Nature Reserve & Biological Station
Flora & Fauna
A walk through the Un poco del Chocó Nature Reserve is a discovery journey through the montane rainforest. Tree ferns, giant arum plants, palms, bromeliads, orchids and a variety of other typical montane rainforest vegetation make it the perfect place for lots of animals.
On a stroll through the forest you might…
…find the nut of the Tagua palm, known as Ecuador’s natural ivory, which is used for ecological jewelry by the local community.
…pass a Strangler fig which attracts noisy groups of White-fronted Capuchin monkeys and Bronze-winged Parrots when fruiting.
…observe a White-whiskered Hermit visiting an Erica, Gesneria or bromeliad flower on its traplining route.
…cover from rain with the giant leaf of an arum plant (Xantosoma sp.), also called the umbrella plant or elephant ear.
…see some tree ferns, a very ancient plant family that evolved by the time of the dinosaurs.
…enjoy colorful tanager flocks feeding in a Cecropia-tree.
…witness the pollination of an orchid flower by a glittering Euglossine bee.
Or on a night hike you can…
…look out for a kinkajou (Potos flavus) or an olingo (Bassaricyon medius).
…search for creepy whip spiders (Amblypygi sp.).
But you probably don’t want to…
…touch a hairy tarantula.
…encounter a pitviper (Bothrops osbornei) coiled up on the forest floor ready to strike for prey.
…touch the irritating hair of a beautiful Saturnid caterpillar.
