Mongoose

Early this morning (about 6:30 AM) I saw two green sea turtles snorkeling along Dorsch Beach. One was small (about 18 inches long) and similar in size to the several others I have seen but one was at least three feet long. Morning snorkels always reveal something new and refresh the body and soul.

Drue and Stella helped me check traps and process the three male mongoose we captured this morning. One trap had been dragged into the sun by the feral dogs that roam the refuge but the mongoose appeared to have survived the brutal attack. He was a recapture from the day before and was released several hours later.

Drue holding a mongoose

Stella holding a mongoose

A second recaptured male was originally marked as an adult on 4 August 2004, which makes him the oldest animal I have captured to date, and approximately eight years and going strong. Surprisingly he was only missing several lower and upper incisors but his canines and cheek teeth were in relatively good shape.

Eight-year old mongoose in trap	Eight-year old mongoose in trap bag
Eight-year old mongoose in Buzz's hands	Eight-year old mongoose in Buzz's hand

We accompanied Gary and family into the rain forest to watch him net bats at Peggy's house off Mahogany Rd. at dusk. Peggy and her ex-husband built a beautiful house nestled in the hills. We had a very pleasant evening with Peggy and her friend Duke (the vet) and his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Gary netted 76 bats - mostly Molussus and Artibeus, but also two Noctilio.

Jonathan holding a fisherman bat (Noctilio leporinus)