduardo and his family, who has been taking many naturalist, guides and nature lovers to see this breathtaking reptile and which we know that is taking absolute care of his land and educating more and more people about the ecological importance of extraordinary reptiles such as the Plato Negro.

Sharing experiences with Eduardo from La Tarde

Article by: Ifigenia Garita C.