Carsauropod, Missoula, Montana, USA. A couple of people in my neighborhood made this car look like a dinosaur, perhaps Agustinia ligabuei, a sauropod. Icicles were inserted upside down in the snow on top of the car. When I photographed it during the day the icicles did not show very well because of the background. I returned in the dark with two remote flashes in addition to the master flash on my camera. The back light made the icicles stand out like the spines on a dinosaur.

CarsauropodCarsauropod. Car made to look like a sauropod, Missoula, Montana, USA. Icicles were inserted upside down in the snow on top of the car.

CarsauropodCarsauropod. Car made to look like a sauropod, Missoula, Montana, USA. Icicles were inserted upside down in the snow on top of the car.

The image below was generated by using a longer shutter speed to capture ambient light with a flash on the rear curtain, just before the shutter closed. It always amazes me what the camera can see... I could not see hill with my eyes at all... simply too dark.

CarsauropodCarsauropod. Car made to look like a sauropod, Missoula, Montana, USA. Icicles were inserted upside down in the snow on top of the car.

Juvenile Yucatán Spider Monkeys playing (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

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Road ecology blog: Canopy crossings for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico. There are dozens of canopy crossings along this highway.

Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico A kilometer post and canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, NuevoA kilometer post and canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

Image below: Note that there are multiple ropes that connect the canopy crossing to branches of the surrounding trees. Canopy bridges should always connect to the canopy of the surrounding trees.

Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

Image below: the steel cables that support the ropes can be tightened. Notice the "wheels" for tightening the cables at the bottom of the poles).

Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, MexicoNuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico   Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

Image below: The canopy crossings should be high enough so that tall vehicles can still cross under the ropes. Canopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del CarmeCanopy crossing for arboreal mammals, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

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Juvenile Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna is a reserve operated by native Mayan people. The name of the reserve in Mayan is "Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh" (the home of the spider monkey and the puma).

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.
 

Images below: eating leaves

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people. Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

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Road ecology blog: Wildlife fence along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

The previous road ecology blog focused on the underpasses along this highway. This blog focuses on the wildlife fences. Unfortunately, the wildlife fences only extend for a few hundred meters at a maximum from the underpasses. Such short fences are less effective in reducing collisions with wildlife than fences that are at least several kilometers long (see Huijser et al. 2016 in Biological Conservation). The fences seem to be sufficiently tall for ungulates. However, there is no overhang on top of the fence and the mesh size is relatively large. Overhangs that are angled away from the road and smaller mesh size (e.g. chain-link) are a more effective barrier for puma and jaguar. The use of metal posts is good as they are harder to climb by big cats than wooden posts. The fences seems to be dug into the ground which reduces the likelihood that animals will dig under the fence (e.g. gray fox). Also note that the mesh sizes are smaller closer to the ground. This reduces the likelihood that smaller animal species can crawl through the fence.

Wildlife fence along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintaWildlife fence along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fence along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintaWildlife fence along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Image below: In the tropics, fences can be quickly overgrown with vines and other vegetation. This may reduce the barrier effect of the fences to wildlife.

Wildlife fence with vines along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highWildlife fence with vines along Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Travel: Kicking back on the beach, Tulum, Mexico

Kicking back on the beach, Tulum, MexicoKicking back on the beach, Tulum, Mexico

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Road ecology blog: Wildlife underpasses, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

This relatively new toll road has dozens of wildlife underpasses. There are two sizes which are shown in the images below. Each underpass is connected to wildlife fences but these are only a few hundred meters long at the most.

Wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintanWildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintanWildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintanWildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintanWildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, QuintanWildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highwWildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highwWildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highwWildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highwWildlife fences and underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Images below: The wildlife fences are well connected to the fence on the bridge. This leaves no gap for wildlife to access the highway.

Wildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, no gap, Nuevo Xcan-PWildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, no gap, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico Wildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, no gap, Nuevo Xcan-PWildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, no gap, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Image below: Here the fence became disconnected. My guess is that researchers filled the gap with rocks to keep animals from entering the roadway. While important, maintenance of wildlife fences seems to always be an issue.

Wildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, broken fence replaceWildlife fence connects to fence on bridge, broken fence replaced with stacked roacks to fill gap, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Image below: Wildlife camera inside an underpass. These cameras detect wildlife passing through and then take a series of images. This allows researchers to see what species are using the structures and in what numbers.

Wildlife camera in underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highwaWildlife camera in underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

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Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna is a reserve operated by native Mayan people. The Mayan name of this area is "Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh"  ("The home of the spider monkey and the puma").

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people. Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Punta Laguna (or in Mayan: Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh (the home of the spider monkey and the puma)) is a reserve operated by native Mayan people.

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Bethanie Walder swims in a cenote, Yucatán, Mexico

Bethanie Walder swims in a cenote, Yucatán, MexicoBethanie Walder swims in a cenote, Yucatán, Mexico  

Mexican wildlife: Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) swimming, Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016).

Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016) Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán, MexicoGreen sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Yucatán. Mexico, Endangered (IUCN 2016)

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Researchers at work: Marcel Huijser checks out a wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Marcel Huijser checks out wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa DMarcel Huijser checks out wildlife underpass, Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, Mexico

Sign Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roon, MexicoSign Nuevo Xcan-Playa Del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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More hugs, less war. Mexican wildlife: Male Yucatán spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis) hugging, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017). Male spider monkeys exchange many hugs and long embraces. They groom each other, and these interactions reduce stress among males. Interestingly the hugging is predominantly between males, and not so much between females or between males and females.

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017)

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017)

Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017) Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis)Yucatán Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi ssp. yucatanensis), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Endangered (IUCN, 2017)

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Road ecology blog: Wildlife warning sign for raccoon (Procyon lotor), Sian Ka'an, Yucatan, Mexico.

Wildlife warning sign for raccoon (Procyon lotor), Sian Ka'an, YWildlife warning sign for raccoon (Procyon lotor), Sian Ka'an, Yucatan, Mexico

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