A lizard that walks on water

There is a lizard that people call the Jesus Christ lizard because it can walk on water. Another name for them is basilisk lizard, and there are a few different types. I've seen them in mangroves a few times in Panama, and here's a photo of one I saw yesterday. This one was not walking across the water, but was sitting in a tree. It's a plumed basilisk lizard--see all the cool fringe stuff on its back? This is a male. The females do not have all the fringe.

Mangrove Roots: Aboveground and Underwater

Red mangroves have roots that grow aboveground, called prop roots. Red mangrove roots often have lots of cool marine organisms living on them--the roots provide structure and space for oysters, sponges, tunicates and algae. It's really fun to look at what is living on the roots underwater. Take a look yourself.

The bright orange stuff is fire sponge, so don't touch it!

From above, you might not know about all the life competing for space on the mangrove roots.

Gone crabbin'

We went crabbing today. In trees. If you're saying to yourself, "don't those guys on Deadliest Catch go to the Bering Sea to catch crabs?", you are right. Lots of crabs live in the ocean. Some live on land too. And some live in trees in mangroves. It sounds crazy, but mangrove tree crabs (Aratus pisonii) climb up trees, from the water to the tops of trees. They are pretty small crabs, so you're not likely to see these on your dinner plate anytime soon. Despite or maybe because of their small size, they are really fast and really hard to catch! They hang out on aerial roots or the trunk of a tree and creep around the other side when you approach, and it seems like they can see you coming a mile away. The mangrove tree crab below is one we caught and put in a bucket, hence the white background: