The experience has officially ended and all would agree that it was a success. We established and tested protocols for snake research and plant phenology studies at Caño Palma. We were an essential part of beach patrols every morning and evening from July 8th until August 16th. We established a protocol and collected data on the distribution of caimans along Caño Palma. Most importantly we discovered what we were capable of.

We explored our data earlier this week and addressed areas where data could be collected differently or where additional data might be helpful. The protocols for the botanical work, caiman census, and snake research were drafted prior to our departure to ensure a complete set of resources is available for volunteers, students, and researchers to use should they choose to engage in or expand on these long-term research projects.

Snake Morphometrics: On average, we captured a snake a day.. We found 44 snakes representing 14 species from 3 different families. Each snake was collected, measured, weighed and then released within 24 to 48 hours at the location of capture. Many of the species we are wokring with at Caño Palma are not well studied. The data we are collecting about habitats, size, and abundance is primary research which will contribute to our understanding of each species. A summary of the specie captured and the number of each species is provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Summary of snakes captured by species
Common Name	Scientific Name	No.
Eyelash Palm Pit Viper	Bothriechis schelgeli	9
Fer-de-lance	Bothrops asper	2
Yellow-belly Snake	Coniophanes fissidens	1
Annulated Boa	Corallus annulatus	3
Sock-headed Snake	Enulius scleteri	2
Brown Blunt-headed Tree Snake	Imantodes cenchoa	5
Cat-eyed Snake	Leptodiera septentrionalis	3
Allen's Coral Snake	Micrurus alleni	5
Red Cofee Sanke	Ninia sebae	3
Brown Vine Snake	Oxybelus aneas	1
Ringed Snail-eating Snake	Sibon annulatus	2
Cloudy Snake-eating Snake	Sibon nebulatus	3
Bromeliad Boa	Ungaliophis panamensis	2
Halloween Snake	Urotheca euryzona	3
	Total	44		Eyelash Palm Pit Viper, Bothrehis schlegelii. Yellow morph known locally as Oropel.

Caiman Census: The purpose of the caiman census is to evaluate the distribution of caimans north and south of the station. Most boat traffic on the canal occurs between the station and the mouth of the canal. Anecdotal observations indicate that the caimans tend to be more abundant north of the station. The caiman census will quantify this data and provide some insite into the demography of the population in terms of age classes. We will also see what the density of caimans is and how they distribute themselves relative to each other. Figure 1 is a summary of the averge number of individuals of each age class that was observed during each survey. The biggest difference observed was in the Juvenile age class with more juveniles occuring north of Caño Palma Biological Station.

Marine Turtle Monitoring: Our beach patrols were also very successful. We managed to encounter a good number of turtles, relocate nests, and triangulate nests. Relocation of nests was particularly important. Playa Norte has historically not been patroled and there has been little enforcement with respect to poaching. We have been granted permission to relocate the Green Turtle nests as a means of preventing poaching and our efforts have been pretty successful to date. The patrol teams also managed to save three adult turtlles that had been flipped and bound (see photo to right). Poachers flip the turtles on their backs, tie rope to their flippers and drag them off to be killed for meat and eggs. The loss of adult turtles is far more devastating to the population and conservation efforts than the loss of eggs. We were very excited and proud to litterally save the lives of three endangered turtles.

The most important thing we learned was that we can overcome environmental challenges, physical exhaustion and logistical issues. We learned that one of the the most important things to manage is our own physical and mental wel- being through proper nutrition, exercise and rest. We learned that the most challenging aspect of field ecology, and any work for that matter, is the human element. We learned how to communicate effectively and how to respond positively to constructive crtiticism to ensure the safety of our team and the to preserve the integrity of our work.

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